What global events had just taken place and were taking place at the time of the films production? Explain how these events may have impacted on the style and content of the film itself:

Made in 1967, Bonnie and Clyde was made nearing the end of the decade. Throughout the 60’s a plethora of events occurred involving the US that can possibly be shown to make an influence on the production of Bonnie and Clyde. From the 1st of November 1955 to 30th April 1975, the Vietnam war saw an large influence on political and social events. Due to the wars futility in making progress and the amount of American lives lost to fight a war for political ideology, growing unpopularity of the conflict grew in America, examples of this can seen with peace protests and the infamous peace symbol brandished by hippies, who rejected established institutions and “fought against the machine” (E.g. the Government), This can be said to make an influence on Bonnie and Clyde as their storyline follows a similar premise of revolting against the government for its unfairness and corruption, such as the banks in the 1930s and the military and government during the Vietnam war.

In addition to this the Cold War had reached it peak. In 1961, The CIA had orchestrated the soon to be failed bay of pigs invasion in Communist Cuba. Involving trained capitalist Cuban soldiers, who attempted to invade the bay of pigs their attempt was found out and stopped by Communist Cuban military. This relates to Bonnie and Clyde as it can be said the US is represented by the authority figures and the Cubans as the gang evading them and preventing suppression of democratic expansionism.

How are different groups represented In Bonnie and Clyde and what ideological standpoints may these representations reveal about these groups?

Women –

Women in Bonnie and Clyde are represented as accessories to the men, shown in scenes with the characters: Bonnie, Blanche and the undertakers girlfriend, their male counterparts are almost always being at their side. This is a stereotypical representation of women still common in the patriarchal society of the 1960s which was the decade this film was made in. However, Faye Dunaway’s character, Bonnie, differs from the stereotype as she is more so a Femme Fatale, shown by the director as playing a more independent role and being the dominant one in the relationship between her and Clyde.

Men –

Men such as Clyde and his brother, Buck are represented as being almost boisterous when around each other, this shows an aspect of immaturity as it mainly their actions that get them into trouble such as antagonizing the Texas Ranger, this includes other men such as C.W. Moss and the undertaker being youthful with their personalities such as liking cars. Men like the Evicted home owner and the Texas Ranger, Frank Hamer, are shown to stern, emotionless and stone-faced, this can be seen as a typical masculine representation from the time.

Authority Figures –

Authority figures in Bonnie and Clyde are represented as persistent and determined in the arrest of the main protagonists, with the character of the Frank Hamer, being a Texas Ranger brought out of retirement to capture them, it represents authority figures like this further, it also can be seen with him interrogating Blanche after a shootout to find out more about his targets. They can also be seen to be easily outwitted and manoeuvred by the gang such as within police chases, shootouts. Their persistence is thoroughly shown with the use of an armoured car brought to deal with them. From an ideological viewpoint this could represent the film makers use of French New wave as the protagonists and the authority as the government and previous film styles that were more traditional.

People of Colour –

People of colour in Bonnie and Clyde are represented as being equal to white people, although during the time, America was still racially divided, this representation could go to show the developed youth of the era showing their acceptance of racial equality such as with the worker of the evicted home owner shaking hands and being treated fairly by the protagonists. With also being able to shoot at the bank owned building this could go be a visual metaphor for the civil rights moment.

Working Class Americans –

Represented as down to earth and humble, the working class Americans are shown to be caring travellers, sharing little of what they had. living out their carts and trucks they are shown as deeply poor. Since the film is set in the 1930s, this is an accurate representation of people of the working class as many lost their jobs due to Great depression.

Realism –

Verisimilitude is what I have chosen as the aesthetic for realism as Bonnie and Clyde is based on the real stories from the people of the past, this can exampled through information on the 2 people at the start of the film almost as just a refresher to who they were.

Tone –

Throughout Bonnie and Clyde, a mixture of Tones are used. The tones suspense and comedy are used frequently with occasional scenes of pathos for characters such as the farmer who had his home taken by the bank, the people who cared for Bonnie and Clyde when they where injured and Bucks wife when she was being integrated by the Texas ranger.

Visual style –

During the films release in the 60s, many young film makers implemented the visual style of the “French New Wave”. This consisted of techniques such as jump cuts, hand held camera work, use of natural lighting.

Another example of this new visual style was the use of more violence, compared to other films, this was unconventional in American films at the time.

Mise En Scene –

Locations –

Filmed in Texas, in the home state of the real Bonnie and Clyde, This use of historically accurate location adds to the mise en scene as it creates an immersive setting to film. With use of old timey buildings it intentionally recreates the appearance of a town in the 1930s.

Sets (Interiors) –

Set interiors are used within the mise en scene to often capture the dramatic elements of the films story line. This can be shown with a couple of scenes showing Clyde’s inability to make love to bonnie. It also is shown during the bank robberies and police home invasions.

Costumes –

Costumes in Bonnie and Clyde create a mise en scene as the actors are dressed up in clothing of the time. This can be shown with the first image showing some of the fashion styles for men and women within the 30’s. The second image is a recreation of a real photo of Bonnie, this creates a good mise en scene as it makes the costume fairly accurate to the time.

Props –

Props used for the mise en scene include the notorious weapons of the gangsters and mobsters alike from the 1920s, these include the tommy gun, nicknamed the “typewriter” for the sound it made when firing, pistols and revolvers as well such as smith and Wesson’s and colt M1911’s as seen in the second image.

Inside Bonnie and Clyde, the editing style used is continuity, this is because scenes take place after another, however within some occasional scenes, the film contains discontinuity as jump cuts are used. An example of this can seen with Clyde being injured after a fight with a shop owner, in the next scene however his wounds have cleared.

