Review of Bonnie and Clyde (1967) by Grant L — 23 Feb 2013

Before The Godfather, Bonnie and Clyde was a film that did not romanticize crime or glorify it as a fun way of life, but as a sad existence. This movie has many levels of depth and ideas, but the one that stuck to me most was the willingness to show that the gangster life is not one of getting money.

Or getting to say "see?" and "ohh a wise guy eh?" but a story of real humans. Bonnie and Clyde do not intend to harm anyone, but they search for a better life in crime that they believe nothing else can offer.

Instead, we see that they are in a downward spiral to a very gory and harrowing death. In a very stark and realistic moment, the camera does not give us a sweeping or epic shot of the car to suggest the ending of a legend.

Rather, it shows us the death of two people who were searching for something and never found it. All we see are the sad expressions of the lawmen looking upon them. Not boastful or prideful in their accomplishment in ending the spree of some extremely deadly and famous criminals, but mournful and reflective.

This shows us that Bonnie and Clyde were not criminals who should be cheered over after they've been killed, but people like us who searched for the wrong thing. Near the end of the film, Bonnie says "You know what, when we started out, I thought we was really goin' somewhere.

This is it. We're just goin', huh?" The 60's people would like us to believe this is a story of two gangsters who shun authority, live life on their own terms and do what they want. When in reality, when you shun all of your authority and just do what you want, you're not finding the answers.

You're just goin'.