Bonnie and Clyde

Plot synopsis:
In the middle of the Great Depression, Clyde Barrow (Warren Beatty) and Bonnie Parker (Faye Dunaway) meet when Clyde tries to steal Bonnie's mother's car. Bonnie, who is bored by her job as a waitress, is intrigued by Clyde, and decides to take up with him and become his partner in crime. They pull off some holdups, but their amateur efforts, while exciting, are not very lucrative.
The duo's crime spree shifts into high gear once they hook up with a dim-witted gas station attendant, C.W. Moss (Michael J. Pollard), then with Clyde's older brother Buck (Gene Hackman) and his wife, Blanche (Estelle Parsons), a preacher's daughter. The women dislike each other on first sight, and their feud only escalates from there: shrill Blanche has nothing but disdain for Bonnie, Clyde and C.W., while gun-moll Bonnie sees Blanche's flighty presence as a constant danger to the gang's well-being.
Bonnie and Clyde turn from pulling small-time heists to robbing banks. Their exploits also become more violent. When C.W. botches a bank robbery by parallel parking the getaway car, Clyde shoots the bank manager in the face after he jumps onto the slow-moving car's running board. The gang is pursued by law enforcement, including Texas Ranger Frank Hamer (Denver Pyle), whom they capture and humiliate before setting him free. A raid later catches the outlaws off guard, mortally wounding Buck with a gruesome shot to his head and injuring Blanche. Bonnie, Clyde and C.W. barely escape with their lives. With Blanche sightless and in police custody, Hamer tricks her into revealing C.W.'s name, who was up until now still only an "unidentified suspect."
Hamer locates Bonnie, Clyde and C.W. hiding at the house of C.W.'s father Ivan Moss (Dub Taylor), who thinks the couple—and an ornate tattoo—have corrupted his son. The elder Moss strikes a bargain with Hamer: in exchange for leniency for the boy, he helps set a trap for the outlaws. When Bonnie and Clyde stop on the side of the road to help Mr. Moss fix a flat tire, the police in the bushes open fire and riddle them with bullets. Hamer and his posse then come out of hiding, looking pensively at the couple's bodies.

Tags: comedy, depressing, murder, cult, violence, humor, romantic, revenge, storytelling

Review:
Warren Beatty is Clyde Barrow and Faye Dunaway is Bonnie Parker, the rest is legend  The two young lovers escape from their condition in a sort of existential impulse and leave the boredom of small rural towns behind them.
When the gap between the baby-boom generation and their parents got wider, when cinema was marked in the 60's by an abundance of dull musical comedies and classic block-busters, when sex and violence were still taboo in America, I guess people felt like Bonnie in the opening shot ...
Maybe Bonnie is too gorgeous in a glamorous way, maybe Clyde is too good-hearted as he would express many grieves all through the film, highlighting the fact that he feels as much a killer as a lover.
The audience was mature enough to identify with "Bonnie and Clyde" as movie characters.And to be honest, it's hard not to find this film appealing, as soon as the gang is constituted by its core before being joined by Michael J.
Pollard, as C.W. Moss, Gene Hackman as the good-hearted brother Buck Barrow and Estelle Parsons as his wife Blanche (with an interesting note that all the members of the Barrow Gang will be Oscar nominated), the whole film embarks us in a road adventure with the banks of the Depressed America as so many stops, and the same exhilarating banjo music as the film's musical signature.
But progressively, as the adventure is looking more like a cat-and-mouse chase, as we feel getting closer to the end, the levels of realism the violence reaches gets more and more disturbing, and heart-breaking, as to remind us that whoever lived by the gun, die by the gun, and antiheroes didn't have the monopoly of violence.Indeed, the movie doesn't end with banjo music, with no music actually and this is another testimony to the movie's legendary value, something that was waiting to explode on screens after so many decades of repressed violence, where gunshots hardly made blood spilling, where the portrayal of death was just acrobatic moves with a possible 'aargh' for the bad guy and more solemnity for the good one.
'Bonnie and Clyde' is not a film about two real people famous for so many bank robberies and murders across the big country...
