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In the early 1930s, real-life outlaws Bonnie and Clyde became cold-blooded celebrities when they went on a two-year crime spree throughout the Southwest. Thirty-five years later, young actor/producer Warren Beatty brought the couple and their shockingly violent story to the big screen, taking Hollywood by storm.
Loosely based on the tragic true story of Bonnie Parker (Faye Dunaway) and Clyde Barrow (Beatty), Bonnie and Clyde is both a bizarre love story and a bloody crime drama. As the film opens, Bonnie, a young, small-town waitress, meets Clyde, a reckless ex-con, when he tries to steal her mother’s car. And, from then on, the two are inseparable.
Though Bonnie and Clyde’s career doesn’t get off to a very successful start, they quickly become notorious. And along with driver/mechanic C.W. Moss (Michael J. Pollard) and Clyde’s brother, Buck (Gene Hackman), and sister-in-law, Blanche (Oscar winner Estelle Parsons), they’re hunted by lawmen (and almost revered by pretty much everybody else) until their crime spree comes to a shockingly gruesome end.
On the surface, Bonnie and Clyde is just a violent, action-packed thrill-ride—but there’s so much more to it than just a bunch of gunfights and robberies. In fact, it has a little bit of something for everyone: action, drama, romance, and even humor (thanks, in part, to Gene Wilder, who plays a young man who ends up on an unexpected joyride with his girlfriend and the Barrow Gang).
Though the story may not be completely accurate, it’s a thoughtful story that paints a fascinating portrait of two infamous outlaws. In fact, the movie’s characters are every bit as memorable as their real-life counterparts. Dunaway’s Bonnie is young and bored and naïve—a girl who’s looking for adventure and romance. But when the outlaw lifestyle starts to lose its appeal, she admits that it’s not what she expected: “When we started out, I thought we was really goin’ somewhere. But this is it. We’re just goin’.” But she also realizes that there’s no way out—especially since the man she loves has no intention of giving up. Beatty’s Clyde is charming but controlling, playful but impulsive—and he lives for the notoriety that their crimes bring him. Though Clyde seems to think that he can’t be stopped, Bonnie knows that, sooner or later, it will all end—and it won’t end well—yet she resigns herself to her fate.
With a sensational mix of thrilling car chases and thoughtful character studies, all culminating in a breathtakingly horrific finale, Bonnie and Clyde is one of those movies that can still stun audiences—even 40 years after its release.
DVD Review:
The new two-disc special edition release of Bonnie and Clyde is packed with special features that will please both film buffs and history buffs. The second disc contains hours of extras—including additional scenes, wardrobe tests, and a few 40th anniversary documentaries, which offer some intriguing revelations about the movie (like a bisexuality subplot that was later cut from the script).
Also included on the disc is a History Channel documentary on the real Bonnie and Clyde, which tells the outlaws’ story using actual footage, excerpts from letters, and interviews with family and friends (including Clyde’s sister). So whether you’re interested in the behind-the-scenes stuff or the true-crime stories (or both), this new edition is definitely worth checking out.
