Review of Bonnie and Clyde (1967) by Shelley S — 10 Jun 2015
One of the films credited with dismantling the Hayes Code, Bonnie and Clyde didn't just challenge the choking standards, it beat them up and took its lunch money. Journalists Robert Benton and David Newman mined Benton's childhood memories of hearing folk tales about the titular 1930s bank robbers and splayed it out into a tale that was condemned for glorifying vigilantism, sex and violence.
Unschooled in three-act structures, Benton and Newman didn't worry about consistency of tone, preferring to emulate the mercurial mood of the French New Wave classics they idolized by writing a script that was funny, romantic, sad and violent all at once.
Arthur Penn was entrusted with the reins, directing almost everyone to an Oscar nom and using camera methods that seem beyond the technical limits of the time. So, controversy AND quality? Why did this formula die?
This review of Bonnie and Clyde (1967) was written by Shelley S on 10 Jun 2015.
Bonnie and Clyde has generally received very positive reviews.
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