Saturday, February 25, 2006
Film
Saw Capote last night and liked it a lot. It's always a pleasure when a film appears from the publicity to have a certain message, but on viewing turns out to have rather more to it. To put it another way: it's good when trailers don't spoil films. Thus, I thought that Truman Capote's researches into a nasty murder in Kansas would simply gain him an insight into his own background and how he could have turned out. However, what gradually swims into focus is that Capote's book can only exist because of the deaths of the victims, and that it can only be finished with the death of the murderers. Since stays of execution are granted, this takes about five years, and leads to an excellent bit of cinema. A very fine performances too from Mr Hoffman, and some lovely shots of bleak midwestern landscapes.
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3 comments:
Have you ever read "In Cold Blood"?
A very impressive book, and it's barely dated at all, which is amazing.
- roGER
No, but perhaps I should. I remain quite ignorant about American fiction.
It's actually "faction" in that Capote basically invented the "true crime" story. In other words a novelisation of a true story, but using the facts and transcripts etc whenever possible.
He invents some 'probable' dialogue and some scenes from the available evidence (they may or may not have taken place, or taken place in a different order) etc etc.
What is impressive is how well the book holds up something like 50 years after it was published - it's very readable and fresh and a compelling read.
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