I really enjoyed Bonnie and Clyde. I’m not usually a fan of Gangster movies but Bonnie and Clyde doesn’t feel like a normal Gangster film. I enjoyed the other characters in the main cast and how they all interacted with and dealt with the idea of robbing banks and running from the law. I enjoyed the romance between Bonnie and Clyde, I felt that their characters complimented each other very well and the development they offered each other made for a good story.
Stand out scene:
The stand out scene for me was when Bonnie and Clyde where shot. I feel that the faced paced editing cutting between their expressions before they die adds an aspect of humanity to them just as they get shot. the amount they get shot adds to the idea that they where deadly and this obscene amount of bullets they used on them makes it seem too dramatic, which would make the audience sympathise with Bonnie and Clyde despite the fact they had spent the whole film robbing places and killing people.
Director: Arthur Penn, Writers: David Newman, Robert Benton, Robert Towne
Stars
Warren Beatty – Clyde Barrow
Beatty was born in 1937 and had a career spanning six decades. He started his career appearing in TV shows in the 50s, before making his film debut in 1961’s Splendour In The Grass, and received overwhelming praise for his role, being nominated for a golden globe and received an award for best new actor of the year. He later appeared in films like Lilith (1964), alongside fellow Bonnie And Clyde star Gene Hackman, and Mickey 1 (1965). Bonnie And Clyde was the first film he produced, and originally wasn’t going to star in it, but when the other actors who were offered the role turned it down he decided to play the role himself.
Faye Dunaway – Bonnie Parker
Dunaway made her acting debut on Broadway, appearing in performances of Arthur Miller plays like The Crucible and After The Fall, as well as other performances. She performed in the award winning play Hogan’s Goat, directed by a man called William Alfred who became her mentor. Her first film role was crime comedy film The Happening (1967), as well as drama Hurry Sundown, also released in 1967. She was in a six-movie contract with the Hurry Sundown director Otto Preminger, but paid to end the contract after falling out with Otto during production. She was called in by Penn to read for Bonnie Parker after he saw her performance in The Happening, though she had auditioned for a role in one of his films but was turned away by a casting director a year prior. Beatty’s sister was originally going to play the role of Bonnie when he was just the producer, but the role had to be changed when he decided to play Clyde. Dunaway was up against a lot of competition, but Penn was able to convicne Beatty that she was right for the part. Bonnie And Clyde was only Dunaway’s 3rd movie.
Michael J. Pollard – C. W Moss
Pollard was born in 1939 and was an American character actor. He often played quirky, off-beat characters and had distinctive look, making him a “Cult Favourite” actor. He made his screen debuts in episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents, before making his film debut as an uncredited role in It Happened To Jane (1959). He went on to appear in films such as Hemmingway’s Adventures Of A Young Man (1962), Summer Magic (1963) and Gunsmoke (1964). He also appeared in an episode of Star Trek. InBonnie And Clyde he plays C.W Moss, an original character for the film filling the roles of the two real life Barrow Gang members Henry Methvin and D.W Jones. Pollard fulfils his standard character role of a quirky, comedic character. He received a Golden Globe nomination for best supporting actor for this role, and won a BAFTA for “Most Promising Newcomer”. This role also led to his joke presidential candidacy in 1968, complete with a campaign song. He went on to appear in a variety of different films, like Scrooged (1988), as well as roles in low budget horror films like Sleepaway Camp III: Teenage Wasteland (1989), American Gothic (1988), and Rob Zombie’s House Of 1000 Corpses (2003). He died in 2019 of cardiac arrest.
Gene Hackman – Buck Barrow
Hackman was a highly respected actor, considered one of the best of his generation. At 16 he lied about his age to join the army, first stationed in China then moved to Hawaii. He spent 4 and a half years in the army. He was discharged in 1951 and moved to New York. He persued a career in acting but was voted the least likely to succeed (along with friend Dustin Hoffman) by his peers in the Pasadena Playhouse. He performed small roles in television series and performed in off-Broadway shows. His first role was an uncredited role as a police officer in Mad Dog Coll (1961). Another early film role was Lilith (1964), which starred future Bonnie And Clyde co-star Warren Beatty. It was also his first credited role. He had a few small roles in TV and movies until Bonnie And Clyde in 1967, where he played a leading role as Clyde’s brother Buck Barrow, and didn’t become widely noticed until 1970 in his oscar nominated breakthrough role as Gene Garrison in I Never Sang For My Father. From there he gained more respect and became a successful actor, appearing in The French Revolution (1971) and Lex Luthor in Superman: The Movie (1978).
Estelle Parsons – Blanche Barrow
Parsons originally studied law before she became an actress, settling on acting in the 1950s. She was first a writer and producer on The Today Show, and performed in a lot of both on and off Broadway productions, earing awards for performances in Next Time I’ll Sing To You and In The Summer House, and made her film debut in 1963 with Ladybug Ladybug as JoAnne’s mother. In Bonnie And Clyde (1967), she portrays Blanche Barrow, Buck’s danger averse and often hysterical wife. It was only Parsons’ second film role, but she was awarded an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress, an impressive feat. She appeared in a few other film roles, but she was mainly a stage actor.
Denver Pyle – Frank Hamer
Pyle was an actor better known for his television roles than his film roles, appearing in series such as The Range Rider, Have Gun Will Travel, Frontier,Fury and Gunsmoke. The majority of his roles were in westerns, with Pyle usually playing a criminal or cowboy, though he also appeared in shows like The Adventures Of Superman and even an episode of The Twilight Zone. His first credited film role was Devil Ship (1947), and appeared in many more westerns like Red Canyon (1949), Hellfire (1949), Rebel City (1953), and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence (1962). His frequent (and violent) roles in westerns is probably a large factor in his casting as vengeful cowboy-styled deputy Frank Hamer in Bonnie And Clyde.
Mise-En-Scene
Locations
Taking inspiration from the French New Wave, Bonnie And Clyde utilises on location filming in favour of the standard studio filming. For example, the scene where the gang torments Hamer was shot at Lemmon Lake, Dallas, Texas. The majority of the filming took place in Texas, as that is where the real life Bonnie and Clyde operated, adding to the effect of the on location filming.
Sets (Interior)
The interior sets are naturalistic but still designed. For example, this scene showing the Barrow Gang hiding out at the Tourist Court Motel, depicting a real thing that happened and a real place (though the real one was in Missouri and the sign in the film says Iowa), adding to the realism of the film. The room the gang stays in is clean and devoid of bags or personal belongings, the only things seeming to belong to the gang being the guns in the closet, the helmet and the gas mask, showing they don’t have many personal belongings and haven’t been in the room for long.
The café scene was shot on location, in Lavon State Bank in Texas. The location was probably used due to how stylish the place looked, the decorated wall and the wooden benches working with the style of the film.
Costume
The Gangsters in Bonnie And Clyde dress in glamourous and stylish costumes. The Barrow brothers dress elegantly in suits, waistcoats and hats, possibly inspired by the fedora wearing suit-clad gangsters of the noir films Bonnie And Clyde takes inspiration from. Bonnie is the most notable in terms of costume, becoming a style icon of the time, influencing fashion of the late 60s, evoking elegance and 30’s influence. The costume serves to convey the sense of attraction and sexuality the film wanted to show, and what drew the people of the 30s to the pair of gangsters in the first place.
The antagonist of the film, Frank Hamer, contrasts the costume of the gangsters. While the Barrow Gang wears sleek, stylish outfits and care about looks, Hamer differs, wearing loose clothing and giving a more boxy silhouette than the slim clothes worm by the Gang. Hamer isn’t focused on attention or style, just the job and reputation. The larger stetson also contrasts the hats worn by the gangsters, like the Barrow’s fedoras and Bonnie’s beret.
Editing
The editing exemplifies the French New Wave influence and differs from the Warner Brothers “invisible editing” style greatly.
During this car chase scene, jump cuts are used in the middle of the action to show the differing views on the Barrow Gang. We are shown the car chase, scored with the up beat bluegrass chase music, which is fast paced and chaotic. But in the middle of the action, we jump forward in time to an interview with the police chief calling the Gang a menace and swearing to bring them to justice, before getting his picture taken for the paper. During this the bluegrass music abruptly cuts out. After he gets the picture taken the music comes back and we are taken back to the car chase. The chase is interrupted again with another jump cut forward to an interview with a civilian witness. The music suddenly cuts again as the witness says that the gang let him keep his money, and talks of them favourably, before we cut back to the car chase with the chaotic bluegrass music. This is an obvious example of how the editing style differs from classic Hollywood, as the sudden jump cuts break the immersion, which the “invisible editing” style wants to avoid.
Sound
The film has a bluegrass focused soundtrack, specifically using song “Foggy Mountain Breakdown” by Flatt and Scruggs in scenes with action. The bluegrass introduces an excited, light hearted tone to the action, making the crimes committed by the gang seem fun. The bluegrass genre intones the south/Texas and an old time feeling (though bluegrass was more of a 1940s sound than ’30s). The bluegrass is non-diegetic and serves as a motif to the action scenes.
The film uses diegetic sound too, such as the alarm ringing after Bonnie and Clyde rob the bank.
Aesthetics
Realism
The film focuses on realism and historical accuracy, though it does greatly simplify the real story (C.W Moss being a composite of the real D.W Jones and Henry Methvin). The focus on on-location filming adds to the realism element, filming all around the north of Texas, close to the real places the criminals operated in. The film also depicts many real events, such as the taking of the iconic photo of Bonnie on the car (above), the final shooting of the couple (though the depiction is far less violent than the real life shooting) and the Tourist Court shootout. The film was also one of the first to feature extensive use of squibs to create realistic blood spurts when characters are shot. During the time Bonnie And Clyde was released in, gunshots were bloodless and painless, so the depiction of blood and pain when someone is shot was seen as very graphic for the time.
Tone
Bonnie and Clyde has a varying tone, some scenes being light hearted, some comedic, some scenes being romantic and others being very serious. Often the car chase scenes and the robberies being comedic and light hearted, scored with exciting music and showing the gang usually enjoying themselves. Some scenes are quite comedic, like when Clyde tries to get out of the car after telling Bonnie he has erectile dysfunction and banging his head on the doorframe, when he tries to rob the bank that went out of business due to the great depression and when Moss tries to show off his tattoo to his father. Bonnie and Clyde obviously feature in a lot of romantic scenes, where they banter and play off each other and flirt a lot. The film is also able to be serious however, in the shootout scenes and scenes featuring Hamer. The serious scenes often take place at night or not vibrant lighting, and don’t contain scoring, containing gunshots and cries of pain mostly.
These tones are also able to play off each other to create mood, such as the end of the film, when the audience knows Hamer has tracked them down and will ambush them by the end of the film while the film shows us the couple enjoying themselves in the town. The film is able to balance these tones to make the light hearted, fun scenes don’t seem out of place with the more serious scenes.
Visual Style
The film takes a lot of inspiration from the French New Wave visually, making use of close-ups, jump cuts, camera angles, etc. to give scenes a dynamic feel and make the film engaging.
