CAPOTE

US, 2005, 110 minutes, Colour.
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Catherine Keener, Clifton Collins Jnr, Chris Cooper, Bruce Greenwood, Bob Baliban, Mark Pellegrino.
Directed by Bennett Miller.

Older audiences may remember the striking film of Truman Capote’s book In Cold Blood. The book was published in 1965 and the film released in 1968, a time of discussion about human rights and capital punishment. In Cold Blood was a literary work of documentation and interpretation, what we might now call a ‘docudrama’, a novel based on fact.

Truman Capote was basking in the fame of Breakfast at Tiffany’s and was feted as a Manhattan celebrity. In late 1959, he noticed a news item about the ruthless slaying of a quietly respectable Kansas family, the Clutters, and had an intuition that investigating this crime and the motives of the perpetrators was to be one of his life’s major tasks. It was. He spent five years researching, interviewing the killers, writing. He transformed ways of writing factual books, influencing the next generation of American writers.

It might not seem to be the subject of a feature film, but this period of Truman Capote’s life is what Bennett Miller’s film focuses on. It is absorbing.

Capote is a portrait rather than a biography. Some of his Alabama background is referred to and there is a postscript about his death twenty years later from complications due to alcoholism. Other than that we have his quest for completing In Cold Blood.

It should be said that this film reminds us strongly of the events, the investigations, the imprisonment of the killers, the appeals and the execution. It depends on one’s stand on capital punishment as to whether the film is for or against. It presents the reality.

The next thing that should be said is that Truman Capote was a complete narcissist. He saw everything in reference to himself. He was not the kind of person that most of us would like to encounter in real life. Smart, witty, caustic, he could be entertaining but his charm would wear thin very quickly. That is why Philip Seymour Hoffman’s award-winning performance is so good. He is able to mimic the mannerisms of Capote – his high pitched, pinched voice, his eccentric way of enunciating, his idiosyncrasies – and keep us fascinated.

The screenplay does not attempt to whitewash Capote. It is a warts and all portrait. On the one hand, when he is writing, he is serious-minded, diligent, hard-working. On the other, he is continually vain and attention-seeking. He is intrusive and exploitative, especially of the killers, even though he is attracted to (at times infatuated) with the better educated and cultured of the two, Perry Smith. His friend and associate, Harper Lee (To Kill a Mockingbird) serves as some kind of conscience for him

What In Cold Blood did (and what this film does in its way) is to enable the audience to share Capote’s inquiry. What happened? Why did it happen? Can we understand the motivation? The urges that drove two burglars to such violence? It is not so much stressed in this film, but Capote pointed out that neither of them could have murdered in this way just by himself. Rather, their pairing produced a killer.

The film has a fine cast. Catherine Keener is a strong, supportive and critical Harper Lee – self-absorbed Capote cannot bring himself to enjoy the premiere of the film of To Kill a Mockingbird. Clifton Powell Jr makes an intriguing Perry Smith. Chris Cooper is the Kansas investigator.

So, the film works on its intended two levels. The story of the writing of In Cold Blood gives insight into the American way of life, of crime, justice and execution. The story of Capote gives insight into eccentric genius and the toll it takes as well as the gaudy and fashionable temptations of celebrity and that toll that this takes.

1.The great acclaim for the film? The many awards? Audience popularity?

2.Audience interest in Truman Capote, his life, personality, his literature, his role in cinema, as an American celebrity? As a researcher and writer of In Cold Blood and its influence on American literature?

3.The focusing on 1959 to 1965, the key years in Capote’s career? Capote as a character in this context, writer, New York personality, celebrity, his sense of mission about In Cold Blood, a sense of vocation? His concerns or not for justice?

4.Philip Seymour Hoffman’s performance, the awards? His capturing the look, the speech mannerisms, the appearance? His comment on Capote’s appearance, seeing him hard at work and being creative, seeing him flippant and with the gossip? His vanity, gross attitudes and language, becoming involved, curious about people and situations, exercising his imagination? Perry Smith and the friendship, the infatuation? The project of the book, the interviews with all concerned, the time spent in Kansas, the time spent away from Kansas and his often reluctance to return, the toll that the writing of the book took on him, the aftermath, his drinking and death? His relationships: with Harper Lee, with Jack, with William Shawn?

5.The opening with the Kansas fields, the house, the context for In Cold Blood? The pervading atmosphere of the murders, the Texas settings throughout the whole film?

6.The transition to Capote and New York, at parties, his chatter? His cutting out the article, phoning Shawn, going with Harper Lee on the train, the irony of her recognising that he had paid the porter to flatter him?

