On February 13, as a “comment,” post your response to the film Capote. Make your response a thoughtful two paragraphs. This will be your class journal, so also put a copy of your response in your journal document. Make in-depth comments (of at least three sentences) on at least three other entries from this class before February 15.
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anne f walker 
From finishing the movie at 12:35 pm and starting the movie at around 9:45 am, there was alot of complications. First of all the Internet was lagging until finally I ended up renting it off of iTunes. I’m not gonna lie but it was kinda boring at the beginning but towards the end of the film was very excellent. There was alot of differences that were pretty noticeable from the book and the movie. The two obvious were Bobby Rupp was Daniel and Nancy E. was Lauren. It was kinda disturbing on how Capote saw the Clutters in their casket. They had these cotton masks around them because of horrifying wounds they got. I also notice how Capote talks about the Clutters in their caskets at the public reading but it is not even mention in the actual book.
Now the one thing that got me sad was Perry. I was very sympathetic to Perry when I was reading the book and now seeing an actor portray him really got me connected to him. It was just sad visually seeing Perry not wanting to die. The one scene that got me was when Perry was about to be hung. It just made me sad because he shouldn’t have died. Yes he did commit killing all of the Clutters but you still get a sense it wasn’t his fault. But that scene was pretty hard to watch; you also get the same feeling that Capote got when he had to see Perry die. And the one thing that bugs me throughout the film was how Capote was drinking constantly. Talk about being an alcoholic. This movie was quiet interesting and its pretty amazing how you watch how Capote composed “In Cold Blood”.
I can agree with you about how the Scene of Perry not wanting to die was very emotional. I felt that because Capote focus a lot in Perry , he wanted his audience to feel sorry for him and to realize that the he did not deserve the punishment he received. Also i like your comment about how the film and the book had a lot of similarities but i still felt that the book did a better job describing the characters.
Sorry the comment above was for Avalero05 response
Ok so this one is you:). iAgree with you about the movie being boring at the beginning. i felt the the novel made it more interesting by describing the characters. Another thing that i like about your comment is that you say that you can connect with Perry because of the scenes given in the movie. I felt the same way because i was able to see Perry cry and i felt that if i had Perry’s life and was put in the same situation i would of done the same crime. But Anyways hi!
I definitely agree and cringed when Capote went to open the caskets. Even though I was expecting the faces to be shown, seeing them wrapped up in cotton brought more emotions through. It was also terrifying to know that Perry will die since we both had a connection to him, thus we still wished there was more done for him.
I agree that seeing Perry as an actor made me feel for empathy for him. Your comment about Capote seeing the faces made me realize that he didn’t mention that in his book he just said that the funeral was a closed casket. I also agree that when watching Perry’s death scene you can almost feel how Capote felt at the actual hanging.
I also had lots of trouble with the Internet lagging while trying to watch this movie.
I agree that it was disturbing when Capote viewed the caskets; especially when he made some kind of joke about it later on, something along the lines of ‘it gives me peace,’ or something? I guess I didn’t really catch that. Also, I found that last scene very hard to watch as well, particularly when Capote first saw them in their harnesses, and how the realization of it all just hit him at once. Moreover, when Perry is about to be hung, and is asked about his final words, his curiosity about his family’s presence was almost as heartbreaking as it was frightening to hear him hyperventilate moments later. No wonder Capote went over the edge; with all the guilt and alcoholism.
After seeing the movie Capote I can honestly say that it was much different watching the film rather than trying to imagine the images in my head. Throughout the movie I noticed many similarities between the text and the movie. Similarities such as the story plot and the characters personalities. Although with similarities also come noticeable differences. Major differences were Capote looking inside the Clutters Casket and seeing them wrapped in cotton. I found it disturbing that Capote had mentioned that seeing the Clutters in their casket was soothing to him. I don’t see how someone can describes ones horrifying ordeal as soothing.