The opening scene with Bonnie in her room is a good example of the film’s visual style, starting with a close up on Bonnie’s lips, then panning to Bonnie in a mirror, then jump cutting to Bonnie standing up and walking to the bed, then jump cutting again to Bonnie lying down on the bed. The editing is erratic and involving, and the filming works to show the audience Bonnie’s character, using her head as a visual metaphor for Bonnie feeling trapped in a mundane life. This varies greatly from the generic wide shot and shot-reverse-shot that was very typical in Hollywood at the time.
Representation
Women
Bonnie Parker is atypical of women in film in the 1960’s. Bonnie is presented as an equal to Clyde, and is treated with respect by the film. She smokes, shoots, kills, does crime and wears stylish clothes. She is able to laugh at the male characters, has her own agency and personality, and Clyde supports her in her interests in poetry (sticking up for her when Buck doesn’t take it seriously) and allows her to see her family when she asks him to. The character presents the interest the real Bonnie Parker drew from the American public through her attitude not typical in women in the 30s, smoking cigars and robbing banks, acting freely.
Contrasting this is Blanche, Buck’s wife. She is a more typical representation of women of the time, very hesitant to be involved in the Gang’s actions and very often hysterical. While the majority of Blanche’s character is stereotypical, she is given moments of independence, for example demanding a share of the money from Clyde.
Men
The men of Bonnie and Clyde are men of action, though not entirely typical. Clyde introduces Bonnie to the world of crime, teaches her how to shoot, takes charge in situations and is suave and confident, all quite typical of a male character. However, Clyde is very supportive of Bonnie through the film, defending her poetry to Buck, becomes very aggressive to Hamer when he spits on her and lets her see her family even though it could be dangerous to the gang. Clyde is also used as comedy through his masculinity as well, such as when he bangs his head on the car door when leaving the car, or when Bonnie laughs at him for trying to rob a bank that went out of business, and even his first robbery is a result of trying to show off to Bonnie. His brother Buck is similar, falling into aspects typical of a male character, leading action and being a more obvious comic relief character, telling bad jokes and roughhousing with Clyde when they first meet, but he also sticks up for Blanche, defending her when Bonnie snaps at her and speaking up for her when she asks for a share of the money.
Authority Figures
The authority figures in the film are the antagonists, menacing the Barrow Gang, being stuck up and cruel. Frank Hamer, the main antagonist of the film, is presented as a mean, tough man, chasing the Barrow Gang mainly for petty revenge. He mistreats a newly blinded Blanche, getting information out of her and then leaving the room without telling her, leaving her talking to no one. He uses people, spits on Bonnie, is very aggressive and overkills Bonnie and Clyde greatly. The authority figures in Bonnie And Clyde are villainous and aggressive, presented in a very negative light.
People Of Colour
There are barely any people of colour in the film, and the ones that re in the film are not given much screentime. The most notable representation of people of colour is when Clyde gives a farmer his gun to let him shoot his repossessed house, which the farmer then gives to his black farmhand, who also shoots the house. The person is treated with mild respect, but is still depicted in a stereotypical way as a manual labourer and doesn’t have any lines.
Working Class Americans
The working class of America are presented as sympathetic. The main characters Bonnie and Clyde are members of the working class, Bonnie being a waitress and Clyde was a petty thief. The gang’s motivations are to rebel against the upper classes, showing disdain for authority and those with wealth and showing sympathy to those in the lower classes. During a robbery, they let a man keep money he was withdrawing from the bank before running away, and the man tells the press that that the Barrow Gang are all right with him. Bonnie and Clyde create solidarity among the lower classes and the less fortunate by rebelling against the status quo.
Political and Social Context
Bonnie and Clyde takes place in the 1930’s, a time of struggle. The Great Depression and the Wall Street Crash serve as the main backdrop behind the actions of the main characters. The Great Depression was an economic crash in the 30’s that caused high levels of unemployment and poverty. People lost a lot of money and it was a time of misfortune and loss. The film shows Bonnie and Clyde robbing banks in retaliation to the poor losing houses and items to repossessions, showing them in a heroic light as they fight against authority and the effects of the Great Depression.
The 1960s – when the movie was filmed – was also a time of social turmoil. Near the start of the decade, president John F Kennedy was assassinated. Before this, he was leading the USA in dealing with the Cuban Missile Crisis, part of the Cold War, which garnered a lot of fear in the American population. JFK was becoming disliked among the American population due to his poor handling of the Vietnam war, which led to a time of social revolution where people began campaigning for peace and freedom. Counterculture became popular in America, as the population disagreed with the current government and didn’t want any more conflict or war. Dislike of authority grew. People campaigned for progression and liberation, wanting equality for women and minorities. These counterculture attitudes also entailed a sexual revolution. This disdain for authority and call for revolution probably influenced the themes of Bonnie And Clyde, such as giving strength to the female characters, rebellion towards authority and liberation.
Movies – the French Connection , Superman , Hoosiers
Estelle Parsons – Blanche
Movies – Rachel. Rachel
Denver Pyle – Frank Hamer
Movies – Gunpoint , Bandolero!
Dub Taylor – Ivan Moss
Movies – Creature from Black lake , Conagher
Gene Wilder – Eugene Grizzard
Movies – Charlie and the Chocolate factory , see no evil hear no evil
Mise en scene
On location shooting not shot on a backlot due to funds, filmed in Texas for accuracy .Arthur Penn shot far from LA so there would be less people trying to stick their heads into the movie
The sets look real and like the age of bonnie and Clyde (1930’s) which is when the great depression happened, and it gives us a sense of how life was during the period since they turned to crime for money
Cars were loaned, the costumes and props look 1930’s for the most part other than Bonnies look which was 1960’s inspired, this caused her to become a fashion icon for women at the time
A scene where the GD is showed is when the farmers are all huddled round together which shows the poverty of farmers and people at the time, also their willingness to help with what little they had.
Editing
The editing in Bonnie and clyde was not classical hollywood since you can tell it’s moving and the first shot shows nothing but Bonnies lips however you do see both main character’s for the first time in depth at the start, you’re also aware it is happening at Bonnies house since you can see her walk around and lay on the bed . The editing at times is very unconventional and inspired by the French new wave instead of classical Hollywood, although it sometimes does in order of following the story.
The movie starts off with a extreme close up of bonnie which does give us a establishing shot. Most classical Hollywood movies would use a extreme long shot as the intro since it would give the audience a rough idea of the area.
The editing throughout the movie involves a lot of jump cuts between scenes which doesn’t make the movie seem naturalistic but it definitely follows the French new wave editing styles.
Representation
women – Bonnie Parker is seen as the stereotypical woman character that is always beautiful and well dressed. However, unlike the stereotypes during this period (1930’s when the film was set) she wasn’t just a side character to a strong man she also got heavily involved with the shooting and the violence which wasn’t standard for the time. As the movie progresses she become more and more free form the gender stereotypes, for example at the start of the film she is seen naked and holding onto the bars on her bed frame, simulating that she’s trapped and wants to escape.
(2:50)
A female character that doesn’t escape the gender barrier is Blanche barrow. Throughout the entire movie she is constantly screaming and panicking representing the thoughts that the women in this time period were weak and useless. (45:50)
Men – Clyde Barrow is the standard attractive strong male character. Throughout this movie he showed that he wasn’t scared of anything and towered over everyone else. One thing that did break the stereotype is his reluctance to fall in love or be with Bonnie which most men in this time period wouldn’t think twice about. C.W moss is an example of a male character who wasn’t very strong nor attractive but he believed himself to be. He was also one of the only male characters to be single in the movie which showed how little of a man he was presented as.
Authority figures –
people of colour – In the movie , there was only two black characters and they didn’t make much of an appearance. The first one to appear was towards the start of the movie although he didn’t have ay dialogue which shows how little they were recognized for the time.
The other character was at the ed of the movie after Bonnie and Clyde got shot, he also didn’t have ay dialogue
With the lack of people of colour you can assume that at the time of the movie being released, they weren’t see as important of that they didn’t have many/ any opportunities for work in the film industries.
Class of america – During the 1930’s wheer this film was set, America was going through the great depression which meant that a lot of the American population (30%)had no work. This was nicely represented in the scene below where ex-farmers that had been kicked off due to lack of funds helped injured Bonnie and Clyde. Although they didn’t have much to offer they age what little they could since they understood struggle and had compassion for humans to not want them to struggle either.
They also recognize Bonnie and Clyde and don’t seem to have a bad opinion on them. This could be because Bonnie an Clyde were only taking from the rich which shows they stood with the mistreated working class.
Faye Dunaway – Bonnie Parker. Faye Dunaway’s career began in the 1960s, in which she was a famous Broadway star. She made her on screen debut in 1967 in ‘The Happening’, the same year she made ‘Hurry Sundown’, alongside Michael Caine and Jane Fonda. Her role as Bonnie Parker made her an instant star and she received her first Academy Award nomination for it too. Her casting for the role proved to be difficult, as not only were many actresses that were being considered for the role, such as Jane Fonda, Tuesday Weld and Natalie Wood, but also producer Warren Beatty was not sold on her casting in the role, and had to be convinced by director Arthur Penn to allow the casting. He quickly came round to her after seeing some photographs of Dunaway taken on a beach by Curtis Hanson, claiming, “She could hit the ball across the net, and she had an intelligence and a strength that made her both powerful and romantic.”
Warren Beatty – Clyde Barrow. Warren Beatty started his career in television shows such as ‘Studio One’ (1957), ‘Kraft Television Theatre’ (1957), and ‘Playhouse 90’ (1959) and he was also a semi-regular on the show ‘The Many Loves of Dobie Gills’ during its first season (1959-1960). His performance in William Inge’s ‘A Loss Of Roses’ on Broadway, his only Broadway performance, garnered him a 1960 Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actor in a Play and a 1960 Theatre World Award. After this, he then enlisted in the California Air National Guard in February 1960 but was discharged the following year due to a physical inability. Beatty made his film debut in Eliza Kazan’s ‘Splendor in the Grass’ (1961). The film was a major critical and box office success and Beatty was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor and received the award for New Star of the Year. The film was also nominated for two Oscars, winning one. He didn’t really have another major success until ‘Bonnie and Clyde’ in 1967, in which he starred in and produced. The film was nominated for ten Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor, and seven Golden Globe Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor. Beatty was originally entitled to 40% of the film’s profits but gave 10% to Penn, and his 30% share earned him more than US$6 million.
Michael J. Pollard – C.W. Moss. Pollard’s on screen career began in television in 1959, in which he had appearances in programs such as, ‘The Human Comedy’ and ‘DuPont Show of the Month’. He then made his Broadway debut in a non-singing role he created in ‘Bye Bye Birdie’, as Hugo Peabody. It was in Broadway that he starred alongside Warren Beatty, who he already knew from his days in television. The two developed a close friendship, with Warren Beatty saying the reason he was cast in Bonnie and Clyde was because “Michael J. Pollard was one of my oldest friends”, Beatty said. “I’d known him forever; I met him the day I got my first television show. We did a play together on Broadway.” Pollard received Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations for Best Supporting Actor for his role in ‘Bonnie and Clyde’, as well as winning a BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles.
