|
The basic story, details the life and times of
two 1930's murderous, bank robbing criminals, Bonnie Parker (Faye
Dunaway) and Clyde Barrow (Warren Beatty), who terrorized small,
Midwest towns, falling in love along the way. This out of control,
self-absorbed couple, with the arrogance of youth, have a blast
on their crime spree, stealing, killing, running, playing hard
and loving each other, oblivious to the reality of the possibility
that they may die, living this risky lifestyle. Though it was
fun at first, their string of robberies carries them towards their
end, as law enforcement slowly closes in.
The screenplay is written to make the audience sympathetic to
these characters, despite their cold-blooded killing record. The
screenplay leaves out the brutal killing of two police motorcycle
officers done in real life by Bonny and Clyde, because it wouldn't
fit well into the script. It tries to show them as multi-dimensional
people, giving insights to their personalities, showing them to
be not just the barbarians that their behavior painted them out
to be.
Beatty and Dunaway make a mighty attractive pair
of criminals, each offering a fine portrayal of their characters.
The romantic/sexual nature deliberately adds to the charm and
mystique of their on screen relationship. This film elevated Beatty's
status and made Dunaway a star.
The film was extremely popular, but also very controversial. Some
critics objected to the film's violence, particularly the very
bloody ending. Some objected to the sympathetic portrayal of these
criminals. My favorite scene IS the last, although it's not for
the faint hearted.
The film won three Oscars: for Cinematographer, Burnett Guffey,
Supporting Actress, Estelle Parsons, and screenwriters, David
Newman and Robert Benton. Robert Towne was supposedly called in
for a highly paid, if uncredited script rewrite.
|