It surprised me that Capote went to extraordinary lengths just so he may talk to Lauren (different name in book Nancy) and to spend time with Perry in jail. It was soothing to see how much care that Capote had for Perry. Perry in the movie to me was depicted as innocent man just as in the book in my personal opinion. The way he came across the screen made it seem as though he was really innocent. Although Dick come across the same he did in the book cocky and conceited. In the end it was emotionally hard when Perry was about to get hung, I felt the sadness that Capote had felt. In the end it was interesting watching the movie while making connections to the text. Capote is an amazing author his pieces of literature are truly art.
The story was so interesting because Capote invested so much of himself in the life of the Clutters and their murderers that . I think he said that he felt soothed when seeing the caskets because it took over a huge part of his life and he invested so much time in writing the book that revolved around the Clutter family murders. Seeing them in there caskets may have allowed him to come to peace with that part of his life.
I totally agree with the imagining your own characters, I feel like the characters were different from what I expected. I also felt like Capote went through a lot to get the information he needed for his book as well. I also agree that Perry and Dick were the same in the book as in the movie, Perry was seen more in the movie than Dick and in the book too.
Yeah it was definitely creepy when he found comfort from seeing the bodies and I can’t say I understand as to why either. I kind of feel as though at first glance Capote felt something for Perry and was attracted to him which led to his great effort in spending time with him to get the full story. Capote did a magnificent job in creating sympathy for Perry, but his actions do bear consequence even though maybe not as harsh as what he received.
I agree with all your statement. I know throughout the movie that the director leave of some key point that are founded in the novel itself. The comparators in the movie are slightly different from what is describe from the novel but, overall i still think that the movie still tell the same message from the book.
I have to agree with you in everything you said because I do believe the book and the film had many connections to each other, but in some ways it had it’s differences.
I also liked the fact that the film showed Capote’s sympathy for Perry, just the same as we had for him in reading the book.
While reading In Cold Blood the reader cannot help but notice Capote’s soft spot for Perry. Whether or not they choose to adopt the same affection toward him is a personal choice but watching the movie really illuminated that for me. The way in which Capote connected with Perry was touching. He fed Perry when he was fasting and physically weak, he told him about his own childhood abandonment by his mother. Capote even tells his friend Harper Lee after she asks if he is in love with Perry ‘It’s like me and Perry grew up in the same house. And one day, he went out the front door and I went out the back.’
The way that Capote could be funny, entertaining; the life of the party seemed to hide a pain buried somewhere inside of him. Writing In Cold Blood and coming to know Perry seemed to reawaken this pain he had tried so hard to deny existence. The end was very solemn. I was angry when I thought he wasn’t going to see Perry before he was executed but I think he realized that would have been a selfish act, and I personally think he owed it to him. Although the novel was a great success it seemed to affect Capote in ways he had never anticipated. Capote describes the execution by saying, “It was a terrible experience and I’ll probably never get over it.” At the end of the film, it stated Capote never finished another novel and that he later died from complications caused by alcoholism. Maybe the killers claimed another life without knowing they had.
I agree with you that the movie shows much more about the relationship betweeen Capote and Perry. We can see subtle connections in the book for how Capote sympathizes with Perry but the movie makes it clear.
I do agree that it is the reader and viewer’s opinion on whether Perry should die for his acts especially when seeing how caring Capote is with him. It does feel like Capote goes on his life’s journey though the course of movie with how he cared for Perry. It is an interesting thought you left us with at the end. I do suppose that Dick and Perry unintentionally killed Capote, but then again, Capote seemed a bit obsessed when researching for “In Cold Blood.”
A lot of the connection between Capote and Perry was due to the fact that Capote had gone through the same Hardships Perry had gone through. Not just because of a result of poor parenting, but through the feeling of not feeling like they are able to fit in society. Perry seemed to always have feeling of being left out, and Capote being different, overall and especially in this time period, had no choice but to feel left out because he was an outcast being openly gay. There are a few feelings that people tend to not notice when dealing with minorities in a group of majorities is that individuals tend to feel much more alone than usual. Capote and Perry shared the feeling of being minorities as one was gay in a straight world and one was a murderer in a civilian ruled world.
I agree about how Capote had a connection. You can really see throughout the movie the Capote prefer Perry over Dick, and besides who would choose Perry over Dick anyways. To be honest, it was hard for me to watch the execution scene because just like Capote, didn’t want to see him go. It made me sad to witness that scene. I also agree how Capote was obsess with his research for In Cold Blood. He really wanted it to be perfect.
