Capote (2005)

… while I went out the front
“In Cold Blood” is one of the most fascinating works of American literature — a book that blurs the boundaries of fiction and nonfiction.But the writing of the book is almost as fascinating as the events that inspired it, especially since the two became intertwined. This forms the core of “Capote,” a fascinating look at the writing project that overwhelmed Truman Capote’s life — and while the movie is quite solid, it’s the late Philip Seymour Hoffman who truly shines.Writer Truman Capote (Hoffman) sees a small article in the newspaper, about a family who has been murdered in Kansas, and is immediately inspired to write about it for the New Yorker. Along with his friend Harper Lee (Catherine Keener), he sets out for Kansas and begins interviewing people who knew the Clutter family. They even get to know Alvin Dewey (Chris Cooper), the detective on the case.Then the murderers are caught — a pair of troubled thugs, Perry Smith (Clifton Collins, Jr.) and Richard “Dick” Hickock (Mark Pellegrino).Suddenly Capote is inspired to take his story far beyond its roots, and his New Yorker story begins to blossom into a full-length book. As he interviews the two men, a warped bond begins to form between Capote and Smith, whom he sees as a kindred spirit…. even though he hasn’t revealed how his book will be written. But as the years and legal battles go on, he becomes more determined to finish it at last.The late Philip Seymour Hoffman won an Academy Award for his performance as Truman Capote, and it isn’t hard to see why. He seems to slip into Capote’s skin — his looks, his high nasal voice, his fey mannerisms — but he also fills the cracks with lots of genuine emotion. His Capote is both vulnerable and manipulative — and thankfully, director Bennett Miller is intelligent enough to realize that neither eclipses the other.On one hand, Capote seems to feel a true connection to Perry, as if they are two sides of the same coin — in one scene, he plaintively tells Harper Lee that he and Perry came from the same house, and that he went “out the front door” while Perry was forced to leave via “the back.” But the movie doesn’t shy away from the suggestion that Capote manipulated the convicted men to get the book he wanted, although the extent is left ambiguous.And as the movie winds on, Hoffman’s Capote seems to be slowly crumbling under the weight of his magnificent book that he’s producing, as if it’s vampirically sucking out his vital juices. At the end, he’s emotionally and creatively spent, adrift, left only with the reflections of his darker self.As a recounting of “what happened,” the film is actually pretty close to the reality of what happened — it follows Capote closely as he winds his way through the Kansas town, with Harper paving the way before his feet. Miller mostly depends on Hoffman for atmosphere, letting him fill the scenes with emotion or intensity — but he brings a tautness to phone calls, a darkness in the executions, and a sense of barely-restrained violence when the convicts are onscreen.The other actors are all pretty good, although they are effectively window dressing for Hoffman — Catherine Keener is the only one who truly rises above the herd, depicting Lee as a sharp, smart, incisive woman whom Capote leans on.”Capote” is one of those movies that is elevated to brilliance by the presence of a truly great actor — and the director’s delicate, nuanced touch with Capote’s psyche doesn’t hurt either.

J’étais tombé sur ce film par hasard en zappant sur Arte il y a quelques semaines. Fascinée par le sujet du film et son personnage principal, j’ai suivi le film jusqu’à son dénouement. Fantastique performance par Philip Seymour Hoffman, métamorphosé aussi bien physiquement que vocalement, servi par une belle mise en scène pour illustré un passage poignant et traumatisant de la vie du grand Truman Capote. Les autres acteurs ne sont pas en reste, chacun semble parfaitement à sa place, sans fausses notes. Après avoir vu le film j’ai acheté tous les livres que j’ai pu trouver de cet auteur (j’avais déjà lu De Sang Froid, dont je ne saurais que trop recommander la lecture) ainsi que la biographie de Gerald Clarke qui servit de base au film.A voir et à lire sans hésiter.

Who and what was Truman Capote? I bought this DVD to find out. The enigma remains for many people, including myself. What made him an icon in literary societies in the nineteen fifties and especailly the sixties following the publication of his novel:’In cold Blood’? This film(DVD)answers some of those questions: it covers his obsession with writing the truth about horrendous multiple murders in western Kansas; it covers many aspects of Capote, the man: his goal to be popular, to become associated with the literary elite; his passion for fame, for truth and honesty. Yet, he is a lonely man, haunted by personal demons, clings to people, especilally Nelle Harper Lee on whom he is dependent throughout the investigation. Capote is depicted as a competent investgative journalist. But was he a literary giant? That question will be debated for decades. What is not in doubt is that he will remain a signifciant cog in the history of the US literature. A talented man with never-ending drive; a person thriving for supreme recognition. his mind a dark cloak covering a constant fight to overcome a massive inferority complex. The actors and the production team of this DVD portray the man, his friends plus the society of that period with subtlety.