Producer/star Warren Beatty had to convince Warner Bros. to finance this
film, which went on to become the studio's second-highest grosser. It
also caused major controversy by redefining violence in cinema and
casting its criminal protagonists as sympathetic anti-heroes. Based
loosely on the true exploits of Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker during
the 30s, the film begins as Clyde (Beatty) tries to steal the car of
Bonnie Parker (Faye Dunaway)'s mother. Bonnie is excited by Clyde's
outlaw
demeanor, and he
further stimulates her by robbing a store in her presence. Clyde steals a
car, with Bonnie in tow, and their legendary crime spree begins. The
two move from town to town, pulling off small heists, until they join up
with Clyde's brother Buck (Gene Hackman), his shrill wife Blanche
(Estelle Parsons), and a slow-witted gas station attendant named C.W.
Moss (Michael J. Pollard). The new gang robs a bank and Clyde is soon
painted in the press as a Depression-era Robin Hood when he allows one
bank customer to hold onto his money. Soon the police are on the gang's
trail and they are constantly on the run, even kidnapping a Texas Ranger
(Denver Pyle) and setting him adrift on a raft, handcuffed, after he
spits in Bonnie's face when she kisses him. That same ranger leads a
later raid on the gang that leaves Buck dying, Blanche captured, and
both Clyde and Bonnie injured. The ever-loyal C.W. takes them to his
father's house. C.W.'s father disaproves his son's affiliation with
gangsters and enters a plea bargain with the Texas Rangers. A trap is
set that ends in one of the bloodiest death scenes in cinematic history.
The film made stars out of Beatty and Dunaway, and it also featured the
screen debut of Gene Wilder as a mortician briefly captured by the
gang. Its portrayal of Bonnie and Clyde as rebels who empathized with
the poor working folks of the 1930s struck a chord with the
counterculture of the 1960s and helped generate a new, young audience
for American movies that carried over into Hollywood's renewal of the
1970s. Its combination of sex and violence with dynamic stars, social
relevance, a traditional Hollywood genre, and an appeal to hip young
audiences set the pace for many American movies to come.
Directed By: Arthur Penn