Gene Hackman – Buck Barrow. In 1956, Hackman began pursuing an acting career and joined the Pasadena Playhouse in California, where he befriended another aspiring actor, Dustin Hoffman. Hackman got various bit roles, such as a role in the film ‘Mad Dog Coll’ and on the TV series ‘Brenner’ and in 1963 he made his transition into Broadway in ‘Children From Their Games’, which only had a short run. However, his next Broadway performance, ‘Any Wednesday’ with actress Sandy Dennis in 1964, was a huge success and is what opened the door for his acting career to begin. He made film debut in ‘Lilith’, with Jean Seberg and Warren Beatty in the leading roles. His performance in ‘Bonnie and Clyde’ as Clyde’s brother Buck Barrow was described by Warren Beatty as ‘the most human performance he’d ever seen’ and it earned his first Academy Award nomination but it wouldn’t be until his role as Detective Jimmy ‘Popeye’ Doyle in ‘The French Connection’ that he would win his first Academy Award for Best Actor, and thus, shoot into stardom. He then appeared in critically acclaimed films such as ‘Poseidon Adventure’, ‘Scarecrow’, alongside Al Pacino, Francis Ford Coppola’s ‘The Conversation’ and , a personal favourite of mine, ‘Mississippi Burning’.
Estelle Parsons – Blanche. Parsons career began when she moved to New York and worked as a writer, producer and commentator for ‘The Today Show’. She made her Broadway debut in 1956 in the ensemble of the Ethel Merman musical ‘Happy Hunting’. Her Off-Broadway debut was in 1961, and she received a Theatre World Award in 1963 for her performance in ‘Whisper into My Good Ear/Mrs. Dally Has a Lover’. In 1964, Parsons won an Obie Award for Best Actress for her performance in two Off-Broadway plays, ‘Next Time I’ll Sing to You and In the Summer House’. In 1967, she starred with Stacy Keach in the premiere of Joseph Heller’s play ‘We Bombed in New Haven’ at the Yale Repertory Theatre. Obviously, she also starred in ‘Bonnie and Clyde’ in 1967 as Buck Barrow’s lenient wife Blanche. For this role, she won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. She also went on to be nominated in the same category for her role in ‘Rachel, Rachel’ and win a BAFTA Award Nomination for her role in ‘Watermelon Man’ in 1970.
Denver Pyle – Frank Hamer. Denver Pyle’s on-screen career began in 1951, in which he guest-starred in the syndicated television series ‘The Range Rider’ with Jock Mahoney and Dick Jones. Up until his most well-known role of Uncle Jesse Duke in the CBS series ‘The Dukes of Hazzard’ (1979 – 1985), in which he did 146 episodes, he mainly had limited roles in his television and film career, most of which came in Western Tv series, such as his guest appearances in ‘My Friend Flicka’, ‘ The Restless Gun’ with John Payne, the syndicated Western series ’26 Men’, in which he appeared alongside Grant Withers in a episode titled ‘Tumbleweed Ranger’ and his several appearances in Richard Boone’s CBS show ‘Have Gun – Will Travel’, in which he was a variety of characters, including the character ‘The Puppeteer’ in the his final appearance on the show. Also, a lot of his apperances in film and tv were uncredited, such as his appearance in ‘Cheyenne Autumn’ in 1964 as Senator Henry and his appearance in ‘Home from the Hill’ as Mr Bradley in 1960, so clearly he wasn’t viewed as a major star. His most memorable role in film is probably his portrayal of Frank Hamer, the sheriff who tails Bonnie and Clyde for so long and is the final one to kill them in an ambush.
Dub Taylor – Ivan Moss. A vaudeville performer, Taylor made his film debut in 1938 as the cheerful ex-football captain Ed Carmichael in Frank Capra’s ‘You Can’t Take It with You’. He secured the part because the role required an actor who could play tuned percussion. In 1939 he appeared in the western film ‘Taming of the West’ in which he played a character named Cannonball, who was a comedic sidekick to other famous western character Wild Bill Elliot. He would play this character in 13 different films, such as the ‘Red Ryder’ series of films. He then had bit parts in the classic films ‘Mr Smith Goes to Washington’ (1939), ‘A Star Is Born’ (1954) and ‘Them!’ (1954). He later joined Sam Peckinpah’s stock company in 1965’s ‘Major Dundee’, playing a professional horse thief. After this he would then go on to play Ivan Moss in ‘Bonnie and Clyde’, a character who is deceivingly nice to the two main title characters, but behind their backs is signing their lives away to Frank Hamer, the sheriff who’s been tailing them for so long.
Gene Wilder – Eugene Grizzard. Gene Wilder’s professional acting career began in 1951 when he was cast as the Second Officer in Herbert Berghof’s production of ‘Twelfth Night’. He also served as the production’s fencing choreographer. After he joined the Actors Studio in 1958, he started to be noticed in the off-Broadway scene, thanks to performances in Sir Arnold Wesker’s ‘Roots’ and Graham Greene’s ‘The Complaisant Lover’, for which Wilder received the Clarence Derwent Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Nonfeatured Role. One of Wilder’s early stage credits was playing the socially awkward mental patient Billy Bibbit in the original 1963–64 Broadway adaptation of Ken Kesey’s novel ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest’ opposite star Kirk Douglas. His first role in film was in 1967 in ‘Bonnie and Clyde’ as the minor role of Eugene Grizzard, a somewhat sleezy banker who, along with his wife, is kidnapped by Bonnie and Clyde.
Mise-en-scene in Bonnie and Clyde
Locations
In terms of mise-en-scene in Bonnie and Clyde, the locations that the film was done in definitely add to this aesthetic of realism and verisimilitude for the audience, as all the locations featured in the film are actually real and are in North Texas near DFW. An example of a real world location in the film is the cafe/convenience store scene in which Bonnie and Clyde have some lunch in this cafe/convenience store and then steal a car that is sitting outside. This cafe/convenience store is a real world cafe and is still standing on 100 Main Street, Lavon, Texas.
Another good example in terms of mise-en-scene in locations is the farm that Bonnie and Clyde are practicing their shooting, which they find out, once the former owner returns, has been repossessed by the bank. This location and that scene embody this feeling that Bonnie and Clyde aren’t actually that selfish and are robbing these banks to give back to the people. This aligns with the zeitgeist feel of the film that it embodies this New Hollywood glamorization of criminals and their heinous activities.
Costumes
The costumes used in this film definitely add to the film’s 1930s period piece aesthetic and certainly look like clothes that worn during that time, adding to the film’s realism and the versimilitude for the audience. The cast wears a vast array of clothing pieces that embrace the 30s, such as Clyde and Buck Barrow’s fedoras and brown tweed suits and Eugene Grizzard’s sleezy banker suit.
The one exception to this is Faye Dunaway’s outfit as Bonnie, as she wears very 60s clothes throughout the film and, once the film came out, her fashion choices in the film actually inspired a fashion movement, in which women started to wear berets and more smart suit jackets. And for me, the fact that Bonnie always has new and fashionable clothes aligns with this idea that she is quite a materialistic person and that she is quite selfish, unlike Clyde who is portrayed at moments throughout the film to be selfless.
Props
The props used in ‘Bonnie and Clyde’ once again add to the film’s realism and the versimilitude for the audience. Some particularly striking and realistic props in the film are the guns as they match the type of guns used in that time period and the cars used in the film as they are actual cars from that time period that were lent to the studio by this old car collector, with his only condition being ‘that they didn’t get damaged’.
Editing in Bonnie and Clyde
In terms of editing, a good sequence that sums the films French New Wave style of erratic editing is the opening sequence of Bonnie waking up, seeing Clyde trying to steal her mum’s car and then going down to confront him.
The unconventional formula of shots and erratic French New Wave-esque editing used within the sequence convey to the audience this idea that Bonnie feels trapped within her mundane, as shown by the shot that shows her lying on her bed with the bedstead bars casting shadows over her face, which imitate the image of prison bars.
The use of quickly zooming or panning to different shots, more specifically quickly zooming or panning to extreme closeups of her red lipstick covered lips or her eyes I imagine would make this opening feel very personal and imitate for the viewer and, along with the shots of her naked body, add to this powerful, sexual image that Bonnie has throughout the film.
And then, near the end of the sequence, this more conventional style of Hollywood editing starts to creep in, as it cuts between a low angle tilted up wards shots to show Clyde’s perspective, and high angle tilted down shots to show Bonnie’s perspective, which shows to the audience that these two are having a conversation. The switch to a more formulaic and conventional styling of editing may be done at this moment to show to the audience the switch in Bonnie’s mindset once she sees Clyde, going from ‘I’m stuck in this boring life’ to ‘Oh, perhaps this man is my way out of this life’.
Sound in Bonnie and Clyde
Dialogue
The dialogue in ‘Bonnie and Clyde’ I feel is very accurate to the time period in which the film is set, which adds to the film’s versimilitude and immersion for the audience. The use of words such as ‘momma’ and the character’s improper grammar in their speech certainly places the film in 1930s southern Texas. Also, the characters Texan accents certainly help the idea of the film being in Texas and that these people are from Texas.
Sound Motif/Score
The score within ‘Bonnie and Clyde’ can be at certain times very jovial and cartoonish, with the film’s recurring use of the song ‘Foggy Mountain Breakdown’ by Flatt and Scruggs certainly adding a quite comic tone to these rather morbid car chase scenes, especially the one in which a bank employee gets shot in the eye by Clyde Barrow, which creates a very clear contrast in tone. At other points in the film, the soundtrack adds to the mood of what is being shown, whether that be the somewhat romantic soundtrack that underscores the scene in which Bonnie and Clyde first have sex, or the scenes, which have a darker soundtrack to match the morbid content being shown.
Aesthetics in Bonnie and Clyde
Realism
‘Bonnie and Clyde’s realism is crafted impeccably in the film, whether it be through the real world locations being used in the film, or real 1930s cars being used in the film, to the actors Texan accents, the film certainly crafts it’s versimilitude and realism really well for the audience. However, it’s French New Wave style cinematography and editing, which is very jagged and erratic, unlike the conventional ‘invisible’ Hollywood editing, could certainly lessen the effect of the film’s brilliant realism for the audience
Tone
In terms of tone in Bonnie and Clyde, it certainly shifts a lot and the tone created by certain elements within a scene is certainly juxtaposing with one another.
A good example of this would be the scene in which Bonnie and Clyde’s gang rob a bank and one of the bank workers leaps onto the sideboards of the car and then gets shot in the eye, which then leads to a thrilling car chase/shootout with the police. The visuals being shown of this man being shot in the eye and this jovial bluegrass that underscores the scene certainly creates this clash in tone. The film makers have done this perhaps due to their French New Wave influences or maybe even perhaps to show the unpredictability of a criminal lifestyle.
Visual Style (French New Wave)
Bonnie and Clyde’s French New Wave influence is clear from the very beginning of the film, which uses this French New Wave style of erratic editing, to show to the audience that Bonnie feels trapped within her boring and mundane life.
The film uses many French New Wave tropes throughout, such as on location filming and not using built sets like Classical Hollywood does, and having very explicit and violent content throughout the film, such as Bonnie being nude in the film’s opening and the many shoot-outs and people being killed throughout the film. This French New Wave approach to Hollywood film-making certainly changed the landscape of Hollywood film and the world of film in general, as it allowed to film-makers to show more explicit content within their films, and it paved the way for more Hollywood films to be shot in real world locations, if it fit the film-makers direction and view of what they want their film to be.