I really agree with your perception of Capote’s spot for Perry both in the book and movie. To be quite honest I felt really surprised when Capote started to feed him by spoon, that showed his care even more. That was really big when Capote said he would never get over it seeing how he has seen many horrifying things in his life.
I agree that Perry death was tragic but at the same time you have to look at the whole picture rather than just a piece of it. I understand the conflict that perry had to struggle with because of his past and his current relationship with Dick. The movie connects to the book by showing how heart full perry is but, since all the event Perry went through, Perry had to pay the price. which is his life.
I completely agree with your comment of Capote’s great sympathy for Perry and the way they interact to show Perry’s innocence.
At first, I used to believe that Capote was more of reflected on Alvin Dewey more than he was to any other character in the book. However, after learning about Capote and watching this film and seeing the interactions between both; it is clearly seen that Capote reflects a little bit of himself onto Perry and that is why he feels the sympathy for him.
I agree with you that Capote’s relationship with Perry was really deep and touching. Capote took great care of Perry while he was ill and Capote even visited him frequently this only added up to how much affection Capote had toward Perry. Capote in a sense feels like him and Perry have known each other forever like you said he says, “it’s like me and Perry grew up in the same house.” I also felt angry and sad when I thought Capote wasn’t going to go see Perry one last time but then i thought about it and it would be something horrible to see. Good response.
I agree with everything you said in this response. I also noticed Capote’s facade at parties. Although he lied to Perry often to benefit himself, I also felt that he was trying to protect him too, because he knew Perry’s hopes were unrealistic. I definitely feel that the end of Capote’s life was because of Perry.
The film Capote made me get a better insight on the murderers and Capote’s point of view. Capote really shows how much work and emotion he put into the book. Capote even though he knew Perry and Dick were killers, he didn’t want to get away from them because he was going to write a book about these two murderers. Capote did not think Dick and Perry looked like killers and Dewey was starting to dislike Capote because he was trying to help these killers. The film Capote also showed Capote’s relationship with Perry and how deep Capote’s affection for Perry was. After visiting Perry for a while it is obvious Capote has grown attached to Perry. It did however, bug me that some of the names were changed in the movie.
Perry grew fond of Capote in little time and they both became good friends. Capote visited Perry often and soon Perry grew to trust Capote and Perry told him the story of how the Clutter murder occurred. There was one time when Capote left and didn’t visit Perry for a while and refused to talk to anyone as he lay in bed. You can really tell that this was really killing Capote inside he wasn’t the same Capote we saw at the beginning of the movie. They both maintained a friendly relationship until it was time for Perry to go. Capote was very sad when he saw Perry being executed he said is was a terrible experience and that he will never get over it.
I really like your comment about how you said that Dick and Perry do not look like killers. Now that i think of it, i can agree with you about Capote’s point was to show that these two men had a inner motive for the killing and because of it they did not deserve to be killed. Another thing that i like about your review is that you are giving me a little bit more information about Perry and Capote’s relationship which makes me understand why he focused mostly on Perry’s background.
I also agree with you comment about Capote growing attached to Perry. I feel like the most painful thing is to watch one of your friends die. I also noticed how Dewey got upset when he seen Capote trying to help Dick and Perry get another court trial.
It also bugged me that they changed some names in the movie; I was expecting Bobby and Nancy to be questioned. I did also see changes in Capote from the beginning to the end. Capote definitely seemed like he did not know which path to follow; one to save his new friend or the one where his friend will perish.
I agree with the who how Capote was trying to save Dick and Perry. In fact I was really surprised by it. A writer wanting to save murderers. He had a connection with them and mostly with Perry. With the whole execution scene, was pretty hard to watch because Capote was fond of Perry and he didn’t want to let him go. It was a really sad scene. I also agree with the name changes from the film to the book. Its like really, you can’t keep it the same?
