A certifiable classic (Bonnie And Clyde (DVD))

Member Name: shaneo632

Product:	Bonnie And Clyde (DVD)
Date:	03/09/09 (5 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great performances and direction

Disadvantages: None

note: also appears in part on The Student Room and Flixster

The concept of "couples on the lam" is certainly not a new one in cinema, and whilst Bonnie and Clyde, made in 1968, was itself borrowing from Francois Truffaut's masterpiece Breathless, made 8 years earlier, it's still an outstanding hallmark for Hollywood cinema, and in many ways helped see in the new age of cinema, alongside the counter-cultural upheaval of the late 60s and early 70s, where more violent and sexually explicit films were being made.

The film begins as Clyde Barrow (Warren Beaty) attempts to steal the car of Bonnie Barker (Faye Dunaway)'s mother. She stops him, but he uses his charm to entice her to come with him, with his simple remark that he "robs banks". Soon enough, the two are on an amateur crime spree across Kansas, amassing a large team that consists of Barrow's brother Buck (Gene Hackman), his wife Blanche (Estelle Parsons), and a lonely young man named C.W. Moss (Michael J. Pollard). The film also has a brief role from a young Gene Wilder.

What makes the film most compelling is the context of the Depression era - whilst the acts the gang commit are illegal, they're dedicated to ripping off banks, and given how so many civilians are angry at the banks for taking their homes, they're portrayed almost as modern-day Robin Hood characters. The film leans firmly in their favour for the most part, portraying the officers as corrupt, baffoonish, and disagreeable almost entirely.

From the excellent array of performances (the central four of which all recieved Oscar nominations), to the direction that borrows a lot of choppy editing techniques from Truffaut's film, this is a dilligently crafted film that's got enough narrative consciousness and intense action to satisfy everyone.

An explosive retelling of Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow's crime spree, Bonnie and Clyde features a collective of great performances and inventive French New Wave-inspired direction by Arthur Penn. Alongside incredible action scenes, the film also makes the best of its Depression-era context.

Summary: Superb