Representations in Bonnie and Clyde
Women
In ‘Bonnie and Clyde’, there are two clear representations of women that being the two main female characters of Bonnie and Blanche.
The character of Bonnie I think can be looked at in two different ways. In one way, Bonnie represents the ‘Femme Fatale’, if you’re looking at this film as a piece of neo-noir, as throughout the film she attempts to manipulate Clyde with her attractive looks, such as the scene when they get back from the cinema and Bonnie pretends to be one of the dancers in the film and she tries to coerce Clyde. She also threatens to run away if she can’t see her mother. Another way you could look at her character is with a feminist viewpoint and you could view her as a character of female empowerment, as she robs the banks with the men and her sticking up to Bonnie could be seen as her standing for herself and want she wants, and could be viewed as not being manipulative. She is also the one to approach Clyde and seek a relationship with him and a change from her mundane life. A key scene which presents her as a visually powerful woman is when they are taking photos outside of Buck Barrow’s house, as in that scene, her clothing and the way she presents herself makes her look very domineering and powerful.
Bonnie also has this very clear cut powerful sexual energy from the beginning of the film, in which she is shown fully nude, though the audience don’t see it, which is a very forward thinking thing to include in a gangster film, as typically women within that genre of films only had background roles.
And the other female character in ‘Bonnie and Clyde’ is Blanche, who is represented as this very sceptical character, as she doesn’t want to get involved with Bonnie and Clyde and just wants to live a normal life with her husband, Buck Barrow. She could also be seen as representation of working class people as throughout the film she is seems to be quite scared of Bonnie and Clyde, which most likely was representative of the views real life everyday people had about Bonnie and Clyde at that time. She is definitely someone who is not suited to the criminal life, shown by her constant screaming at any bit of action throughout the film.
Throughout the film the two women express their distaste for one another, which isn’t very surprising as they are two very different types of women. This is expressed visually in the scene above where Bonnie is a smoking a cigarette and Blanche is not, and she is looking away from Bonnie, which shows the audience a clear visual divide.
Men
Within ‘Bonnie and Clyde’, a lot of the prominent characters are male, showing the society’s patriarchal status. There is quite of broad range of male characters shown in the film, with the more macho and brazen Buck Barrow and, at times, Clyde Barrow, as well as the sheriff who hunts them down who is quite macho and masculine, and you then have the much more timid, C.W Moss and his, in my opinion, rather timid and realistic minded father, Ivan Moss, who understandably doesn’t want Bonnie and Clyde in his house.
The portrayal of the title character Clyde Barrow by Warren Beatty is certainly an interesting one, as at certain points throughout the film, he is shown, in a counter typical way, to be caring towards Bonnie and at points is quite a timid and sensual man, refusing Bonnie’s sexual advances, saying ‘I ain’t no lover boy’. He is also portrayed in the film as someone who cares for the lower classes, as shown through the scene of him and Bonnie practicing their shooting on a repossessed farm, which is then interrupted by the previous owner, who, through Clyde giving him a gun, is able to kind of ‘stick it to the man’ and shoot in some windows on a property which was once his. This care for the lower classes is also shown when they’re robbing a bank and Clyde tells one of the old men to ‘keep your money pops…’, instead of give it into the bank. This portrayal of criminals in a good light is a zeitgeist for this turning point in cinema in which criminals were glamourized instead of shunned in the films that were being made.
Authority Figures
Authority figures are portrayed to be people who wish to thwart Bonnie and Clyde and their heinous acts, such as Frank Hamer, the vindictive sheriff who wishes to get revenge on Bonnie and Clyde after they humiliated him, and Ivan Moss, who doesn’t wish for Bonnie and Clyde to live in his home, and so crafts a plan with Frank Hamer. There is also this representation of the higher powers, such as the government, being against the working class people, which is shown through the scene of the farmer’s ranch being repossessed by the bank.
People of Colour
In terms of people of colour being represented in ‘Bonnie and Clyde’, there is barely any representation of that ethnicity, with the only major representation being the black man who is said to of ‘built this farm from the ground up’, with his white male friend, the first of which has been repossessed by the bank. Clyde allows him to shoot a couple of windows out in this kind of ‘stick it to the man’ moment.
This lack of representation of black people throughout the film is most likely a deliberate exclusion by Arthur Penn, as it helps place the audience’s mind into this era of segregated 1930s America, and adds to the film’s realism and versimilitude.
Working Class Americans
Working Class Americans in ‘Bonnie and Clyde’ are represented in two different ways. You have the migrant workers and families, who have been evicted from their homes, and the farmer, whose farm has been repossessed by the bank and you have the higher class banker Eugene Grizzard and his wife, who gets kidnapped by Bonnie and Clyde and their gang, and, after strangely getting to enjoy their company, get abandoned by on the side of a random road. The inclusion of these scenes and characters show to the audience what the wider public think of Bonnie and Clyde and, in Eugene’s case, what Bonnie and Clyde think of them.
The scene which features the migrant workers shows C.W. Moss bringing an injured Bonnie and Clyde to this group of migrant workers and asking them for water. They then, very selflessly, give C.W. Moss as much water as he wants, even though they themselves have very little. They then are astounded by the fact that they are helping Bonnie and Clyde. This plays into to this idea that Bonnie and Clyde do what they do to help out the working classes, which is also shown through the farm repossession scene. It also plays into the context of the time in which films were glamourizing criminal activity more often.
The scene which features Eugene Grizzard and his wife being captured by the Bonnie and Clyde gang, strangely getting along with them, and then suddenly being released also plays into this idea that Bonnie and Clyde are doing what they’re doing because they hate the ‘upper’ classes and they wish to help out those below them, which is why I think Bonnie suddenly turns on them, as I think she realises that they are quite well of people and that those aren’t the type of people they should be helping.
Political and Social Contexts in Bonnie and Clyde
In terms of contexts which the film ‘Bonnie and Clyde’ embody, it definitely has the spirit or the zeitgeist of this idea that younger people wish to see more exciting and relatable things in film, which is due to their exposure to the graphic content , specifically the Vietnam War ,through the news. This is seen in Bonnie and Clyde through the film’s overtly graphic and sexual content, for the time the film was made.
It also embodies this ‘New Hollywood’ film movement in which the ‘Old Hollywood’ factory system was pretty much gone and in its place came this idea that the directors should be allowed more freedom and should be given as much of the success of the film as the actors, which is why name such as George Lucas and Francis Ford Coppola are so well known to people who aren’t massively versed in the world of film.
And finally, in terms of the films aesthetics, the film marks a change in which film editing and camera framing is done, as it goes from this very conventional ‘invisible’ style of editing and framing to this more erratic and much more obvious to the eye editing that is influenced by French New Wave directors, such as Goddard and Truffaut.
Beatty began his acting career in television, as well as having experience with Broadway. His typical roles included many drama, mystery and crime roles in films such as Shampoo and Reds. This history of crime-related roles made him an ideal actor for a character like Clyde Barrow.
Faye Dunaway – plays Bonnie Parker
Dunaway made her acting debut initially on Broadway, before appearing on screen for the first time in 1967 in The Happening. She went on to play Bonnie Parker in Bonnie and Clyde. Her most notable films include The Thomas Crown Affair and The Arrangement.
Michael J. Pollard – plays C.W. Moss
Pollard’s acting career began as early as 1959 on television. In 1966, he starred in I Spy playing Bernie, alongside being a series regular. Pollard later played C.W. Moss in Bonnie and Clyde, in 1967 and was nominated for many awards.
Gene Hackman – plays Buck Barrow
Hackman began his acting career playing various television roles, before making his Broadway debut in 1963. He continued on Broadway for a few years, before initially being cast in The Graduate, where director Nichols fired him for being ‘too young’. Later that year, he appeared in Bonnie and Clyde as Buck Barrow.
Estelle Parsons – plays Blanche
Estelle Parsons initially studied law, before becoming a singer and then pursuing a career as a Broadway actor. She later progressed to film, where she then landed the role of Blanche in Bonnie and Clyde. She proceeded to work extensively in film in the 1970s, and even directed several Broadway shows.
Denver Pyle – plays Frank Hamer
Pyle was best known for his various roles in television throughout the 1960s-80s, typically playing authority figures or gruff and demanding fathers. This is evident by his role as Frank Hamer in Bonnie and Clyde, where he plays a lawman. His most famous roles include his portrayal of Briscoe Darling in The Andy Griffith Show and Jesse Duke in The Dukes of Hazzard.
Dub Taylor – plays Ivan Moss
Taylor worked extensively in film and television throughout his career, making his debut in 1938 in the film Taming of the West. He appeared in Bonnie and Clyde in 1967 as Michael J. Pollard’s father, Ivan Moss. Taylor had other notable performances in films such as The Wild Bunch and The Getaway.
Gene Wilder – plays Eugene Gizzard
Wilder’s first film role had been the portrayal of Eugene in Bonnie and Clyde in 1967, before he went on to have an extremely successful acting career. In addition to acting, he also wrote and directed several films and played many comedic roles, his most notable being Willy Wonka in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.
Mise-en-scene:
Mise-en-scene in Bonnie and Clyde was very much inspired by the French New Wave movement
Many scenes were shot on location; a staple feature of many French New Wave films
Unlike Bonnie and Clyde, Casablanca was filmed on a Warner Brothers backlot
Shot in Texas
Arthur Penn shot in Texas could also be due to it being far from California and therefore doesn’t have the studio dictating what to do
Set in the 1930s – Great Depression
Mise-en-scene feels very real and true to the time
A singular man gave Penn the time accurate cars
Everyone looks rather authentic to the time in terms of costumes, apart from Dunaway who doesn’t really wear authentic clothing
She looks more 1960s
Editing:
The opening sequence of Bonnie and Clyde is focused on Bonnie, with an ECU on Bonnie’s lips.
From there, the camera follows her movement around her room, the camera going no further than an MCU.
It doesn’t follow Classical Hollywood style, as it starts without an establishing shot and jumps straight into the story.
Inspired by French New Wave
However, there are parts that use the Classical Hollywood style, like when having conversations which are typically shown by using shot-reverse-shot.
Sound:
Atmos sound very good – uses the bell due to Bonnie and Clyde stealing, shouting and general commotion of people. There are sounds of cars and even the gun when Clyde shoots someone
Music motif (bluegrass song Foggy Mountain Breakdown) that appears when Bonnie and Clyde are escaping their crime scene, or having the police chase them. The music also suggests the film being set in the deep south – played on a banjo and encompass the feel of the Great Depression.