Capote used Perry to further his career. His intention wasn’t to befriend Perry but to manipulate him. The fact that Capote developed an honest relationship with Perry was an unintended consequence. This resulting in the guilt that he feels towards then end of the film. This “friendly” relationship was just a form of etiquette. Perry writing Capote saying, hey friend haven’t heard from you, seems more of a formality.
I agree with you disturbance of the name changing because at the beginning of the film I was confused and thrown off track with the fact that the names were changed.
Also, Capote’s relationship with Perry exposed how Capote believed in the innocence of Perry and how even though most people believe in the death sentenced that they were given Capote could see that Perry could be helped because he was more of Dick’s victim in the murder scene.
Throughout the film i was able to see the difference between the film and the book. At the beginning of the film i was disappointed that the film was in black and white i think it would of been better in color. Also, what I imagined while reading the book about the characters was not even close to how the film perceives them. I felt that the film did not show much emotion and that the characters were just reading the scripted without really creating the personalities the books describes. Another thing i did not like about the film was that it went to fast. I felt that the film cut a lot of important parts of the book that would of made the film better. Lastly i felt that the book allowed for its readers to be part of the investigation by giving us information of other possible killers.
If i have to talk about what i liked about the film, i would say the way the film emphasize mostly on Perry. The whole flashbacks of Perry made me sympathies more in him because i was able to see his impressions and his reactions of the situations. Another thing was that i was able to understand more the reason why Perry killed the family and i felt that even though he was the murder he did not deserve to get killed because he was mentally ill. Lastly I was able to enjoy watching the movie because I new what was going to happen next.
I did find the that movie lack emotions, but I was able to see a spark between Capote and Perry. For me, I did find the book way better than the movie. Some how I was also starting to get bored, while the book kept me wondering who really is the killer with all its shifting scenes and possible suspects.
Wait what? The movie wasn’t in B&W. Did you watch the movie In Cold Blood or did you watch Capote?
I agree with you I also felt disappointed that the film and the book had a significant difference, but then again this was not the actual In Cold Blood movie. I also agree with you on what you said that the characters seemed to be a little different than how the book actually portrays them. Yes, the film did cut a lot of important part of the book and in that sense i was disappointed as well. I think the film emphasized mostly on Perry because Capote felt a strong connection toward Perry. But i can say we both have similar opinions.
The movie portrays the background story to how Capote lived his life as well as how he came to find out about the Clutter murders and Dick and Perry. “Capote” was more emotional for me than the book. Perhaps it was because I could see the suffering in Capote himself when Dick and Perry are to die for their deeds. The movie was a bit confusing when they mentioned a few names that were not in the book, but otherwise gave great insight on how Capote focused himself around his research of Dick and Perry.
Capote lied blatantly to Perry when he said that he did not have a name for his book and that his editor and the organization group were responsible for the title, “In Cold Blood.” Instead Capote used the “mystery title” as a way to coax Perry into explaining to him what happened that night in the Clutter household. Because of that, I assumed that Capote only came back to Dick and Perry for their story, therefore he wanted a story to sell as well as the fame that came with it. But as he spent more time with Perry, he was caught deeper in this friendship with Perry and ended up suffering in the end. The ending of the movie was unexpected for me. Though it was still moving and left the audience with a sight of a slightly broken Capote. The after words were definitely expected as the emotion would probably be even rawer when we see that Capote would be completely different; withdrawn from the world and his writing.
I think Capote was a little cutthroat for trying to profit from such a tragic event and the suffering of others but I agree that he did feel bad in the end because of his close relationship with Perry.
Capote never ceased to amaze me with how he reacted and went about the movie, especially in the end and when gathering the information for the book. It was like painful for me to watch as Capote lied to Perry about the book because they were becoming so close and Perry really began trusting Capote. I agree that some of the names threw me off but I think it was to keep real names secret or confidential and am sure the names in the book are not actual names either.
I feel for Perry because he never knew of the title. If anything, Capote should have made up a title for the book because what tends to happen is that the feeling of not knowing something tends to be worse than actually knowing. I feel for Perry because I would like to know before I died what the title would be. The fact that Capote lies about the title allows me to question whether or not Capote was doing research for his own good or to help spread the word about the misjudgements, judgements, and flaws in United States legal systems and the tragic society that many people are living in today.
