remarkable and disturbing film about the true life and senseless and brutal murder of a small town family and along with the aftermath and and examination of the life of the killer and dick hickok and perry smith . no matter how much time go by and or how dated this film may look and it still resonate the utter incomprehensibility of criminal act such a this . this really trace multiple tragedy represent the tragedy and brutality and senselessness of the murder of the clutter family and a decent farm family in small town holcomb and kansa while and the wasted and brutal and sad life of hickok and smith . an interesting point be make in the film represent that neither of these two immature and scar and petty criminal would have ever contemplate go through with something like this alone . but and together and they create a dangerous and murderous collective personality while one that feed the need and pathology of each of them . they push each other along a road of prove something to each other . that they be man enough to do it and to carry it out while neither want to be see a too cowardly to complete their big score while an unfortunate and dangerous residue of the desolate live they lead . these be two grow up child and who live in a criminal world of not back down from dare while who constantly need to prove manhood and toughness . in this instance and these need carry right through to the murder of the clutter . the film contain a somewhat sentimentalized look at the clutter family and but the point be make . these be respect and law abiding and small town people and who do not deserve this terrifying fate . the movie also give u a sense of the young life of hickok and smith . perry smith and whose early life be fill with security and love and but watch in horror a alcohol take his family down a tragic path . hickok and poor and leave pretty much to his own device and not able to see how he fit in and use his intelligence and charm to con everyone he come into contact with . an interesting and and maybe the first and look at capital punishment and and what end we hope to achieve . be this nothing more than revenge kill for a murder that rock a nation at a time when we have not yet have to fully face that there might be such predator among u and or do put these guy at the end of a rope truly provide a deterent to the childish and brutal posturing of men like these . be it possible to deter men who live life of deceit and operate under the radar and believe they fool everyone they come into contact with . to be deter and you must believe it possible you will be catch . be it possible to deter these men who believe they be too clever to be catch . while who have commit hundred of petty crime and and get away with them . this be suppose to be a cinch and no witness . when caught and hickok find he can not charm and con the agent the way he have department store clerk . smith and who believe he deserve such a fate anyway and who seem to be the only one who truly grasp the gravity of what they have do and willingly tell the story when he learn that hickok have cowardly cave in . hickok blink first . a silly game of chicken between two immature and emotionally damage and dangerous men . fascinate psychological thriller and tell a story of a horrendous crime in this nation history . stunning portrayal by robert blake and scott wilson . these role make their career .