Music also used to represent mood changes – motif cuts out when things start to get a little more serious as it is completely different from the upbeat and happy tone of the music
This is used towards the end of the film when there is happy music around Bonnie and Clyde, which continues for a few extra seconds before the sheriff comes out of the ice cream parlour, where it abruptly stops
Sound bridge – music that covers a scene change/makes a scene change less abrupt
Dede Allen edited Bonnie and Clyde and was a pioneer of the use of sound bridges, which are used frequently to this day
Foley sound (diegetic):
The mood can be fairly laid back, but the volume of the gunshots is purposefully loud and violent to produce a visceral reaction from the viewer
Aesthetics:
Realism is used throughout Bonnie and Clyde – emphasised by the use of on location filming
Inspired by the French New Wave movement
Shot in Texas and is reflective of the time period it’s set in: 1930s
Could be considered slight social realism – even though it is never explicitly mentioned, the film is set during the Great Depression
There is depiction of people’s struggle; when C.W. Moss is getting food and water from the group of homeless people, and when the farmer and his friend shoot the bank that replaced their farm
Tone constantly changes; can go from an exciting car chase with upbeat bluegrass music to a serious situation involving someone getting hurt
Representation:
Women: with few female characters in Bonnie and Clyde, both are represented in significantly different ways. Bonnie is portrayed in a far more sexualised way; the beginning of the film letting the audience guess that she is naked and showing close ups on her lips etc. This is a common theme throughout the rest of the film as her relationship with Clyde develops the film breaks away from the conservativity of Classical Hollywood to explore Bonnie’s sexuality. However, it can also be argued that she is also portrayed as the crazy criminal she is—willingly following a random man around the south of the U.S. to rob banks and even end up killing people, which breaks away from the stereotype of a typical female character.
Blanche, on the other hand, is portrayed in a far more conservative way. Though both characters are represented as feminine, they feel extremely different. Though the character of Blanche evolves throughout the film, she is initially set up to be a nervous sort of character, not liking Bonnie or Clyde and hating their lust for crime. However, this character evolves to be represented in the same way as the rest of the characters: criminals.
Men: there seems to be a slight running theme in terms of how men are represented in Bonnie and Clyde; the majority being portrayed as these strong male characters. For example, Buck and Clyde are similar in the way that they are the ‘head’ of the group and are the main decision makers in terms of where they go and what their plan is. However, C.W. Moss is portrayed very differently; almost as if he’s this meek character who doesn’t get involved in the violence. It’s also revealed towards the end of the film that he gets bossed around by his father, who doesn’t accept that he is running around with criminals.
Authority figures: there is a lot of resentment towards authority figures in Bonnie and Clyde, with many of theme being portrayed as almost sleazy. For example, the police officer that attempted to capture Bonnie and Clyde, who did an interview seemingly only for the press and attention. A further character who is represented negatively as an authority figure is the sheriff that gets humiliated by the gang, and later comes up with a plan to catch him. He is also presented as extremely manipulative; that he’d do anything to capture Bonnie and Clyde, especially when Blanche is shown in the hospital after she got captured.
People of colour: There are very few people of colour represented in Bonnie and Clyde-the few that are cast having no lines and little to no screen time. However, they are not portrayed in the negative way that would be typical of the 1930s; the black character pictured above being seen very positively by his ‘boss’ and treated like a friend by them, which is a countertype of the typical character of the time.
Working class Americans: Penn represents working class people thoroughly throughout the film, having been set during the Great Depression. They are shown overall as friendly and generous to Bonnie and Clyde, as they know that they are not the enemy since they are targeting the people who are contributing to their hardships.
Political and social context:
Bonnie and Clyde was released at a time of great political and social unrest; the Vietnam War was raging on, with much of the extreme violence being televised for the American population to see on a daily basis, as well as the Cold War with the USSR. A lot of this televised violence would greatly impact films of the time -including Bonnie and Clyde- in terms of the level of violence that is normalised to be seen on television.
In terms of social unrest, the civil rights movement was big at the time, which included the race riots that also contributed to the high level of violence and taboo subjects that were suddenly becoming normalised
Warren Beatty, is a American actor and filmmaker, he made his acting debut in Splendor in the Grass (1961) then followed by Bonnie and Clyde. He acted as a star vehicle for the movie while as being a producer, he was advertised as a key feature of the movie. I think he was casted due to his already popular image he also owned the rights to the Bonnie and Clyde meaning that he saw himself wanting to star in the movie.
Faye Dunaway
Faye Dunaway is a American actress, therefore bonnie and Clyde she had only ever had stage experience however the role bonnie is what rose her to fame. Penn strongly thought she was right for the role despite her lack of experience and convinced Warren Beatty to cast her.
Michael J. Pollard
Michael J. Pollard was a American actor, he often played quirky, likeable supporting characters. He had small roles in stage and television before Bonnie and Clyde, he came best known for his role in C.W moss. He was cast due to playing side characters before and felt that he was right for the role.
Gene Hackman
Gene Hackman a American actor, before his role in bonnie and Clyde he had small roles in Broadway and Tv episodes, his breakthrough being his role of buck barrow which he won Academy Award for. He was casted due to Warren Beatty being impressed with his role in “lilith.”
Denver Pyle
Denver Pyle a American film and television actor and director, he roles as a actor before this on a range of different shows. He played the Texas Ranger who seeks revenge on bonnie and Clyde.
Estelle Parsons
Parsons was a American singer and actress, she established her career on Broadway before progressing to film. She won a academy award for her role as Blanche Barrow.
Dub Taylor
Dub Taylor is a American actor who became well known on film and television , he often starred in westerns and played the role of C.W moss’s dad.
Gene Wilder
Gene Wilder was a American actor, comedian writer and filmmaker. His first film role was a hostage in bonnie and Clyde.
Mise- En -Scene
Bonnie and Clyde was shot in Texas on location where the movie was set. This was due to Penn wanting to work independently without a large studio influence and using a real setting made the movie seem realistic and natural bringing the audience into the universe of the world. The movie is set in the 1930s the time of the Great Depression where it reflects the desperate nature of the time with multiple representations of people with the struggle of money. The interior sets show this well with a lot of the places they stay in looking run down reflecting the nature of time, this all contributes to the movies verstmilltude. The customs of the movie also influenced female fashion of the time, Bonnies characters short hair and outfits became iconic to the movie with lots of women in the 1960s wearing berets. The props in Bonnie and Clyde also where a key factor such as the cars being key theme, Penn was lent the 1930s classic cars. I think its interesting how their cars become a key factor in there “running way.”
Editing
The editing of bonnie and Clyde breaks away from the traditional rules of classical Hollywood. The movie starts with a sequence of bonnie in her bedroom, the first shot being her mouth a extreme close up. From the very beginning this breaks all the conventical rules of classical editing. Throughout the movie the editing stood out to me as unnatural but I think following the frantic narrative of the story works extremely well. The use of the jump cuts in the starting sequence of the movie show the need bonnie needs for adventure even if she’s in her bedroom, with the camera cutting to her in different places in the room.
Sound
The sound in bonnie and Clyde includes the use of motifs, non diegetic and Foley sound. The sound motif consists of a Blue grass song played on the banjo from the 1930s this plays during a car scene normally at the end when Bonnie and Clyde have escaped. The use of this shows the unserious nature they have about what they have just done and creates a light and comic tone. The sound editor Dede Allan was the first person who used sound bridges which are found in bonnie and Clyde. The movie also uses Gun shot noises to evoke surprise in the spectator with them being loud compared to he movie
Aesthetics
Bonnie and Clyde is set in the 1930sa during the great depression the movie works to make the movie realistic by having them meet people who have been kicked off their farm by banks . This creates a sense of realism that they are living in that period as many people in the great depression lost their savings and property. A example of tone for me was the ending and how it intentionally shifts the tone for a abrupt ending to make the audience shocked.
The visual style is heavily inspired by the French new wave movement they often used location shooting and camera techniques such as close ups. Bonnie and Clyde was shot on location where it was set to create a further sense of realism. Penn also used close-ups such as Bonnies mouth which are apparently supposed to show her hunger for a different life.
Representations
Woman-
I think their in a range in the ways which women are represented we have Bonnie who breaks the traditional values and takes on a life of crime, but on the opposite to that we have the character of Blanche Barrow who throughout the movie is made to be terrified of the crime. Bonnies character is represented as daring and bold extremely different to the social norms of the time. However Blanches character is scared of the robbery and often waits in the car. I think that Penn’s intentions where to have the character of blanche to show how bold Bonnies behaviour really was.
Men-
Men are represented in bonnie and Clyde as not stereotypical robbers and “bad guys.” for example Clyde is often overpowered by Bonnie on the decisions made and is seen to have moments of compassion. For example when robbing a bank Clyde lets an old man keep his money due to the economic situation of the time. His character is purposely shown to have moments of sympathy, to Maybe further their “Robin Hood.” like reputation. Clyde also avoids in the beginning becoming too emotionally involved with Bonnie possibly showing his character in a vulnerable light. Another representation we get is C.W Moss who is nonthreatining and unintelligent, he is often intimidated and in Awe of Bonnie. For example getting a tattoo due to her telling him too. Both these representations of Men show that they can be tough but have moments of weakness developing them into well rounded characters.
Authority Figures-
Park Ranger- During the movie Bonnie and Clyde capture and humiliate the park ranger. They portray him as vengeful and determined to catch Bonnie and Clyde. When they humiliate him he spits at bonnie showing that he isn’t scared of them this represents his character as bold unlike overs who tried to catch them turning around.
People of Colour-
The movie doesn’t feature a main character of colour, a scene where a ranch has been repressed by the bank. Two men who built the ranch walk up to bonnie and Clyde. One of them being a person of colour fire a gun at the sign. However this character does not have any dialogue.
Working class people-
We see a number of working class people, Bonnie and Clyde being ones themselves. Throughout the movie you see people who have lost their property to the banks and the Great Depression. I think bonnie running away from her small waitressing job represents that the working class people in the movie hope for more.
Political and social Contexts in Bonnie and Clyde
Vietnam war- The movie was filmed in the 60s, while the Vietnam war was taking place. Penn recognised that people were seeing the violence on the news everyday. Penn decided to reflect that within his work by having loud gun shots and graphic scenes. The audience that Penn was targeting this at this was a younger generation, this generation was more open to counter- culture meaning that they could reflect on the violence.
JFK assassination – In the ending scene, Penn was the first person to show a gun being shot and the result in one take. This could of been reflecting on the JFK assassination which was extremely televised.
Beatty was originally on board as a producer for the film
Faye Dunaway (Bonnie Parker)
Michal J Pollard (C.W Moss)
Gene Hackman (Buck Barrow)
Estelle Parsons (Blanche Barrow)
Denver Pyle (Frank Hamer)
Dub Taylor (Ivan Moss)
Gene Wilder (Eugine Grizzard)
Wilder played a minor role in Bonnie and Clyde as his debut role before earning lobal recognition for his role as ‘Willy Wonka’ in Charlie and the chocolate factory (1971)
Star Vehicle
Star vehicle: a film that utilises an actor’s fame to promote the film, a film specifically made with an actor’s skill set in mind to show off their known skills and versatility.
Casablanca is a star vehicle for Humphry Boggart, he had previously not played the leading man and was often playing in gangster films. Casablanca highlighted his versatility and proved he had the skills to be a leading man. Casablanca was also Ingrid Bergman’s breakout film as she was previously quite unknown, it can be said it was also a star vehicle for her to breakthrough into the industry
Bonnie and Clyde was a star vehicle for Warren Beatty, he was the producer of the film while starring in it, he was responsible for hiring the director (Arthur Penn). He also had bought the script. Faye Dunnaway’s breakout role was as Bonnie as like Bergman she was also much more unknown than their male co-stars.
