What Makes "Bonnie and Clyde" Great.

An early pioneer in the New Hollywood movement of the late 60s and early 70s, Bonnie and Clyde is a perfect representation of the counter culture movements of the late 60s despite being set in the 1930s. It's themes and use of violence is a perfect segway to the state of America and the entertainment industry.

The film takes a significantly fictional route in telling the story of Bonnie and Clyde and the activities of the Barrow Gang. Bonnie Parker (Faye Dunaway) first sees a recently released Clyde Barrow (Warren Betty) trying to steal her mother's car outside of her window while getting dressed for work. Bonnie takes a walk with Clyde and is instantly attracted to Clyde's criminal lifestyle and charm over her mundane and uneventful life. The two begin pulling off Robberies that quickly grow in size and body count. They are also joined by Clyde's older brother Buck (Gene Hackmen) and his wife Blanch (Estelle Parsons), and former mechanic C.W Moss (Micheal J. Pollard).

Bonnie and Clyde was released during one of Hollywood's most historic transitions. Experimental filmmaking was beginning to rise, and young filmmakers were to thinking outside of Hollywood, and beginning to take inspiration on a more global scale, such as the "French New Wave" that started in the late 50s. This was also a time that saw Americans burning down flags in open protests outside the Whitehouse. It was a time of rebellion and distrust amongst Americans as the government handling of Vietnam and other things were tainted by poor decisions covered up by lies. This feeling shared by so many Americans was one of the main reasons why films like Bonnie and Clyde was so popular. The idea of what was good and bad in this world was not as cut and dry as it once was in Hollywood's Golden Age, and we wanted to root for the rebels in their war against their oppressors. We see this in Bonnie and Clyde where they are painted as heroes of the Depression who take a stand against the greedy banks of America that have taken so many homes from families. We see this early on where Bonne and Clyde spend the night in an abanded house that has been repossessed by the bank and are discovered by the former owner in the mourning. They all share their animosity to the banks in the form of shooting up the place, after which Clyde proudly proclaims "We Rob Banks". We also see this sense of connection to the common people Bonnie and Clyde share during a bank robbery where Clyde asks a man if the money he has is the banks or his, and upon hearing it's his, he lets him keep it.

The ensemble is top-notch throughout. Dunaway and Beatty's chemistry is solid and believable. Beatty gives Clyde a charming demeanor and strong sense of confidence, and it's easy to see why Bonnie is so attracted to him. Dunaway as Bonnie is a blooming blossom who has been forced by society into a position that she sees as beneath her, and Clyde shows up and finally gives her the confidence to reject her unfair lot of life and express her inner firecracker, in the form of robbing banks. The supporting cast is also top-notch, with Hackman, Parsons, and Pollard all receiving Oscar nominations for their work along with Beatty and Dunaway, with Parson's going as far as winning Best Supporting Actress.

The film is also very entertaining and at no point feels boring. Director Arthur Penn creates a great pace throughout, and the film never feels boring because of it. The first half is more or less a joyride with the gang pulling off robberies, and always acting carefree and decent even when they are not robbing. Scenes like the gang end up taking a pair of hostages on a joyride and taking pictures with a captured Texas Ranger instead of killing him are great examples of their carefree and civil nature despite their crimes. Penn never shies away from the violence though as their several scenes showcasing the gang's destruction in the murder of an innocent banker, and the shootouts they endure from the police are never glorified. The second half takes full aim at the repercussions of the violence by causing a significant tonal shift in which the gang barely survives a shootout that ends with Buck's death, Blanch blinded by a gunshot and captured, and Bonnie and Clyde receiving severe injuries. It's a brutal and sudden turn of events that brilliantly signifies the downfall of the gang and the sense of fun long over. The final sequence of the film also showcases this aspect of brutality brilliantly in a slow burn to the couple's death. It's a thrilling sequence that leaves you on the edge of your seat even though you know it's going to happen, and when it does, it's brutal, cruel, and sad. There is also nos music accompanying this sequence except for a melancholic tune on a banjo. It's a scene that while over the top is very realistic, as if Penn is saying "this is not a movie, this is real life, and there is no glory or relief in any of this. Props to Editor Dede Allen for creating one of the best-edited films of all time and her brilliant work really shows in that amazing final sequence.

Bonnie and Clyde is a revolutionary and masterful film that stands out not just in the era of not just New Hollywood, but all of Cinema in general.