I did also find it odd that Capote lied to Perry even though he showed so much emotion to him. Also it was really mean and inhuman like to keep visiting Dick and Perry just to make money off their story. Finally I also agree that the change of names did take me awhile to catch onto.
How was the ending of the film unexpected? They were hung till dead in the book. And slightly broken, Capote was emotionally distraught. He was never the same and because of that died of alcoholism. Slightly broken just doesn’t do justice to describe his emotional state.
i agree with you because of the fact that the ending wasn’t a happy ending.
Capote was very interesting as it covered most of the book but added unique plots. In Cold Blook makes the reader focus on the actual drama of the situation as Capote had intended. But in Capote the movie we got to see how his perspectives affected the way that he wrote the book. I noticed that Capote seemed to have an unusually strong attraction to Perry. This allows the book to become more clear as we see that Capote definetly had a bias when defending Perry’s character. He focuses on Perry’s past much more than Dick or any other character because he was trying to get the reader to make sense of the terrible crime. He does not “justify” Perry’s actions but he clarifies the experiences up to the point of the crime to gain sympathy for Perry even though he was the one who committed all the murders.
The movie brought the severity of the murders into the light however. When we actually see Perry pull the shotgun trigger on husband, wife, and two children it is hard to have any sympathy for him. The movie shows clearly the cold and murderous side of Perry. However, the book does give a very detailed acccount of the characters.
I agree, I felt the movie was based on Capote’s perspective. Capote was also very bias in his book towards Perry, but in the movie we were able to see the “murderous” side of Perry.
I agreed that the movie’s focus was based on Capote and his researches. From the book and the movie, you can see clearly why Capote is more attached to Perry than the other characters and why he gave the readers a deeper insight on Perry’s life. The detailed account of the characters was what drew me into the book, whereas I felt the movie was lacking in this area.
I agree the book lets us see all the drama going on in that time period but the movie sort of answers the readers question of why Capote wrote the book the way he did. I thought the movie really helps complement the book.
It was unique to see the added plots and other perspectives of the story rather than just focusing on one situation. I think the reason why Capote had a stronger attraction for Perry was because Capote could tell that he was the weaker of the two. It did catch me off guard when it showed Perry pulling the trigger, it was indeed harder to feel sympathy towards him.
Capote’s “befriending” of Perry was because he was a more approachable person that could be manipulated. Or that’s at least how he appeared to be; he also possessed the ability to articulate himself, which proves valuable to Capote. Dick ‘s failure was his limited inability to be able to provide an honest reflection of himself and others.
I have to agree with you because of the fact In Cold Blood does make the reader focus on the drama and give them a taste on the characters mind, rather than just telling the story without any feeling putting into the equation.
After watching Capote I was glad that I read the book, because I think in order to understand the movie you need to read the book. The movie was very slow at first until Capote begins doing research for his book. I thought the movie would be based on the family, but it seemed to revolve around Capote and his researching the murder casein order to right his books. It also focuses more on Perry and Capote’s relationship. I feel Capote may have fallen “in love” with Perry’s because they both have similar past. Capote states, “It is like we grew up in the same home. He went out the back door, while I went out the front”
Since Capote has a very similar back ground to Perry I now understand why he empathizes with Perry in his novel. The reason why Perry seems more of victim rather than Dick is because Capote focused more on Perry’s life than he did Dick’s life. I believe Capote and Dick’s relationship began when Capote first seen the pictures and questioned who would want to make the victims comfortable. Towards the end Capote became so wrapped up in his work that he ignored Perry, which made it more difficult for Capote to see Perry again because they had a strong friendship. I think the saddest part of the movie is in the end when Capote has to witness Perry death. In the end Capote’s novel went viral, and Capote never finished another piece of work.
I thought that the movie would revolve around the book as well, and the whole Perry and Capote thing, feel yah on that as well. I feel that because Capote got so close to Perry, the book has a lot more information regarding Perry and we are able to sympathize with him more easily. A piece of work like this can engulf a persons life and then leave then with nothing to rival such a novel so maybe it just was not possible for him to write again.
