Review of Bonnie and Clyde (1967) by Lesley N — 22 Apr 2010

â??Left-Handed Gunâ?? director Arthur Penn propelled himself to fame and fortune with this landmark gangster epic about the true-life exploits of the infamous Barrow gang that roamed the dusty Southwest and Midwest holding up small banks during the Great Depression in the early 1930s.

Initially, Jack L. Warner Brothers had a low opinion of Pennâ??s outlaw yarn until word of mouth and positive critical reviews prompted the studio mogul to book it into major theaters after regaling it to drive-ins and small towns.

Warren Beatty doubles not only as producer but also the protagonist Clyde, while Faye Dunaway plays Bonnie Parker his sidekick. A protest film if there ever were one, â??Bonnie & Clydeâ?? celebrates the exploits of these reckless rednecks, including Clydeâ??s brother Buck and Buckâ??s wife Blanche and their driver/mechanic C.

W. Moss. The general tone of the movie shifts about half way into its 111 minute running time as scenarist Robert Benton and David Newman show us the rise of the Barrow gang and their tragic decline. Penn stages one of the most violent slow-motion shoot-outs in cinema history when the Texas Rangers catch up to our heroes and mow them down in a hail of gunfire.

â??Bonnie & Clydeâ?? received two Academy Awards; Estelle Parson took home the Oscar for Best Actress and lenser Burnett Guffey won the statuette for Best Cinematography. In addition to claiming two Oscars, Pennâ??s movie got nominations for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Original Story and Screenplay, and Best Costumes.