This has been intentionally done to create the effect of time passing between the scenes, providing through visual context why Clyde’s wounds have healed.

Diegetic Sound

In Casablanca, the use of diegetic sound is seen in the restaurant where the woman is performing the guitar and singing and the male is playing the piano for Ilsa. This sound that the actors can hear adds more depth to the film as it can represent the characters and remind us (the audience) of what we connect the song with to the characters.

Non-Diegetic Sound

In Casablanca, non-diegetic sound is used throughout the play with the Classical Casablanca song that is played a few times. It shows the development of the narrative but also the characters as its played in different scenes and each time its played the scene and plot and characters have changed.

What style of editing is used in Casablanca?

The style of edit for Casablanca is continuity editing which produces a straightforward narrative, which emphasises the Hollywood film style.

Give an example of how a specific shot sequence has been constructed and explain the intended effect on the spectator.

This shot here is taken from above to show the amount of people in the scene and to emphasise the importance of who and what is arriving.

This shot shows his point of view of the bar and it is used to emphasise his importance in the overall narrative. It also foregrounds the ending as he seems distant to his bar.

This close up image is used to show the emotions of Ilsa and to showcase her true feelings towards Rick which changes the whole narrative.

How did New Hollywood directors like Penn approach film narratives?

New Hollywood filmmakers rapidly developed the taste for location shooting, resulting in a more naturalistic approach to filmmaking, especially when compared to the mostly stylized approach of classical Hollywood musicals. Arthur Penn was considered an auteur due to the change in style that his films brought from the Classical Hollywood Era.

What is discontinuity editing?

Discontinuity editing (sometimes known as disjunctive editing) is practically visible editing, which is editing that calls attention to itself and violates viewers expectations of continuity. Some discontinuity techniques involve: jump cuts, nondiegetic inserts, repetition of shots or events, freeze frame and any violation of continuity rules.

Why is this time in film production sometimes referred to as “The Rise of the Auteurs” in Hollywood?

The New Hollywood era was also referred to as the rise of the auteurs because it introduced lots of ‘auteur films’ that became widely popular where the solo filmmakers became big stars because of the pivotal role that they had in the process of making their movies.

What is the lasting impact of the New Hollywood style on modern films?

It has greatly influenced contemporary filmmakers who emulate its focus on character depth, narrative complexity, and innovative techniques. Its shaped the movie industries around the world in most cases to fit into its mold.

Locations

The town area that Bonnie and Clyde walk through just after the opening of the film has visibility damaged buildings, whether it be graffiti written over walls or large omissions of paint. This suggests that the area is not one that was well looked after, especially since the film takes place during the Great Depression.

The farmhouse that the characters sleep in has very little done to it in order to keep trespassers away besides a sign, showing that in a time of high financial struggle, there was likely so many properties repossessed by banks that they just ended up deserted and left empty.

Interior Sets

The black and white film playing in the cinema scene reinforces the fact that the film, despite being produced and released in the late 60s, takes place in the 1930s.

The inside of the farmhouse is empty, creating the idea of abandonment. The broken windows also suggest a lack of care towards the building after being repossessed by the bank.

Costumes

Clyde is shown to wear a suit for the majority of the film, suggesting that his history of theft has given him the money to dress in more expensive clothing.

Bonnie also dresses in more valuable clothing, her clothes changing throughout the film as her and Clyde continue their country-wide robberies.

Props

The police badge that Frank Hamer wears builds an image of authority and power, therefore when the group take it from him, it signals a moment of weakness.

Newspapers are seen multiple times throughout the film as the way that the characters read about themselves, the most impactful scene being when Clyde angrily reads how he is being portrayed as leaving his brother to die and disagrees with this interpretation of the events.

What is meant by the cinematic term French New Wave?

The French New Wave is a French art film movement that emerged in the late 1950s, characterized by its rejection of traditional filmmaking conventions in favour of experimentation and a spirit of iconoclasm. The term ‘nouvelle vague’ (new wave) first appeared in a 1957 article by Francoise Giroud, journalist for L’Express magazine. To describe the style of the French New Wave cinema, it uses experimental storytelling techniques and distinct aesthetics, this due mainly to budget constraints and/or directors individual styles. Classic French cinema adhered to the principles of strong narrative, creating what Godard described as an oppressive and deterministic aesthetic of plot.

What specific stylistic and structural elements are present in French New Wave Films?

Filming techniques included fragmented, discontinuous editing, and long takes (camera following an action in a continuous shot that allowed actors to explore a scene). The combination of realism, subjectivity, and authorial commentary created a narrative ambiguity in the sense that questions that arise in a film are not answered in the end. They allowed these movies to have ambiguous characters, motives and even endings that were not so clear-cut. They often have unconventional storylines and force audiences to question established cinematic norms.

Which directors and films from the French New Wave influenced Arthur Penn as he was making Bonnie and Clyde? Why do you think this was the case?

The tone of Bonnie and Clyde utilised French New Wave techniques of characterisation of the protagonists, fast cuts, and spontaneous music to shift tone abruptly. The film Bonnie and Clyde echoed one of the most well-known French Wave movies, Jean-Luc Godard’s ‘Breathless’ (1960), in which Penn took style and attitude tips from Godard’s noir-influenced romance, openly citing its debt in a number of scenes, most notably in Clyde’s wearing of sunglasses with one lens missing a la Belmondo. Jean-Luc Godard and Francois Truffaut show Penn’s Film School background and influenced him the most when making Bonnie and Clyde. The way that Bonnie and Clyde’s narrative’s put together is heavily influenced by the New Wave .