In the time of the Great Depression, Clyde Barrow(top notch Warren Beatty) recently out of jail knows to Bonnie Parker(gorgeous Faye Dunaway), both become bank robbers.
Quite how writers Newman & Benton managed to craft a story of two deadbeat outlaws into cinematic heroes is up for any individual viewers scrutiny, but they bloody well do it because we all want to be in the Barrow gang, because we get lost in this romanticised outlawish tale unfolding in front of our eyes.The film is a fusion of incredible violence and jaunty slapstick, and smartly pauses for delicate moments to let us into the psyche of the main protagonists.
We know they have hangups, and with that we know they are fallible human beings, and this sets us up a treat for the incredible jaw dropping finale, the impact of this finale hits as hard now as it did back with the audience's of 1967.The cast are incredible, Warren Beatty gives a truly brilliant performance as Clyde, he looks good and suave tooting those guns, but it's in the tender troubled scenes where he excels supreme.
To round out the plaudits I finish with love for director Arthur Penn, because it's his vision that gives us something of a nostalgic movie that plays up and down with its subjects with cheeky aplomb, in fact it's just like the banjo music that features so prominently throughout this wonderful film.Nominated for 9 Oscars it won just the two, the entire actors who played the Barrow gang were nominated, and truth be told they all would have been worthy winners, as it is they gave out just the one to the least strongest performance from Estelle Parsons, go figure.
I must admit that I do feel sorry for the way they were killed, but like the old axiom goes, "If you live by the sword, you die by the sword."That said, the movie "Bonnie and Clyde" was a groundbreaking film.
This is perhaps the first film that takes a somewhat objective look at crime; we the audience don't have "FBI Seal of Approval" morality shoved down our throats, but we still can tell by the actions of the characters that they are evil, whether they know it or not.The story is of two Texas young adults who, bored with their lives and the prospects of going nowhere in the world, decide to live out their dreams of stardom by going on a crime spree.
It's sad, it's disgusting, but it brings closure to the lives of two individuals whose works and existence could not be tolerated by the powers that be.The movie "Bonnie and Clyde" inspired a generation of film makers to look at cinema in a different light.
The police in this film are rather like the way gangsters used to be portrayed; a collection of stupid, soulless individuals who only want to ruin Bonnie and Clyde's fun.In the end, this in an excellent film about Depression era gangsters.
Perhaps "Bonnie and Clyde" was a one-off though it did spawn an awful lot of break-neck thrillers and up-dated film-noirs, and was more responsible for the baby-boom in movies in the seventies than "Easy Rider" which followed it two years later.
Besides being an enormously entertaining movie, "Bonnie and Clyde" was an important 1960's landmark film in a couple of ways.
And of course the real Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker were not nearly as attractive as Beatty and Dunaway.The acting by the two principals is top-notch, as well as that of most of the rest of the cast, especially  Gene Hackman (the first film I ever saw him in) and Estelle Parsons.It's not generally recognized that actors Denver Pyle, Dub Taylor and Gene Wilder contribute to the movie's success.
Whether you love or hate it, Bonnie and Clyde was, and remains to this day, a ground-breaking film in the history of American cinema, and should be praised hugely for that alone.
Aside from the re-defining techniques of showing violence on-screen and the depiction of main characters who are far from typical heroes, it contains career-boosting roles for many actors, and comes from a very talented director of the time, Arthur Penn.The story follows the titular real-life bandit couple of Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker.
The film is slightly romanticised, depicting the couple as young, foolish kids who don't really seem to realise what they're getting into, but the violent and unpredictable undertone and the impressive period detail ensures an edge that lifts it above typical gangster movies, and always assures us that what's happening isn't remotely romantic, while granting the characters and events gritty depth.Penn is on fine form from the beginning, and handles a range of different scenes with ease and a huge amount of skill, from thrilling banks-robberies and shootouts, to the more intimate character scenes, in particular those between Bonnie and Clyde, which depict one of the most interesting and unusual screen couples to date.