Mise en Scene in Bonnie and Clyde
Locations: Bonnie and Clyde was filmed on location and not on a warner brothers backlot. The film was shot in Texas to add historical accuracy as the real Bonnie and Clyde were from Texas in addition to lower funds. The location filming adds more realism as they are not constructed, idealised setting. During the 1940s, America was living though the great depression. Bonnie and Clyde gives an accurate depiction of what peoples lives were like and had become after the wall street crash. The cars used in the film had also been loaned.
Costumes often showed 1940s fashion, specifically the gangster outfits. Bonnies look was quite 60s and became a fashion icon for women when the film came out, as many lost weight and cut their hair into bobs.
Editing: Bonnie and Clyde begins with a sequence of shots starting with an extreme close up of Bonnie’s lips, which is unlike classical Hollywood as there is also no establishing shot. The opening shot connotes to her knowingness of her attractiveness and her care into her looks. The camera then pans out into a close up of her face in the mirror. Close ups and mid shots are then used to follow her walking around the room, these shots are used to show her nudity without directly showing it. We then see her hitting the bedstead to mimic how she feels trapped in her current life as the bars on the bedstead reflects being behind bars in a jail. The only long shot in this sequence is when Bonnie is at the window, watching Clyde and speaking too him, which uses shot reverse shot ( a bit more conventional from Classical Hollywood) This opening sequence allows the audience to see the two main characters in depth, and breaks all the conventions of editing in the Classical Hollywood style. Editing in Bonnie and Clyde cam be very unconventional and inspired by the French new wave, however there are times the editing is very conventional and in the classical Hollywood style as it helps to portray the story. It breaks some of the conventions but doesn’t depart altogether from this style.
Sound: Music plays over credits and car chases (e.g 54-58 min) The music evokes the period of the Great Depression and highlights the setting of deep south America. The music is bluegrass style of music played with a banjo. It has roots in Mississippi, with afro American influence. The music is upbeat and light in tone with no vocals. The music is used to change the mood of the scene as we have the upbeat bluegrass music over the char chase and the original shot of the ice cream parlour, but when we see the ranger who is hunting down Bonnie and Clyde the music suddenly stops creating instant tension and apprehensive as the audience can predict how the film may end
Sound Bridge (J-cut) Music that covers a scene change
Dede Allen (editor) was one of the first people to use a sound bridge, she was an innovator.
Foley sound diegetic sound, sound effects. When Clyde is teaching Bonnie how to shoot there are sound effects from the gun (14min). The extreme loudness changes the mood. As the violence increases, the soundtrack increases in volume. Shootouts are very loud and violent and the loudness of the Foley sound is deliberately heightened.
He was already a star before this. Bonnie and Clyde was a Star Vehicle for him. He was most known for his role in Splendour in the grass, his debut film. Before this he had won some awards for his only work on stage. Along with tis he had previously made appearances on Television in shows like The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, which he stayed on for its first season. After Bonnie and Clyde’s success, Beatty was able to gain a role in films like ‘Bugsy’ (1991) and ‘Shampoo’ (1975) which he also co-wrote.
Faye Dunaway- Bonnie Parker
She was originally a Broadway actress before starring in Bonnie and Clyde. She performed in shows like ‘A Man for All Seasons’ and ‘After the Fall’. While Bonnie and Clyde was her raise to fame, it was not her screen debut, that was ‘The Happening’ where she was recognised by critics for her talents. That role was what got her hired for Bonnie, as Penn thought that her performance in it proved that she had the face for screen. After Bonnie and Clyde her roles included roles in The Handmaid’s tale (1990) and Arizona Dream (1994)
Michael J. Pollard- C.W. Moss
Pollard was chosen for the role by Beatty, as they knew each other due to them performing together on Broadway, likely in ‘A Loss of Roses’ in 1960. Before Bonnie and Clyde, Pollard had a few television appearances, notably in an adaptation of The Human Comedy. Due to him being known for his short stature, he was able to get younger roles into his thirties, such as small roles in ‘Star Trek’ and ‘Lost In Space’ While C.W. Moss was his best known role he has also had roles in Little Fauss and ‘Big Halsy’ and ‘Dirty Little Billy’.
Gene Hackman- Buck Barrow
Beatty saw him in his first credited screen role ‘Lilith’ (1964) and thought he was ‘a great actor’. He was on Broadway briefly in Children From Their Games, but had multiple stage appearances off Broadway in shows like ‘The Saintliness of Margery Kempe’ and ‘Come to the Palace of Sin’. After Bonnie and Clyde, he got a breakthrough role in ‘The French Connection’.
Estelle Parsons- Blanche Barrow
Parsons made her Broadway debut in 1956 in the musical ‘Happy Hunting’. After Bonnie and Clyde, she was nominated for her work in ‘Rachel, Rachel’ the following year. She has also portrayed Lady Macbeth on the stage in 1978.
Denver Pyle- Frank Hamer
Pyle’s screen debut came in 1947 in the movie Devil ship. Pyle had many roles in television as well, such as on ‘The Range Rider’, ’The Duke of Hazzard’ and ‘The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams’.
Dub Taylor- Ivan Moss
He had his screen debut in 1938 in ‘You Can’t Take It with You’. In 1939, Taylor get the part of Cannonball in ‘Taming of the West’, a character he would continue to play for 10 years. He was mainly known as a western actor.
Gene Wilder- Eugene Grizzard
Bonnie and Clyde was Wilder’s screen debut. before then, he had mainly been a stage actor, acting in shows like ‘The Complacent Lover’ and ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Next’. His most well known role is his portrait of Willy Wonka in the 1971 adaptation of ‘Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory’
Mise-en-Scene:
Locations and Sets – Bonnie and Clyde was largely filmed in Texas rather than in Holly wood. This was done firstly to try and stop studio interference and secondly because the real Bonnie and Clyde where from Texas. The locations that where filmed in where largely real places rather than studio backlot stages. The interiors where all made to represent the films time period (the 1930s)
Clothing – While most of the costume design is time period accurate, Bonnie is the exception. Her outfits are much more 60s inspired and went on to influence the fashion of the time period.
Props – All of the cars where leant to the studio by a collector, and are all from the 1930s.
Editing:
the editing in Bonnie and Clyde is very inspired by the French New wave, this is evident in the opening scene of this film. Instead of having an establishing long shot like Casablanca, Bonnie and Clyde starts with a close up on Bonnie’s mouth, it shifting to her in the mirror. This opening scene tries to show more metaphorically than literally, by showing her clutching the bars on her bedframe it tells the audience that she feels unhappy, or trapped in her current life, which is when Clyde appears outside, the man who will change her life and make her feel that freedom that she is longing for in that moment. As well as this, the editing takes heavy inspiration from the French New Wave in other ways, such as its snappy cuts, which goes against the typical old Hollywood style film. this doesn’t mean that it doesn’t take anything from the Old Hollywood style, it uses techniques like a ‘shot, reverse, shot’ when characters are talking to each other
Sound:
Underscoring– The underscore of Bonnie and Clyde is most prevalent during the car chase scenes, where blue grass style music is played in the background. This gives the, what would usually be intense, scene a sense of joy and whimsy. But this music will cut out when it is needed, which gives the audience the audible que that the scene has lost that sense of fun and is now much more serious. this is best seen towards the end of the Film where CW Moss’ father is meeting with someone and the music that had carried on from the previous scene of Bonnie and Clyde in the field is suddenly cut off when it is revealed that the person he was meeting with was Frank Hamer, the cop who is after Bonnie and Clyde. This sudden shift in tone with the audio tells the audience that this is a bad thing without the need for any dialogue. It is also used to establish scenes, like when Bonnie meets with her Mother. A small piece of music is played to establish the scene
Sound Motifs– Sound motifs are somewhat present in the film. The main one being the upbeat blue grass music in the car chases. The blue grass style music is meant to evoke the feeling of the great depression which further ground the film in its time period.
Sound Mixing- Music will suddenly cut out to evoke emotions in the audience. The sound director Dede Allan was one of the first people to utilise the technique of sound bridging (L/J-cuts). this can be seen in the scenes that play following most of the car chases. This helps to suddenly change to tone of a scene.
Aesthetics:
Realism– The movie takes heavy inspiration from the realism used in French new wave. this is accomplished by the sets being real places, which grounds the film in reality.
Tone– The tone in Bonnie and Clyde is constantly shifting. As said previously, the tone can shift from fun and whimsical with the car chases to very serious once a force that could endanger Bonnie and Clyde seriously comes into play, such as Frank Hamer at the end of the film.
Visual Style– the movie is very realistic with its lighting. the visual style takes inspiration from the French new wave with the cinematography (i.e. extreme close ups).
Representations:
Men-
Clyde and Buck are fearless and don’t show much emotion when committing their crimes, Moss is not like that (panic in cinema 29:11) and stays emotional throughout the film (1:22:32) but does drive them to get help when they get shot (1:28:29). Clyde is less intimate than Bonnie and shows some reluctance about it until the end of the film (32:54) (1:40:14) which was not conventional of men at tis time, making him less stereotypical.
Women-
They are shown as emotional (blanche) (bonnie getting emotional over her mother). Bonnie is shown to be just as bad as Clyde and so is seen as dangerous rather than timid. Bonnie is a revolutionary character for the time, being a lot more sexual and forward about that with Clyde. This is important because of the climate about sexuality from around the time, having the Counterculture movement be quite popular around the time. This sensuality about her is made clear from the very beginning when she is in her room nude, and the shot of her lips are the very beginning already telling the audience abut her focus on her looks.
Authority Figures-
Frank Hamer is made fun of at the beginning of the film when they humiliate him in the forest. (52:10) but then he comes back and is eventually the man who gets Bonnie and Clyde killed. Bonnie and Clyde are constantly running from Authorities in the movie, so the audience automatically buts them in a sort of villain role for the movie. The scenes are played off as comical with the music in the background putting that to the forefront. This makes the audience feel as if, while threatening to the protagonists, the Authorities are a joke in the context f the movie.
People of Colour-
There are only a few people on colour featured in the movie, and none of them have lines. There was racism in the south at the time. One of them is working with the farm family at the beginning
Working Class Americans-
Bonnie feels trapped in her old job at the beginning of the movie, this is shown visually at the beginning of the film with her reaching at her bedframe, giving the illusion tat they are some sort of prison bars. Which could also be taken a foreshadowing to her life in crime. She sees crime as her only way out of her current life. One of the banks that they rob is actually closing down, which shows that they’re not making enough money to keep themselves open. Towards the beginning of the film, Bonnie and Clyde take shelter in an unoccupied farm house, they are found in it as they are practicing shooting, and they find out the family who used o own the place had it taken from them by the bank. They give the farmer a gun to shoot at the house, which shows the attitudes towards the bank at the time, especially by Farmers.
Political and Social contexts:
When the film was being made, there was a large push by the American Counter Culture movement for a more Liberal society. This is impactful because the character of Bonnie is very aligned with the ideas of this time. She was much more sensual which was one of the things they advocated for, the idea of sexual liberation as well as the avocation for women’s rights. Along with this, due to the ongoing Vietnam war, Penn decided that more graphic violence would be needed for the film to reflect the society of the time.
While the context for the time period the movie is set in is the great depression. This was caused by the wall street crash in 1929, this caused a serious loss in money for almost everyone in American society. This can be seen in the film by the banks closing down and the farmers who had their property repossessed by the banks that are losing their money.
