year  in cold blooda riveting thriller has two new interesting contexts previous have first chillingly fact star robert blake recently trial murdering wife second recent oscar winning biopic capote showed muddled back story haunting true crime tales author truman capote two new twists make film timely modern audiencebr br as stand alone film era in cold blood top notch every way notable stunning black white cinematography conrad hall later american beauty road perdition fame many stills film kansas farm house night treelined back country roads could sold fine art photography combined crackerjack direction brooks superb editing early scenes where see mundane daily life innocent family senselessly slaughtered beautifully intertwined plotting two hapless killers rich brooding atmosphere created sets stage riveting suspense even everyone knows going end due fact based real life events also great see day age brilliantly staged harrowing murder scene depicted graphic nature act transmitted viewer subliminally nary drop blood shown screenbr br the film also anchored nicely robert blakes eerie performance sympathetic yet senselessly brutal side killing duo flashback scenes horrible childhood extremely well done scene towards end film speaking reverend sent gallows makes last confession speak one classic movie moments perfect marriage gritty acting superb writing flawless direction haunting photography dare erase mind stark image rains reflection window flowing robert blakes pallid face lieu actual tearsbr br the thing hampering in cold blood slow moving middle act killers lam forced nature social commentary end tackedon political message death penalty secondary compelling depiction mad killers prey