Feud: Capote Vs. The Swans is off to a great start. We’re three episodes in now and have thoroughly enjoyed all the drama. Episode 2×03: “Masquerade 1966” had no shortage of drama, mess, and just downright cattiness. It was an exciting hour because it was like watching a reality show within a reality show if that makes sense. If it doesn’t, right now, it will as this review goes on.
The year is 1966, and Capote is riding the wave of his book release, “In Cold Blood.” It was highly successful, and he’s capitalizing on all of it. Honestly, can you blame him? Who wouldn’t want to celebrate an accomplishment like this? Documentarians David and Albert Maysles, known as the Maysles brothers, are working with Capote to capture aspects of his life as he prepares to throw the Black and White ball, one of the most diverse social gatherings ever assembled with a guest list 540. The party took three months to plan, and he enlisted his swans to help him.
All of the ladies are rather reluctantly participating in the documentary but are thrilled about Truman’s party. He has told them he has plans for a guest of honor to attend, and each woman is hopeful they will be the one chosen. What we loved about Feud: Capote Vs. The Swans 2×03: “Masquerade 1966” was the fact that we did get to see how Slim, Lee, and C.Z.’s relationship was with Truman. Episodes one and two give us a glimpse into his friendship with Babe, who we also see in episode three. But, the main focus this time seemed to be all the other women, and we appreciated that. It’s essential to show the viewers all the relationships he developed to understand better the betrayal they felt once “La Côte Basque, 1965,” was released.
Feud: Capote Vs. The Swans 2×03: “Masquerade 1966” is shot entirely in black and white, which is fitting considering it’s all about a Black and white party. It does create the illusion that we are inside Truman’s life, watching his reality show play out as the Maysles film him and the swans. It’s not till the very last part of the episode that we even see anything in color, which feels like a shock that transports us back into the real world. That leaves the viewer asking, in some ways, what was real and what wasn’t. As the Maysles film Truman’s life, they also capture Lee, Slim, C.Z., and Babe in moments they would have instead kept private. Like C.Z’s assets being seized by the IRS or Slim finding out that her ex-husband’s new woman Pamela, with whom he had an affair was on the guestlist. Spoiler alert: she ends up at the party, and the argument is messy, but it was so entertaining to watch Slim and her go back and forth.
There is a sickness to Truman having some of their rawest moments showcased for the world. In all honesty, it’s essentially what he did later when he released “La Côte Basque in 1965.” Truman deems himself as a savior of sorts for all the ladies, and he wants them to be shown in their most vulnerable states so that he can swoop in and look like their protector. The problem is that he is also betraying them at the same time. That’s evidenced by each woman believing that he has chosen them as his guest of honor. For some reason, he manipulates them all into thinking he picked them. During the documentary, it doesn’t appear as though he has outright asked them to be the guest of honor; he only alludes to it—either way the damage is done and the disappointment is real.
Lee, Slim, and C.Z. all have reasons why they think they were chosen. On the other hand, Babe doesn’t seem to care if she is chosen, but deep down, we know she does, considering she is one of Truman’s closest friends. Maybe far closer than Lee, Slim, and C.Z. It comes as a bit of a shock to all of the women the night of the ball when they learn that neither of them was chosen, and Truman went with Mrs. Katharine Graham, who is seemingly deemed an outsider. It’s pretty gross when Truman explains why he chose her on camera. He puts her business out on front street, and her reaction shows she is unprepared for it. As we said, Truman has a savior complex and believes he is rescuing each of these women.
Truman does seem to be self-aware when it comes to all of the choices he makes. When he talks to Albert Maysles, he makes it clear that when he’s with all of his swans, he’s performing to be what they want him to be in that moment. What is most interesting about Truman’s time with the Maysles is that working on the documentary seemed to open his eyes to the type of person he was. Capote was messy, and his confrontation with Ann Woodward showcased that. He saw parts of himself revealed that he wasn’t prepared for. It was like he was seeing what was under the mask, and that’s why his black-and-white party with everyone in masks was so perfect. Every single person in that ballroom was hiding something.
Truman believed he was untouchable and living the best life he could have dreamed of. The Maysles documentary forced him to come to grips with the fact that he was not. Not only that, he was quite possibly one of the loneliest people. He was surrounded by hundreds of people at his party but he still felt alone and the only person he truly felt cared was his mother who we see make another appearance at the very end of the episode. As Capote himself says, “The fabulously rich are still naked under their clothes.”
Other Thoughts
- Babe wanted to buy Truman a house. You read that right. Girl no.
- “Don’t let the understudy replace you.”
- “They have great pain these women. It’s all a masquerade you see. Because underneath the glamour is pain. Ballerina pain. Gnarled feet, because it is a dance requiring stamina and endurance.”
- Truman felt the need to designate himself as a protector for all the swans and yet he betrayed them in the worst way.
- “I play the part. It’s all a performance. They pick men who are rich but cannot act.”
- So we have Albert Maysles to thank for giving Truman the name “Answered Prayers” as his second book title.
- Chicken hash at a party… Pass.
- “One day you will know what this poison tastes like.”
- “Remember the only unforgivable sin is deliberate cruelty.”
- “Here’s the truth: to be a woman is to be very much out on a limb alone. So don’t pretend that there is such a thing as a best friend because even your sister will steal your man.” Lee spoke nothing but facts in her dragging of Truman.
Feud: Capote Vs. The Swans airs Wednesdays on FX and is available next day to stream on Hulu.