Beatty made an impressionable screen debut in Splendor in the Grass (Kazan, 1961) as a tortured teenager. Prior to this film, Beatty earned a reoccurring role in the television series The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis in 1959 – which he left before the first season concluded to make his first and last Broadway appearance, in A Loss of Roses (1959). In the lead up to Bonnie and Clyde, Warren Beatty had worked with Arthur Penn on Mickey One (1965), and then in 1967, Beatty assigned himself the duty of star and producer on Bonnie and Clyde – the film was a huge success, nominated for 10 Academy Awards, including Warren Beatty’s Best Actor nomination. The reason behind Warren Beatty being cast as Clyde Barrow is that screenwriters, David Newman and Robert Benton, submitted the screenplay to François Truffaut and Jean-Luc Godard, which Truffaut then showed the script to Beatty, resulting in him buying the option. Beatty hired Arthur Penn as the director, casting himself as Clyde.
Bonnie Parker played by Faye Dunaway
Dunaway won critical acclaim for her role in Hogan’s Goat (Alfred, 1965 – play) as Kathleen Stanton. During the same year as the release of Bonnie and Clyde, she began her film career in The Happening (Silverstein, 1967) as Sandy and Hurry Sundown (Preminger, 1967) as Lou McDowell. Bonnie and Clyde (13/08/67) is considered her breakout film, given that she received her first Academy Award nomination. In my own opinion, I believe Dunaway was cast for this role as she was young and ambitious, just like Bonnie, and with further research it seems that Faye Dunaway relates to the character: “Never have I felt so close to a character as I felt to Bonnie…She was yearning, edgy, ambitious southern girl who wanted to get out…I knew everything about wanting to get out” – quote from her 1995 autobiography, Looking for Gatsby.
C.W Moss played by Michael J. Pollard
Before Bonnie and Clyde, he starred in Hemingway’s Adventures of a Young Man (1962), The Russians are Coming The Russians are Coming (1966), The Absent-minded Professor (1961), It Happened To Jane (1959), and Summer Magic (1963). Pollard was often typecasted as the impish or eccentric character. He is widely known for his role as C.W. Moss in Bonnie and Clyde, he was also nominated an Oscar for Best Actor in a Supporting Role due to this role. I think he was cast because Moss is the eccentric sidekick character in Bonnie and Clyde, he was the perfect fit.
Buck Barrow played by Gene Hackman
Best known for his role as a detective, Popeye Doyle, in The French Connection (1971), Hackman won the Academy Award for Best Actor because of this film. His first credited film was Lilith (1964, Rossen) which also starred Warren Beatty, which is why I think he was cast for the role of Buck Barrow because of his connection to Beatty.
Blache Barrow played by Estelle Parsons
Bonnie and Clyde put her in the spotlight, earning her an Academy Award for her role as Blanche. Her career began in 1954 on a television show called “Today”, playing herself. Parsons was also in The Absent-minded Professor in 1961 alongside C.W. Moss. I think she was cast for the role because of her strong reputation as an actress prior to the film, proving herself fit for the role.
Frank Hamer played by Denver Pyle
Most known for his role as Briscoe Darling in multiple episodes of The Andy Griffith show which began in 1960. Starring in Gunpoint (1966), Tammy and The Millionaire (1967), The Left Handed Gun (1958), The Horse Soldiers (1959). He made a career playing drawling, Southern characters, which isn’t far from what officer Hamer was in Bonnie and Clyde, hence why I believe he was cast for the role.
Ivan Moss played by Dub Taylor
Most famous for You Can’t Take It With You (1938) as Ed Carmichael, having a reputation for playing supporting roles in Westerns, yet also having a knack for blending comedy and pathos, which is why I think he was cast for the role of Ivan Moss – a pivotal character yet still holding the fractured comedy often seen in French New Wave films.
Eugene Grizzard played by Gene Wilder
Best known for playing Willy Wonka in “Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory” (1971). Wilder was a comedian, starting out in serious plays on Broadway, such as, “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” (1963) and “Mother Courage and Her Children”(1963). Bonnie and Clyde was his film debut in 1967.
Mise-en-scéne
Locations: Unlike Casablanca, Bonnie and Clyde was shot on location for the most part – Texas to be exact. This created a strong sense of verisimilitude because the original Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow were from Texas.
Dallas, Texas.
It is believed that the real Bonnie and Clyde first met in 1930 at a friend’s house on Herbert Street in West Dallas, however, in the film they meet at her mother’s home which is also located in Dallas (Waxahachie), providing the film good historical accuracy.
Venus, Texas
In the scene where Clyde takes Bonnie out into town to impress her with his criminal credentials, staging a robbery on a grocery store. Another point for historical accuracy, the film is set in 1930s America, where businesses were deeply affected by The Great Depression; the deserted streets highlight this point further unlike in Casablanca which portrayed 1940s French Morocco inaccurately, the real city a far cry from its depiction in the film aside from a few cultural decorations.
Sets (interiors):
The interior of Bonnie’s room seems to be reminiscent of a childhood bedroom with porcelain dolls and various figurines, which juxtaposes with Bonnie, naked, in the foreground. Despite her obvious womanhood and sensuality, she is still surrounded by her past, weighing her down. This is a common theme throughout the film: Bonnie’s lust for life, to get out into the world, away from her dead-end job, and her life as it is.
This shot in particular, successfully encapsulates Bonnie and Clyde’s relationship: tumultuous yet inseparable. According to those who were close to Parker and Barrow knew that their relationship was just as fractured as it was romantic, notorious for their constant bickering. Also, there are multiple photographs of the couple kissing, and Bonnie still has her wedding ring on from a previous relationship with Roy Thornton (according to www.vocal.media) – the two got married when Bonnie was 16 years old, yet it quickly turned physically abusive, resulting in the separation.
Costumes:
In the scene where we meet Clyde’s brother, Buck, and his wife, Blanche, Bonnie poses for a photograph with a cigar hanging from her lips and a pistol held to her hip. This is a replication of Bonnie Parker in the 1930s, both wear a black beret, long black skirt, slight differences in pattern and colour with the top and cardigan, but overall an accurate nod to the original Bonnie.
The lack of clothing in this opening scene suggests to the spectator that Bonnie is a provocative character, modesty and conformity aren’t her priority as she has gone down in history as one of the most famous outlaws in America. Also, around the time the film was made (1967), the Hayes Code was no longer in effect, meaning that films could get away with kissing, nudity, and violence; the impact on audiences at the time must have been shocking, however, it stood as a turning point for society and modern cinema.
Props:
The cars in this film were rented by Arthur Penn from a Mr. Seng (lived in Castro Valley, California) to give the film a layer of historical authenticity, keeping the vehicles accurate to 1930s America.
Guns in Bonnie and Clyde stood true to the era it was set in, according to imfdb.org, the guns used in he film included: (handguns) Smith & Wesson Model 10, Colt New Service, Colt Police Service, and Colt M1911A1. (submachine guns) Thompson M1928. (rifles) WInchester Model 1892. (shotguns) Winchester Model 1897, Double-barrelled shotgun – along with an Mk 2 hand grenade used by C.W. Moss. The usage of these weapons amplifies the historical accuracy and the notion of Bonnie and Clyde being reckless criminals trying to get by during the Great Depression through robbery.
Editing:
What style of editing is used in Bonnie and Clyde? Straying away from the Classical Hollywood style of invisible editing, Bonnie and Clyde takes inspiration from the French New Wave style: discontinuity editing, which consists of jump cuts and non-linear, or confusing narratives. This can be seen in French films from the era, for example, Plein Soleil (1960) which uses a jump cut to show a skip in time:
An example of a shot sequence that has been constructed and what impact does it have on the audience: In the opening scene we’re shown Bonnie in her bedroom, and immediately the audience is informed of her ambition, frustration, and desire to get out. The bedframe resembles prison bars and the fractured jump cuts showing her hitting the bedframe further conveys her frustration.
Sound:
The dialogue in Bonnie and Clyde is a strong tool for foreshadowing the ultimate end of the couple, for example, when Clyde is speaking to Bonnie’s mother:
Bonnie’s Mother: You know Clyde, I read about you all in the papers, and I just get scared.
Clyde Barrow: Now Ms. Parker, don’t you believe what you read in all them newspapers. That’s the law talkin’ there. They want us to look big so they gonna look big when they catch us. And they ain’t gonna catch us. ‘Cause I’m even better at runnin’ than I am at robbin’ banks! Shoot, if we’d done half that stuff they said we’d done in that paper, we’d be millionaires by now, wouldn’t we? But Ms. Parker, this here’s the way we know best how to make money. But we gonna be quittin’ all this, as soon as the hard times are over. I can tell ya that. Why just the other night, me and Bonnie were talkin’. And we were talkin’ about the time we’re gonna settle down and get us a home. And uh, she says to me, she says, “You know, I couldn’t bear to live more than three miles from my precious Mother.” Now how’d ya like that, Mother Parker?
Bluegrass music is used throughout the film to adhere to the French New Wave’s disjointed humour, abruptly shifting moods, for example, during a lighthearted moment between Bonnie and Clyde bluegrass music can be heard playing under the dialogue, then cutting to show an ice cream parlour with C.W’s dad speaking with Frank Hamer – planning the inevitable death of the couple.
Editor Dede Allen was an innovator for using sound bridges in film, in 1967 they weren’t that popular, yet now it’s a given in all Hollywood films. On the contrary, Casablanca used a nearly continuous underscore to avoid abrupt audio shifts.
Foley sounds were used to amplify the visceral effect on the spectator. Specifically in scenes where there were gunshots (diegetic), the gunshots were intensified in post-production with the help of sound effects created by foley artists, as the violence increased so did the volume of the gunshots.
Aesthetics:
Realism – Given that the story of Bonnie and Clyde is real, I believe it is important that film was historically accurate, visually speaking. The film had strong social realism as it drew attention to the social and political conditions of 1930s America, showcasing gender roles and how they can be challenged, however they barely showed the reality of people of colour during this time.
Tone – Bathos is a reoccurring tone in Bonnie and Clyde, scenes often shifting from trivial and humorous to serious, this is reflective of the French New Wave’s impact on New Hollywood.
Visual style (French New Wave) – The fractured editing style, documentary-esque shots, such as long tracking shots and jump cuts all showcased the clear inspiration Penn took from the French New Wave visual style, and I believe it was fitting given the story of the couple – a real couple, so a documentary-esque visual style makes perfect sense, sometimes characters looking straight down the lens.
Also, intertextual referencing was used to amplify the historical realism, one of Bonnie Parker’s poems, “The Story of Bonnie And Clyde”, was read by Faye Dunaway in the role of Bonnie.
Political and Social Contexts of Bonnie and Clyde:
What global events had just taken place and were taking place at the time of the film’s production? The JFK assassination in 1963, Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, Civil Rights Act in 1964 and Nelson Mandela was sentenced to life in prison, Vietnam War (1955-75) along with the White House protests in 1966, protesting against America’s involvement in the war, second-wave feminist movement – fighting for equality within the workplace as well as sexual liberation. France was also getting back on its feet after the Second World War, rebuilding the country and nation’s identity, which ultimately led to the French New Wave.