I am sure that other viewers experienced a similar reaction to the depiction of characters in the movie, our perspectives and expectations are almost never met. The character that surprised me the most was Capote himself, I was unaware that we had such a voice and when they meant he was outwardly gay, it is just that. Also some of the characters name such as Bobby Rupp and Susan Kidwell’s names are changed, which is interesting. After watching the film and reading the book, I am getting the idea that Dewey in the book portrayed Capote to an extent because of the way the case totally devoured their lives even if just for those few years.
I was unaware this was posted and is not my actual post, the actual one is below. Sorry for any inconvenience.
The appearance of many of the characters surprised me as they are not as described in the novel. Capote in particular is the center of the movie just as the title suggests, but his characteristics really catch my attention. His voice is ridiculous, it is understood that his character is depicted extraordinarily well in the film, and personality as queer as I could have imagined. I found it hard to believe that someone who was so outwardly gay, especially in that time could be so popular and do well socially. In the book Dewey is consumed by the case and Capote also gets his life enveloped by putting together his book, leading me to infer that Dewey was somewhat of a portrayal of Capote in the hardships they endured to get their jobs done.
I found it hard to watch as Capote lied to Perry’s face about the book and its contents then at the same time seemingly form an intimate relationship. It confused to to whether or not Capote truly fell in love with Perry and if Perry could or would return those feelings. The amount of access Capote was granted in visiting Perry is also astonishing. All in all this gives more background as to how the book was written and just how intense it all really was. It is kind of cool to think that this families lives and murders will be known for ages because of what Capote did.
I also thought that the movie would revolve around the book. Although it did give us a different feel for the characters, I felt it would be more interesting if parts of the book was played out.
Wow, I didn’t even think of it. I like the last point that you pointed out. With Capote’s research and his novel/book, the murders and the family will be immortalized.
I also did not like the fact that Capote lied to Perry about how much he had written and about the title. I wonder if that’s true? I think Capote knew he had to help both the family and the not so cold-blooded killer (Perry) be remembered in a ‘positive’ way.
One I do agree about how Capote’s voice was ridiculous. It was really hard to focus on the film because his voice was annoying but then again you can’t help it on what voice you end up having. I also agree on how openly gay he was and everyone was ok with it. I guess people were ok with it because he was a famous writer. I also feel it was wrong for Capote to mess with Perry’s emotions by lying to him about his book. Perry should have know from the get go and not find out from the newspaper.
I also found his voice to be ridiculous and his success kind of unexpected at first, but his type of work/the people he surrounded himself with (wealthy, famous, probably more liberal) didn’t really clash with his persona because of the way he could capture anyone through his writing. However, his expectations of being adored were soon juxtaposed with the reality of the situation in Kansas; working-class, troubled Methodist Christian townspeople who only sought justice.
I disliked Capote’s dishonesty as well, but at the same time, also understood why he chose to create that distance at times. If it weren’t for Capote’s determination, deceit, and ultimate sacrifice of his self-happiness, this entire incident probably would have been long forgotten.
Alright, so after much deliberation with myself thinking about what I thought of the film, I have come to this conclusion. First of all, I do not understand how Capote was able to do research on this group of people without being told or stopped because of his lack of official consent. In my anthropology course, I learned that to do any type of research with living and dead persons to be published and be considered able to sell, the researcher must go through the IRB (international review board) processes, even if the researcher uses pseudonyms. He may have gone through the process, but I still felt that it was not the best way to go through research and go through personal thoughts and ideas without receiving proper consent.
With the plot of the story, it really shows the dedication and passion Capote felt not only for the village of Holcomb, but for Perry and Dick as well. Through Capote’s first interest in the story of the town, he really wanted to focus on the village itself, but as he got to understand the situation, he developed an infatuation for the murders (especially Perry) and began to focus on how they were judged too quickly and how it felt like the situation was really unfair. The emphasis of the trail during the novel could be a reaction to how well Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird , was well respected and thought-provoking, and he may have been trying to compete with his best friend.
