(11/09/05 12:00pm)
In late 1959, Truman Capote, author of "Other Voices, Other Rooms" and "Breakfast at Tiffany's," embarked on a new project, what would become the first nonfiction novel.
Noticing an item in "The New York Times" about the apparently unmotivated murder of an entire Kansas family, Capote decided to travel to the small town of Holcomb to document the investigation into the brutal crime. The resulting book, "In Cold Blood," would make Truman Capote a household name, while the process of writing it would prove to be his undoing.
Bennett Miller's new film "Capote," based on the biography by Gerald Clarke, takes an unflinching look at the author's triumphs and his deterioration as he writes his masterpiece. Capote was a born storyteller, a man who knew how to hold an audience's attention, whether it be at a public reading or a cocktail party. But Capote was more at home in the realm of fiction. Miller's film shows us a man unprepared for the reality he would find in Kansas, a reality that would haunt him for the rest of his life.
In the title role, Philip Seymour Hoffman is astounding. He doesn't quite mimic Truman Capote's flamboyant affectations, but instead disappears into the portrayal of a character we can recognize as Capote. It is a total performance. Not for a moment do we see the actor break out of character. It is almost unthinkable that Hoffman would not be nominated for an Oscar.
Capote initially has difficulty in drawing statements from unwilling Kansans, preferring to allow his friend Nelle Harper Lee (Catherine Keener), soon-to-be author of "To Kill a Mockingbird," to conduct the interviews. But he quickly finds his footing, winning over the lead investigator Alvin Dewey (Chris Cooper) with stories of Humphrey Bogart and coercing a young girl into handing over her diary by relating to the outsider he senses in her. Watch Hoffman's eyes, darting back and forth, trying to get a read on whomever he is talking to.
After the killers, Dick Hickock and Perry Smith, are caught, Capote begins interrogating them in their cells. Hickock (Mark Pellegrino) is somewhat peripheral to the story that "Capote" tells. It is Smith (Clifton Collins, Jr.) that Capote becomes infatuated with. After finding that they share common childhood traumas, the two establish an empathetic bond, but how much is Capote manipulating Smith and how much is Smith manipulating Capote?
As the killers' executions draw near, Capote's actions become more and more questionable. He slips into alcoholism, filling baby food jars with bourbon. When a letter from Smith asks him to find another lawyer in a seemingly endless string of appeals, Capote ignores it, sealing their fates, and his. Yet he shows up at their hanging, a weeping wreck. He will see his story through to the end, even if it devastates him.
If it sounds as though "Capote" makes the killers overly sympathetic, it is not so simple. Miller holds off on showing us an actual depiction of the killings until late in the film, just as the real Capote held off on describing the grisly details until late in his book. The effect in the movie is to shock us back into reality, reminding us what Hickock and Smith are capable of, which Capote has clearly allowed himself to forget by this point. It is more effective because the sensitive Smith was the triggerman.
What I admire most about Miller's film is the way it enriches Capote's book. "In Cold Blood" was written in the third person omniscient tense, effectively removing the author's presence from the text, despite the vital role he played. "Capote" re-inserts him, showing us the depths he sank to in order to blaze a new narrative path. It is a sad story about a cycle of lives being destroyed, all because of one horrible night in Kansas.
(04/13/05 12:00pm)
Dawn on Mercer County Lake. The sun peeks over the treetops, illuminating the static sheet of glass that stretches across the landscape. Daylight dances on the water's surface, the stillness of which is only broken by the ripples issued from the blades of eight oars rowing in perfect unison. The College's crew team is practicing at a time when most students aren't even awake.
By 7 a.m., the men's and women's teams have finished their exercises on the lake for the day and must relinquish it to the 2008 women's Olympic rowing team. They return to the College to attend the day's classes and to get some time in on the ergometer, a rowing matchine vital to their cardiovascular endurance training.
The crew team has yet to row competitively, so this season will mark the team's first competitions. They were scheduled to race against Lafayette University last Saturday, but the race was cancelled due to flooding. The women's team will travel to Massachusetts on April 17 for their first race, while the men will make the same trip on April 23.
By fall, the team hopes to establish itself as a Division III crew team to be reckoned with. If all goes as planned, the team will compete in six-kilometer races in Philadelphia, a big step for a new team trying to find legitimacy in the world of rowing.
The College's crew team was established in Spring 2003. They have been practicing on the Mercer County Lake for less than one year, with only a single boat, a one-year-old women's lightweight bought from Princeton. The boat, which was named "The Scoop," carries eight rowers and a coxswain, who gives the commands to stroke.
Another boat, a heavyweight for men, was purchased for $11,500 but has yet to arrive from China. In the meantime, they have a loaner boat for the men.
The crew team is currently being coached by volunteers Heather Cullen, Bret LeMin and Mo Ahmad. These coaches ride in a borrowed motored launch during their exercises on the Mercer.
Part of the difficulty in establishing a crew team on campus has been the enormous cost of the sport. They've found ways to cut costs, such as a government discount program which has allowed them to purchase a 15 horsepower two-stroke engine for only $700.
The Student Finance Board (SFB) allotted the team $7,500, a generous sum from the Student Activities Fee (SAF), but even that does not come close to covering the expenses accrued by a newly formed rowing team.
Therefore, the team must rely heavily on fundraising activities to sustain themselves. They run 15-20 fundraisers per semester, ranging from T-shirt sales to raffles to "ergothons," sponsored marathon sessions on the ergometers. According to sophomore Chris Mecoli, president of the team, the team raises about $10,000 a year.
The funds go toward paying for their boats, renting equipment and renting time on the lake to practice. The team is thankful for all the financial support they have received. "Everyone has been great. They've really helped us along," Mecoli said.
The sport is not only financially straining, but physically straining as well. "I've done long distance running in track and field and it is nothing compared to this," junior Stephanie Routson, women's vice president of the crew team, said. "You will die and come back to life many, many times, while rowing."
Several team members commented that the Olympic rowers they watched on television made the sport look rather easy, but when they tried it for themselves, they realized just how difficult it was.
A large part of the difficulty lies in timing. If the rowers do not stroke in unison, it makes the task of moving the boat much more arduous. It is therefore critical that all the blades of the oars push through the water at the same time. When they first began rowing together, much of the team's practice time was spent in synchronizing their technique.
"There's no other sport where there is so much (elegance)," junior Carolyn Botros, captain of the women's team, said.
"You see it and it's just so beautiful and graceful," Routson said. "In the mornings, the only thing that moves the water is our blades coming down at the same time. It's just magical."
The executive board of the crew team has made sure to schedule many social events, such as trips to regattas, designed to bring the group closer together. They hope this solidarity will remain strong when they're on the water.
"Watching this thing grow has given me an overwhelming sense of pride," junior Josh Bank, men's vice president of the team, said.
It has been a long road for the College's crew team to get where they are today. They've felt the strain, physically, mentally and financially. But their hopes are high for the future. It may finally be time for these athletes to get their recognition.