In Cold Blood (1967)

In 1967, which has been called one of Hollywood’s watershed years, Columbia was at the vanguard of studios challenging old ways of doing things. They released two films defying racial stereotypes — Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner (1967) and To Sir, With Love (1967) — and challenged the ways we look at criminals with this adaptation of Truman Capote’s best-selling “non-fiction novel.” Richard Brooks, who wrote, produced, and directed the film, looked at the real-life murder of Kansas’ Clutter family through the eyes of the killers (Robert Blake and Scott Wilson), and accomplished the near impossible, generating sympathy for their wasted lives. Insisting on realism, he shot in the Clutter family home and resisted studio efforts to cast established stars and shoot in color. The result was electric, with stunning cinematography by Conrad Hall and a jazz-tinged score by Quincy Jones. 

d. Richard Brooks, 135m, DCP