Compare And Contrast Cold Blood Book And Movie

In Cold Blood and the novel’s film adaptation of the same title, directed by Jonathan Kaplan, several aspects of the novel are necessarily altered to create a successful motion picture version. If the preference is to view a film a general understanding can be seen but there will be a huge loss of detail when describing the main characters, and various settings thoroughly described in the novel.

The four members of the Clutter family show both similar and different traits in the movie and book version of the story. The first of these characters is Mr. Herbert Clutter. The movie depicts Herb Clutter as a loving father and husband but it does not capture the respect this man earns in all of his associations. In the book he is almost revered

Mr. Clutter’s desire to serve, and his high moral standards bring him the admiration of all with whom he comes in contact.

Using only about an eighth of the book to introduce the Clutters and familiarize the reader with each member of the family, Capote shows that their personalities are clearly defined in great detail by the time the crime is committed. Herb is described as a model citizen, loving father, loyal husband, trusted friend and decent employer: “…he is known for his equanimity, his charitableness, and the fact that he paid good wages and distributed frequent bonuses”(Capote 10). Even one of the killers, a former employee, attests to Herb’s sense of fairness: “I thought he was a very nice and gentle man… I thought so right to the moment I cut his throat” (Capote 296). Although the movie presents a clear picture of Mr. Clutters’ goodness it is limited to a few scenes whereas the book puts Herb Clutter’s character front and center.Critics such as Conrad Knickerbocker also view Herb Clutter as the upstanding person of Capote’s making: “Herb Clutter is a symbol of the

Our knowledge of Mrs. Clutter is relayed mainly by the thoughts and words of Herb, her husband. Through his loving and concerned references to his wife, the reader forms an impression of a woman who is virtually an invalid who has little to no involvement in the day-to-day lives of the Clutter family. She remains in her bedroom, secluded from her family’s activities: “the pattern of postnatal depression repeated itself, and following the birth of her son, the mood of misery that descended never altogether lifted” (Capote 27). The possibility exists that Mrs. Clutter has entered her menopause and requires hormone replacement.The movie however, portrays her in a more positive light. Where she appears to have some form of mental incapacity, her condition is not as debilitating in the movie. She is not bed-ridden and comes downstairs to the main level of the home. She is very much in touch with reality as evident in her interaction with one of her daughter’s friends and again in a conversation with Nancy, her daughter. She is sensitive to her daughter’s request and responds in a reasonable manner.Bonnie Clutter plays a minor role in both the