A Stand for Art

Rating: 8/10 (4 May 2006)

What makes Capote stand out - especially - isn't anything else but one of the deepest conflicts of man, that between heart and mind. You may wonder "why?", considering that the battles of heart and mind have been fought so often in the pragmatic world of art. The secret lies in the performance.
P.S. Hoffman is more than astonishing. Capote isn't just a self indulging narcissist, or a heartless manipulator, or a brilliant writer, or the child forsaken by his mother. He is all these and much more and therefore stands for every man and woman that goes beyond himself or herself. The parallel between Capote and Perry, artist and murderer, is simply amazing and points out that we are a complex set of circumstances defined by moment and chance.
Sacrificing oneself, one's passions, one's beliefs for art (or for any other equivalent notion)...by doing all this, Capote ruins himself. We are left contemplating the question, eternal and redundant: is it worth it? My guess, it may well be.