I also found it slightly humorous, yet very depressing, how the people in Holcomb would rather talked to Harper Lee than Capote for interviews. Perhaps Capote’s character and personality was too different for this specific town, so he would not receive the same amount of respect as a “normal” person would be. As Capote said in the film, that he would be teased about his voice, shows perspectives and how people look at the differences and labels they had set to others and refuse to understand people natural personalities. Once truly understanding the feeling of chastisement in this particular town allowed Capote to understand and empathize with the murderers as they went through the same feeling once they had been convicted. As much as there is heartfelt emotions towards the people of Holcomb, Capote refuses to let go of the pain and suffering of those whom the reader tends to feel for; Dick and Perry.
I find the movie and its focus revolved more around Capote and his researches. The way his character was presented in the movie reminded me of Dewey. I can see that Dewey does relate to Capote in terms of their researches. It is interesting how as readers we feel more sentimental towards Perry and in the movie we can see really see Capote’s intentions in doing so. I got lost when random names that were not in the book were mentioned, but overall this movie was enjoyable.
I really like the way Capote’s character, itself, was brought into this movie. Though I disliked the fact that this movie was more researched based than the book, but seeing Capote and the other characters in action gave me a different feel to the book now. The relationship between Capote and Perry was stronger than I have imagined. I cannot feel anymore pitied for Perry’s character. Though the movie was very interesting, I think the novel/book was a little more fascinating and had better insights than the movie.
I think your comparison of Capote to Dewey is excellent. They were both consumed by case and I wonder if Dewey’s character was meant to be a sort of projection of himself. I also was not a fan of the changed names.
I agree with you both… in both the movie and book we see Capote and Dewey’s lives taken over by there research. They both truly share some commonalities and the book and movie emphasizes it well.
I agree I also felt lost when the random names were thrown into the film I was like am I watching the right movie? I also liked Capote’s character in the film but his voice kind of bugged me in the beginning of the movie. Yes I agree that Capote and Perry’s relationship was stronger than the book portrays it to be because there are some aspects that the book leaves out and the film helped us get a better understanding of that.
Seeing, or at least getting an idea of what Truman was experiencing as he wrote the book, is refreshing. It satisfies the hunger to know. This book, would appear to have been the cause of Truman’s alcoholism, or at least exacerbated a preexisting issue. That’s the purpose of the movie, to give us an insight into Truman’s life when he was writing “In Cold Blood”. The movie is able to complement the book, it’s not competing with writing for best presentation. With the movie we see Truman go from writing a quick article about a shocking event to becoming invested in understanding what was going through the minds of Perry and Dick. However throughout the movie Truman is shown to care only for his personal gain as he manipulates Perry. Truman then collapses under his guilt for doing so, and we get front row seats to the show.
The movie adds to the dynamics that surrounds this sad and fruitless event. It would have been worth it if they got 10 thousand dollars, but it was just a sad failure. Because of their failure I’m coerced to feel pity for them. If they had succeeded then it’s would’ve been easier to vindicate them. This what the movie is able to do (at least for me,) better than the book. The film has the effect that by being a combination of images and sound, it’s able to evoke stronger emotions compared to the book. At least for me, when reading, my mind is kept busy with thoughts imagining how the scenes are put together. There is also the attempt to piece the story together so that I can understand it. With the movie, it’s just placed in front of me and with little effort I accept it. There’s just so much more headroom to process the emotions that I feel when watching a man hang.
Further, to note about the film and how it literally compares to the book. There are couple discrepancies. At ~00:16:23, The scene mentions Laura and Danny, who it would seem are supposed to be Sue and Bobby. And at ~01:25:04, Perry says that Mr. Clutter was tied up to the steam/water pipe and was cut down. When in the book it was said to be Kenyon. There are probably more, but these are what stood out.
Note to readers, I perceive things in a more literal sense; this limits my exploration into reasons and thoughts behind actions and how people feel.
I definitely agree that Capote’s struggle with alcoholism was portrayed in the movie to have been exacerbated by his writing of the book. Although I do agree that the movie made the viewer feel pity I felt the book did a better job at this or maybe a more detailed one. The movie made it less subtle because it serves all of the senses as you said.