The cinematography and editing are used to huge effect, and resulted in some of the most ground-breaking scenes of the 60's, while the folk-style soundtrack gives an air of humour.The film tends to play a bit fast-and-loose with the facts- like condensing several real-life members of the gang into the single character C.W. Moss, and neglecting the fact that for nearly a year, Bonnie was almost unable to walk due to a car crash, but writers David Newman and Robert Benton can be forgiven for these inaccuracies considering they succeeded in crafting a story that is both thrilling and exciting as well as tragic and thought-provoking.But the story would be nothing without first-rate cast it boasts.
Throw in one of Gene Wilder's first screen performances and you have an extremely talented and interesting cast.But aside from the great cast and direction, the truly ground-breaking, incredibly influential aspect of the film is much simpler and much more important- the depiction of on-screen violence and the impact it makes.
Although numerous chapters in cinema manuals have been dedicated to Arthur Penn's violent, jagged, cynical "Bonnie and Clyde"--and, indeed, it kick-started a new permissiveness in America movies which then generated many imitations--the first twenty or so minutes of the picture are really awful.
The film's greatest achievement aside from its textured look and feel is the casting: Beatty and Faye Dunaway do pretty marvelous work in the leads; Gene Hackman and Estelle Parsons also fine as Clyde's brother and sister-in-law (Parsons won the film's second of two Oscars as Best Supporting Actress).
Arthur Penn brought the legend to the big screen in his 1967 feature starring Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway in the film Bonnie and Clyde.
Telling the story of a criminal duo bound together by a love for each other and a lust for robbing banks, Bonnie and Clyde is a seminal work to come out of the 1960's.
After a chance meeting when a young Clyde Barrow (Warren Beatty) is attempting to break into waitress Bonnie Parker's (Faye Dunaway) mother's car, the two instantly fall in love.
With only each other to rely on, the Barrow gang attempts to outrun all others and keep their lifestyles and lives intact.The film starts off in a great way with title cards and real pictures of Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow adding to the mystique of the duo.
The thing that worked best in this film was its pacing, Arthur Penn wasted no time delving into the depths of the story, introducing the two love birds and sending them off to a life of crime together all in the first 20 minutes of the film.
Pollard are still very good in their respective roles as Clyde, Bonnie and C.J. What annoyed me were the characters played by Gene Hackman and Estelle Parsons.
The life and times of Clyde Barrow (Warren Beatty) Bonnie Parker (Faye Dunaway) and their gang (Michael J.
Directed by Arthur Penn, Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway star in a romanticized account of the real-life pair of bank-robbing outlaw lovers Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker, who set off a reign of terror throughout the American Midwest during the 1930s.
The film's violence is also pretty effective too, being that when people get shot, they bleed - profusely, realistically - and "Bonnie and Clyde" also helped to lay out the groundwork for Sam Peckinpah's "The Wild Bunch" two years down the road in 1969.
I suggest Milner's The "Lives and Times of Bonnie and Clyde."If you do decide to read about B&C, you'll be surprised to find that some of the most interesting facts were left out of the movie.
This film gives an account of the real life bank robbing couple Bonnie and Clyde (portrayed by Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty respectively).
In the beginning it's just Bonnie and Clyde committing said crimes, but they soon recruit mechanic C.W Moss (Michael J Pollard)and Clyde's brother Buck (Gene Hackman) and his unwilling wife Blanche (Estelle Parsons).I know there are a lot of people who criticise biographical films for not providing a 'true' account of the event.
Even if the money was on deposit with the bank, though, whose money would they have been stealing?The stronger second half made me feel better about watching this, and it's not Beatty's worst movie by a long shot - high praise from someone like me who frankly doesn't care much for the man's work.
The action scenes added to the overall excitement of the movie and the violence portrayed within the film is certainly why it feels "emotionally dark" in the end.
This movie not only showed what it looked like to be a wanted outlaw in the early 1900's, it showed what Bonnie and Clydes relationship might've been like when they weren't robbing banks.
As well - I sure did appreciate the attention to detail that was paid to the period setting of the story.Set in the American Mid-West during the Great Depression, this film definitely did deliver a satisfying slice of cinematic nostalgia when it came to the depiction of that particular era in US history.All-in-all - I'd say that it was this picture's first-rate camera-work, by Burnett Guffey, that kept this somewhat dimwitted tale about publicity-seeking outlaws (turned folk heroes) from going completely off the rails.And, of course.