7.The presumptuous New Yorker as he visited Kansas, claiming attention, the issue of the press badge, having to go to the press conference with everyone else, listening to Alvin Dewey, meeting him? His interviewing the witnesses, Laura, the young man who was the boyfriend of the murdered girl? The discussions? Harper Lee getting Laura’s diary, reading it? The friendship with the Deweys, Mrs Dewey? happy to have a celebrity, Alvin Dewey buying Breakfast at Tiffany’s (which was banned in Kansas)? His charm, manners in the household, the meals, Dewey, the phone calls, the children? The later meeting with the Deweys, the on-off relationship with Alvin Dewey, Alvin Dewey’s questions about the title of In Cold Blood?

8.Capote and his research, living in Kansas, his descriptions of this and his reactions? Harper Lee working with him, the human face of the research? Discussions, files? The years passing and his not writing anything? His interviews with Perry Smith and with Richard Hickock? The cumulative effect, his beginning to write, the public reading, the acclaim, his waiting for their execution so that the book could be finished?

9.The portrait of the Clutter household, the film taking the audience through the murders, the visuals of each of the members of the family, their deaths? The reaction to Perry Smith and Richard Hickock? Their background, in prison together? The fact that each could not have murdered as an individual but together they formed a murdering individual? The arrest, Capote and Harper Lee watching? The issue of the reward? Dewey and the sheriffs? The issue of the book, permissions to meet Perry? Going to the sheriff’s house and presenting the autographed book? The different reaction to Hickock? Not thinking he was intelligent enough, bringing him the magazines – and Perry’s rather prim comment about the magazines? The attraction to Perry? Perry as a personality, a certain charm, his sister’s comment and saying he had charm but would also murder? Capote seeing Perry alone, bringing him the books, the intelligent discussions? Capote visiting Smith’s sister, her disdain, the photo album, his bringing it back to Perry? Their discussions, books, vocabulary? Capote becoming more desperate to get the details of the night of the killing so that he could complete the book? His dramatic walk-out and threatening of Perry? His going to Spain, the letters, his unreliability in answering the letters? His returning, Perry describing the night and the visualising of the flashbacks? His guilt? The history of the imprisonment, the nature of the appeals, Capote getting them good lawyers and prolonging their lives, their stays in prison, his research for the book? The final telegram and his not wanting to go to the execution? His not having helped finally to get the lawyer, his seeming to prefer that they should die and he complete the book? Harper Lee’s phone call, his going to Kansas, with Shawn? Perry and the phone call, his meeting him in prison, the five minutes and their talk, his promise to watch? Watching the hanging? The repercussions for him – and his assessing it in terms of his own pain? His satisfaction that everything was complete and he could finish the book?

10.Capote as narcissistic, the execution and its shock, the stays contributing to his own personal insecurity and breakdown, his wanting an ending, his selfishness?

11.The portrait of Harper Lee, a good woman, in herself, her strength and character, helping in the research, her skills, friendship with the Deweys? With the young girl, the diary? The work in Kansas? Her writing of To Kill a Mockingbird? Her going to Spain, the discussions with Jack and Capote? The issue of the film premiere, Capote being present, preoccupied with himself, not able to congratulate her? Her phone calls, her challenge to his conscience, her telling the truth to him about his wanting the two dead?

12.Capote’s relationship with Jack, companion, the phone calls, Jack and his own work, their going to Spain? Jack understanding him, tolerating him, urging him to do the right thing?

13.Shawn, as publisher, agreeing to the project in the first place, the article? His encouraging of the writing of the book? Arranging the public reading, New York society going to the reading, the acclaim? Satisfying for Capote? The marketing issues? His going to Kansas for the execution?

14.Alvin Dewey, his role in investigation, the years passing and his connection with the case, at the execution? The police? The warders in the jail, the atmosphere?

15.New York society, the flippant attitudes, listening to every word from Capote, his jokes, the sexual innuendo, his being feted? The praise for In Cold Blood? The earnest man who came in and praised him – and Capote joking as if he was his father?

16.How well did the film develop interest in Capote’s character, explanations of his background, his parents, guardian, in the south? His accent and way of speaking and his comment about this, his appearance, short, his clothes and his being a fop about his coat, scarf?

17.The film and capital punishment, the presentation of prison, sentences, the execution itself and the visuals? Leaving it to audiences and their opinion about capital punishment?

18.A portrait of an American literary character? A portrait of the creative aspects of writing – and their toll on a literary genius?