I completely agree with the book being a big part that drove Truman to alcoholism. The experiences hes has while doing his research for the book where hard core things deal with, a lot considering it was done to write a book.
Hands down the movie and the book are very different from one another. However, the way the movie gives us a look into Capote experiences while creating the book makes a lot of sense considering how he went about writing it. In the book we get to know Perry a lot more than any character and in the movie we see how he spends so much time with him. To the extent that they create a relationship in which they both share personal experiences. If the book wasn’t enough to make us sympathize towards Perry, the movies helped top it off.
The most shocking thing was the end of the movie. I had no idea In Cold Blood was the last book Capote finished. In particular how his increased in drinking drove him closer to his own death. I just thought it was a little mind bobbling. Overall I thought it was a good movie. The beginning was a little slow and on the boring side but it got way better towards the end. If I hadn’t read the book i would of thought Capote was a weird movie but having read and now seen the movie it all makes sense and gave me a better understanding of the whole situation; the murder and the creation of the book.
After watching the movie, I think that the director did a great job of capturing everything that Capote was trying to reach to his audience. There was a couple of key components that the director miss from the novel. I am not going to point them out because my fellow colleague did a better job of doing so. Overall the novel and the book (i think) are the same because the director and the author both show the same interest. I know that I am contradicting myself but i would like to point out that the movie show Capote message through the Director point of view.
Overall the book is one of the best book i have ever read in my Academic career. The movie on the other hand tap into it but end up losing the message that Capote was trying to reach out to all his audience. The movie did in fact capture what the characters were feeling throughout the whole story and that what caught my attention. I did a little research on Capote and it turn out that he drove all the way to the crime sense to do research himself rather than believe what the media was feeding to the public. Capote took about 9,000 pages of notes and that tell me that he wanted to not only write the story because it would maybe make him famous but to let the public know the truth of the prospective of everyone that was involved with this murder case,
When I came to compare both the book and the movie together I was confused because the movie was named after the author and not the title of the book. I cam to realize that the movie focused more on the research side of the murder case that Truman Capote took great passion in.
I was impressed in the way that the movie exposed many detailed scenes of the murder’s and the exact image I had of the character’s. Furthermore, Capote’s film skipped most of the first part of the book and quickly jumped into the bringing in of the murderer’s into the jail and having them trialed for sentence.
On the other hand, I quickly was caught by interest in Capote’s way of thinking as an “KBI agent
” where he also felt the need to be present in all situations regarding the murder and be fully involved in them. I found it interesting the way Capote had a connection to Perry in the way he pursued talking to him.
Lastly, I can’t really choose which one I liked better; the book or the film. I would have to say I am equal in criticism because I loved the book because it was more of an visual of imagination of what Capote wanted the reader to think, but in the film every scene was clearly exposed as described in the book. I LOVED THEM BOTH!
I have to say that i agree that the beginning of the movie was boring because of the lack of emotion and a little bad acting. As the movie progressed it did get better because of the interactions between Perry and Capote. I have to say that the saddest part is when Capote used Perry and let him go after he was done.
After dealing with so many issues trying to find a cooperative copy of this film, I finally got to watch it and now know understand what people are talking about in their responses. I really enjoyed the book, but after watching this movie and realizing the procedures it took to get the information in order to write it (paying the warden under the table to have unlimited visiting rights, and pretending to be Perry’s friend), I feel slightly different about things now; even more torn about the whole situation. In addition, throughout the book, Capote does a good job of making Dick out to be disliked; whereas in the movie I did not feel as disappointed with him as I had while reading. I found it ironic that the author’s name was Truman, because he seems to have been very dishonest; only truly concerned with his own success. However, the film does an excellent job of portraying the change of heart and developed guilt in Capote. I was surprised that he watched the hangings, because I do not think I would ever want to have that last image of anybody, especially somebody I cared about, openly or not. But Perry preferred to have a ‘friend’ around during his final hour, and Capote honored this–which was respectful. I think the director/producers wanted the audience to feel conflicting emotions toward both the killers and Capote because that is exactly how Capote felt about Perry and himself. All in all, I find both the book and movie very important for anyone to fully understand the situation.