Personally, I think that Dunaway gave the best performance but I don't think that any of the actors were singled out undeservedly.Arthur Penn's direction is well-executed and the film managed to win an Oscar for its cinematography (probably due to the dream-like photography of the reunion with Bonnie's family).
The idea of placing the bad guys as good guys and vice versa made the world of movies different forever, which makes Bonnie and Clyde an incredible film with high accomplishments, as well as a reflection of the 1960's..
This of course does not mean that all movies with powerful scenes are great, but luckily for Bonnie and Clyde, it is close enough.The acting throughout the film is very good, most of the time.
But the true genius of this film is the acting between Warren Beatty and four great actors who all make sensational debuts here: Faye dunaway (who nearly carries the movie), Gene Hackman (who steals the show when he arrives), Michael pollard (who won an academy award for his performance) and Gene Wilder (who acts like he just arrived from another planet).
In the same spirit of "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid", another similar classic, starring Paul Newman and Robert Redford, that is also a must see for lovers of the heist genre."Bonnie and Clyde" shows us viewers 2 gorgeous young spirits on the screen played by the very young Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty of whom the latter also produced this movie.
Although the new feel of the film and the great editing and cinematography (like in many of the shooting scenes) was fun to watch, I personally felt that the plot was a bit boring to follow and repetitive.
This was my first time watching a movie about Bonnie and Clyde, the bank robbing duo is famous for their robbery's in real life, but this was my first time really seeing the two in action.
Ultimately this is a great film that gives an inside look to the relationship and dynamic of the Bonnie and Clyde crime spree..
Bonnie and Clyde were portrayed beautifully (would have been nice if movie Bonnie actually looked like the real Bonnie Parker however), and their story was a thrilling film to see.
Such as in the movie "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" "Bonnie and Clyde" showed viewers just how much more could be shown in Hollywood films..
The film has some decent robbery sequences, but where the film delivers is when the Barrows Gang has a few shootouts with the Law. Bonnie and Clyde is a thrilling crime film that's definitely a classic of film, and one of the best gangster action films of the 60's.
Arthur Penn's 'Bonnie and Clyde' was exactly what I expected, and I had a great time watching it.
The Famous Duo. Bonnie and Clyde (1967) directed by Arthur Penn, is a film about the famous crime duo, and their acts of robbery and murder.
You could almost feel like the movie didn't want to fall into the narrative of Bonnie, Clyde and the other characters deserving death and an unhappy ending, yet that is what we got.
I like how the film ended, because it was like the real life event of Bonnie and Clyde's last moments in many ways.
"Bonnie and Clyde" is a classic movie which has to do with a notorious violent bank robber couple and their gang.
In this movie we can observe many great interpretations such as Warren Beatty's who plays really outstanding as Clyde Barrow and Faye Dunaway's who is also plays outstanding as Bonnie Parker (nominated for the Oscar for Best Actress in a Leading Role on 1967).
I also liked the interpretation of Gene Hackman who plays as Buck Barrow.I think that "Bonnie and Clyde" is a must seen movie and everyone have to see it.
Bonnie and Clyde is a very classic film which follows the story of the two ruthless bankrobbers.That actually terrorized the u.s. a couple decades before the movie came out.
A classic for the ages featuring Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway as the legendary criminal lovers Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker, serial robbers and cop killers, who rose to prominence in the midst of the Great Depression.
Through out the film I found myself almost feeling sorry for Bonnie and Clyde, they were made to be likable characters in this film, you liked them as people, and a couple.
Bonnie Parker (Faye Dunaway) and Clyde Barrow (Warren Beatty) travel across the country, robbing banks and carrying on in a crazy romance.While the movie itself is pretty great, both well-made and entertaining, the real achievement here is a cultural one.
Movies now with crazy killing is not as good as the ending of bonnie and Clyde.
Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway star as Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker two misunderstood, but unflinchingly violent bank robbers that cut a path across the country, with the law always just a step behind.
The action is there and abundant in the latter part of the film, but this movie is largely about getting to know Bonnie & Clyde.
We know there's only one possible ending to the movie, yet by the time it comes, we find ourselves half hoping that Bonnie and Clyde can start over and make the American dream a reality.