067 - Bonnie And Clyde (1967)

DVD Box

Bonnie And Clyde is the romanticised story of two of the most well known criminals.

The film opens with the chance meeting of Bonnie Parker (Faye Dunaway) and Clyde Barrow (Warren Beatty). As Clyde is trying to steal Bonnie's car, she catches him and she immediately catches his eye. In order to impress her Clyde decides to prove himself by robbing a grocery store. They flee, starting their huge crime-wave.

Along the way they collect CW Ross as a getaway driver along with Clyde's brother Buck and his wife, Blanche. Together they form the Barrow Gang, and skit from state-to-state trying to scrape enough money as possible together from robbing banks to get themselves through the hard times.

Theatrical Poster
Wikipedia

Bonnie and Clyde presents itself in a similar way to The Assassination of Jesse James and Badlands in that it follows a group of well known criminals across the land but never makes them out to be bad people. Where Bonnie And Clyde differs, is that they are a group of gangsters that that you would like to be part of.

The empathy that you start to feel for the group contribute greatly to the amount that the film will shock you. The brutality that they possess seems very alien from the scenes when the crime has died down. Away from the towns and banks, they are presented as a young gang simply trying to make a living during the great depression in the years leading up to the Second World War.

The movie's soundtrack beautifully aids in adding to the fun of the adventure with the sometimes humorous banjo and country music. Indeed, some of the getaway scenes feel like they would be more at home during the cartoon Wacky Races.

The brutal, heartless ending highlights the seriousness of the crimes, and it brings everything home. Despite this, the rest film is great fun.

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