How did these events impact the style and content of the film? During the 1960s, America and the world were going through numerous shocks, changes, and movements in the culture, which caused the French New Wave – France was craving experimentation, this brought filmmakers like Godard and Truffaut into the spotlight. Godard and Truffaut played a big part in the style of Bonnie and Clyde, making the film experimental, explicit for the time with implied nudity and excessive violence.
Representations featured in Bonnie and Clyde:
WOMEN: Bonnie and Blanche. Bonnie represents the new generation of women at the time, second-wave feminist movement during the sixties so that would’ve influenced the character despite the real story was during the 1930s. Reflecting the youth. Blanche is a more traditional female character, her characteristics are shown in Casablanca as well with people such as Ilsa, who is docile, are only mentioned or regarded when their male counterparts are there.
MEN: Clyde, Frank, Eugene and C.W. Heavy male cast which isn’t shocking given that the industry, even today, is still dominated by male actors. Represented by the typical authoritative characteristics, carrying the narrative for the most part just like in Casablanca.
AUTHORITY FIGURES: Frank Hamer, the officer who Bonnie humiliated instead of the killing him, he sought revenge on the couple, orchestrating an ambush with C.W’s father to kill them in the final scene.
PEOPLE OF COLOUR: Only shown in two scenes, when the original owners of the home Bonnie and Clyde were staying in returned, the black man didn’t have any dialogue, only getting to fire the gun Clyde gave him at the sign, an act of defiance. And in the final shoot out scene there’s two black farmers driving past just before the betrayal and Bonnie and Clyde meet their demise.
Warren was born on March 30th, 1937 and his career as an actor and film maker spanned over 6 decades. This led him to winning a lot of significant awards in the film industry such as receiving an Academy Award but being nominated for 14 and 3 Golden Globes awards after being nominated endless times. He was also nominated 4 times for the ‘Best Actor’ award as well as ‘Best Director’ but also for ‘Original Screenplay’ showing his dedication and talent as well as creativity. Beatty mad his acting debut in the American period drama film ‘Splendor in the Grass’ (1961) followed by his infamous role as Clyde in ‘Bonnie & Clyde’ (1967) which made him over 6 million dollars alone though he was fully entitled to 40% of the film’s earnings, he made he generous decision of giving Arthur Penn 10% of that. He has also starred in films such as the American comedy film ‘Shampoo’ (1975) and more recently in the American romantic comedy ‘Rules Don’t Apply’ in 2016. Though Beatty was proven to the public eye to be an amazing film maker and actor, not many believed in him from the beginning therefore having to prove everyone that he was not just an actor being casted for his looks. Warren was described by his team and fellow cast members are incredibly hard working and innovative as well as caring and passionate about his career.
Faye Dunaway
Faye, born on January 14th, 1941, is an American actress who began her career in the early 1960s on Broadway, making her screen debut by starring in the American crime comedy film ‘The Happening’ in 1967 which was a very small role compared to her then 2nd role as the portrayal of Bonnie Parker in ‘Bonnie & Clyde’ the same year. Though she did not have much of a pronounced acting career prior to this famous role, it led her to winning an Academy Award and further on in her career she also won an Oscar. Some of her other well known roles were Evelyn Cross in the thriller ‘Chinatown’ (1974), Serena Joy in the Sci-fi thriller ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ (1990) and many others which made her very respected and loved by the public as not only was she classified as a very talented and dedicated actress but she was also described as beautiful, passionate and hard working as well as powerful and strong. Faye influenced many young women to start their own career and empowered and reinforced the importance of female roles and the power women hold in the film industry.
Michael J. Pollard
Michael, born on May 30th 1939, was an American actor who mostly got casted as simplistic but likable supporting characters due mainly to his facial features but also his bubbly and sometimes awkward manner. He is infamously known for playing the role of C.W. Moss in ‘Bonnie & Clyde’ from which he gained significant recognition and nominations for awards such as an ‘Academy Award’, a ‘British Academy Film Award’ and multiple ‘Golden Globe’ awards. Some other films he casted in are the outlaw biker film ‘The Wild Angels’ (1966), the romantic comedy film ‘Roxanne’ (1987), the revisionist Western ‘Dirty Little Billy’ (1972) and many others leading his to acquiring endless role opportunities and respect within the film industry.
Gene Hackman
Eugene was born January 30th, 1930, and he led an acting career spanning over 4 decades leading him to winning awards for numerous roles such as 2 ‘Academy Awards’, 2 ‘British Academy Film Awards’ and even 4 ‘Golden Globe’ awards further supporting his lengthy and well respected and loved career. After casting in films such as the American neo-noir film ‘The Conversation’ (1974), the political action thriller ‘Enemy of the State’ (1998) and most famously the character of Buck Barrow in ‘Bonnie & Clyde’, Hackman decided to retire from acting due to medical necessity though he has stated that he feels like he has accomplished more than enough.
Estelle Parsons
Estelle was born on November 20th, 1927 and after studying law, Parsons began singing before deciding she wants to pursue a career in acting. She first started working for the American morning TV programme ‘Today’ and made her stage debut in 1961. During the 1960s, Estelle established her career on Broadway before she began film acting, and during the 70s she even went on to produce her own Broadway shows as well as well as starring in films such as ‘Bonnie & Clyde’ which led her to winning an ‘Academy Award’ for best supporting actress as well as being nominated for her other work such as her role in the American drama film ‘Rachel, Rachel’ (1968). Estelle became very well known and well loved within the film industry due to her kindness and unmatched talent.
Denver Pyle
Pyle was born on May 11th, 1920 and passed away on Christmas day 1997 after a lengthy and successful acting career as well as being a director. He was well known for a umber of TV roles from the 60s through to the 80s such as his portrayal on Briscoe Darling in a number of episodes from the American sitcom series ‘The Andy Griffith Show’, ‘The Dukes of Hazzard’ (1985) and many more while also developing his film acting career. As much as his career was more consistent when it came to TV shows rather than films, he has starred in 14 films including his infamous appearance in ‘Bonnie & Clyde’ as a Sheriff representing the older generation’s harsh feelings towards the younger generation.
Dub Taylor
Taylor was born on February 26, 1907 an he was an American character actor who mostly played in films and on TV, often in Westerns and comedies and he is the father of the famous actor Buck Taylor. He has had a lengthy acting career, playing roles in films and shows such as the American musical tragedy ‘A Star is Born’ (1954), the contemporary Western ‘Junior Bonner’ (1972) and of course playing the role of C.W.’s father in ‘Bonnie & Clyde’.
Gene Wilder
Gene was born on June 11th, 1933 and sadly passed away on August 29th 2016 after an admired career as an actor, comedian, writer and filmmaker. He was mainly known for his comedic roles such as his portrayal of Willy Wonka in ‘Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory’ (1971) as well as his small but comedic role in ‘Bonnie & Clyde’ which also got some recognition even though it was his first time being casted for a motion picture. He began his career on stage and made his screen debut in an episode of the TV anthology series ‘The Play of the Week’ in 1961.
editing
in full support of ‘The French New Wave’ movement, Arthur Penn did not follow the ‘classic’ opening of a film such as opening with a landscape shot through the use of an extreme long shot or just a long shot to establish where and what is happening, Penn started the film with an extreme close up of Bonnie’s lips followed by the camera panning to her in the mirror, making the viewer know who she is, though it wasn’t the traditional example of an establishing shot, it still served the same purpose but through a different method
however, sometimes the editing in the film does match the traditional way of editing as the editor still wanted the film to make sense and flow but not in the same way ‘Casablanca’ uses editing for storytelling purposes
discontinuity editing became very popular around the release of this film meaning that the spectator is aware of themselves watching a film therefore ruining the credibility of the world of the film or the film itself however it can also support a storyline or plot
mise en scene
location – most of this film was shot on location as supposed to a sound stage of an artificially built set therefore implementing the Texas historical accuracy, Penn decided to shoot the film in Texas as that is where the story is set but also because it is really far away from LA where the all big studios were therefore allowing smaller directors such as actor to have full control, ownership and authenticity over the film
due to Bonnie’s stylistic choices in the film, women started getting influenced by the character when the film came out therefore influencing a whole generation of women to not only try and look like her but to also wear what the want even though men can see it as revealing or inappropriate due to her wearing more 60s inspired clothes even though the film is set in the 30s
aesthetics
the tone of the film changes all throughout the film, for example the spectator could be watching an almost comedic car chase scene or a romantic and heartfelt scene and suddenly the tone changes due to there being a mass amount of violence due to gun shots and people dying
the overall aesthetic of the film is realism due to t=elements such as costumes. location, settings and music making the audience this this film was not only set but also filmed in the 30s
sound
‘Blue Grass’ music is dominant all throughout this film creating a sound motif for scenes such as car chases, this music is played on the banjo and it is up beat and very lively however this stops in serious situations or immediate tone changes
some gunshots in the film had to be enhanced in post production for a bigger impact and effect almost shocking the audience
representations
men
Clyde – he is represented as a confident ‘bad guy’ who is charming and good with his words however, we also get to see the vulnerable side of him when he expresses his feelings about his ability to sexually perform to Bonnie, this shows that men at that time had issues too and were not always in control
Buck – he is represented as money thirsty however also very caring and compassionate towards his wife, always trying to take care of her
C.W. – he is initially represented as a young and naïve character who just follows Bonnie and Clyde around however we then see him take charge when Bonnie and Clyde get seriously injured as he managed the get them cleaned up, fed and hydrated as well as finding them a place to go showing his loyalty and dedication
women
Bonnie – her role breaks away from stereotypical women roles as she is seen as powerful and confident and knowing what she wants and how to get it as we see her taking charge by doing things such as shooting guns and driving the car and overall partaking in all activities the men in the film are seen doing however, at the beginning of the film she was being represented as hopeless and sad and even naïve as she left her whole life and mother behind for a man she had just met
Blanch – she is seen as almost the opposite of Bonnie as she is loud, obnoxious and sometimes seen getting the whole group in trouble, she also gives the impression that she was just dragged into this whole plan by her husband and she has no choice but to follow them around even though she is seen getting money as well therefore benefitting also, she is represented as a compassionate and caring character especially towards her husband
authority figures
the lawman – he represents the older generation and their response and reaction to the younger generation which is seen through the was he is speaking to them and his actions such as spitting in Bonnie’s face
people of colour
though there are a couple people of colour in this film, they don’t play significant roles or have any lines whatsoever, this absence of people of colour represents the state of America during the 1930s, bringing attention to the discrimination and inequity happening
working class Americans
because of what was going on in America at the time this film was set such as the Great Depression, many Americans lost their jobs and were forced into poverty or making a significantly smaller amount of money than they used to especially farmers which is what we see in the film as their farms are being sold and they are represented as resentful and angry towards the government
political and social context
Produced in 1967, the ongoing Vietnam War influenced director Penn’s portrayal of graphic violence. He stated that people needed to view guns as terrifying instruments, and accordingly, violence in the film is often highly graphic and reflective of society at the time – demonstrated in the connection that can be drawn between Clyde’s sudden gunshot to the head and the shocking 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy
the Wall Street Crash also took place, leading to the Great Depression which caused many to lose their jobs and money therefore everyone was looking for a way to make as much as possible, some resulted to crime as an easier option
