Film Review of Bonnie and Clyde

In fact, they didn't live alone all the way, but a group of accomplices followed them: Clyde's brother Buck and his wife Blanche, and a little CW who can repair cars. The main line of the story revolves around the conflict between this group of people: Clyde and his brother, who is my brother, are very affectionate, while Bonnie and Blanche are in hot water. As a result, there is a subtle relationship between the four: Clyde wants to maintain the "buddy" relationship with Buck on the one hand, and to appease Bonnie from time to time on the other. Bonnie often struggles between the ideal of pursuing freedom and the sacrifice made by her lover. Finally, this tension ended after Buck was killed and Blanche was arrested. They got a chance to be alone and reached a perfect climax. But it still implies that the relationship between brothers and the love between men and women are often incompatible. This theme is often seen in action movies with men as the audience.

Cars play an important role in the whole movie. The hero and heroine met because Bonnie saw Clyde trying to steal her mother's car, and they were finally shot in the car. They change cars every time they rob, of course, one is better than the other. In this film, the car is not only a tool for crime and escape, but also a projection of material desires and a machine leading to freedom.

The last scene is a classic of violent aesthetics: a flock of pigeons fly to the treetops, and the two are enjoying the beauty of the moment. The informer suddenly got under the car. The hero and heroine glanced at the bushes and knew that the tide had receded. The two men looked at each other, and the hero rushed into the car, but at this time, the gun had already started. In slow motion, the two were beaten into honeycombs. There are many elements in it that have been used for reference again and again in future movies. Everyone is no stranger.

Bonnie and Clyde ended up in court, but this movie is not a cliche of "what goes around comes around comes around". On the contrary, the use of its image language is to hope that we sympathize with and identify with the dead. In fact, the film caused great controversy after its release. The families of the people killed by Bonnie and Clyde accused the film of beautifying the murderer; On the other hand, teenagers regard him as an idol. Faye Dunnaway, who plays Bonnie, even became the most popular style in the film. In that era when protests, strikes and anti-war were the trend, this film really added fuel to the fire.

Romeo and Juliet are on the run

To commemorate the 40th anniversary of Bonnie and Clyde, Warner Bros. Home Pictures released a commemorative edition of Bonnie and Clyde on March 25th, 2008, including four editions: special edition, ultimate collector's edition, Blu-ray edition and HD edition. As a result, this long-lost classic film noir once again entered the field of vision of fans. Bonnie and Clyde, like Romeo and Juliet in the gangster world, are going further and further on the road of no return. ...

Open the "new Hollywood" period

Bonnie and Clyde was translated by Taiwan Province people, but it was translated by Hongkong people. If we only rely on the latter title, people will mistakenly think that the whole film is about how a pair of desperate mandarin ducks run amok and how clever their means of committing crimes are. That was not the case. The main part of the story is that Bonnie eloped with Clyde, Clyde's brother and sister-in-law, and a mechanic named Moss. And this group of Jiang Yang thieves (also the home of improvisation) are portrayed as low-level, naive and naive.

Although the film made by 1967 is based on a true story, the background is the Great Depression of 1930, but the rebellious consciousness, depression and despair in the bones are the anti-war and anti-government feelings of American society at that time (1960). At this time, the golden age of Hollywood has passed, and young American directors are imitating the new wave of France and trying to make films full of fresh breath and youthful regrets. Most people think that Bonnie and Clyde, full of motor sounds, has ushered in a "new Hollywood" period, and its director Arthur Penn is called "post-classical Hollywood director".

Pay tribute to the new wave

The smell of the new wave comes from Bonnie and Clyde's plays. Co-writers David Newman and robert benton said that when they wrote these two characters, they thought Bonnie and Clyde were a bit like belmondo in Godard's movie Exhausted. Of course, Truffaut's Jules and Jim and Shooting the Pianist inspired them the most, especially the former. Robert benton once said that he watched 12 times in two months, imitating and writing a triangle relationship between the main characters, because Clyde Boro in real life is bisexual. Truffaut, as the director's first choice, liked the script very much, but he gave it up because of the filming of Fahrenheit 45 1. Godard is also interested in this script. It is said that he will change the background to Japan and turn Bonnie and Clyde into teenagers, which undoubtedly scares the producers away. After the star Warren Beatty bought the script, he found the director Arthur Penn who had worked with him. It is said that this book has been transferred to 20 directors at this time.

The opening of the film has a strong trace of the new wave: three or four shots in more than 50 seconds, starting with Bonnie's lips played by Fei Donnaway, moving freely and pushing and shoving, and her face and figure occupy the whole picture. In these shots, space is almost isolated from the body, showing boredom, depression and mania (which also accompanies Bonnie all the way). After that, in the soundtrack dominated by plucking, the film highlighted the trivial sense of comedy and had a lively atmosphere of life. According to the analysis of film historian gregor, the great charm of this film comes from its tendency to be isolated from the real social environment, and it can realistically set off the pictures of small towns and villages. This is largely due to the film's "screenwriter doctor" robert towne, a playwright who later became famous for Chinatown. He didn't sign the script as usual. According to a blog post Bonnie and Clyde, the Beginning of New Hollywood, Tony has consciously changed four things in mainstream movies: characters can always find parking places; Never give change when buying things; Husband and wife never sleep in the same bed; Women never take off their makeup when they sleep. In order to subvert these four rules, the film shot many unforgettable moments.

Metaphor and technological innovation

Because producer and star Warren Beatty objected to writing Clyde bisexual, the screenwriter changed the hero to impotence. This rewriting gives the film a little psychological metaphor and social metaphor. Clyde suddenly became a victim of state oppression; And his criminal behavior has become a substitute for sex. When Clyde drew his gun for the first time, Bonnie touched the barrel of the gun, which was quite sexual. Clyde degenerated into a child because of this physical defect; His love with Bonnie is platonic most of the time, both sincere and pure. This is in stark contrast to the villains in the film-the police and parents. When Clyde and Bonnie announced "We robbed the bank" in front of those poor farmers whose houses were confiscated by the bank, their pride and shyness were really lovely. They robbed clumsily, they fled in panic, and they fell in love for no reason, just like Romeo and Juliet. It is precisely because of the fairy tale characteristics of Bonnie and Clyde that even the refreshing film technique at that time has long been commonplace for today's fans, but it can still completely impress us.

In this film, Arthur Penn does adopt many new technologies, such as the scene where Bonnie meets Clyde for the first time when she goes downstairs, and the scene where Clyde and his gang meet Bonnie's family. Of course, the most famous and influential part is the shocking shooting scene at the end: the wind blows, the birds fly in surprise, and then the machine gun fires and the smoke is filled. Bonnie and Clyde shook in the rain like "muppets", their bodies were like beehives, and their graceful slow movements were like ballet. After that, everything was calm. Needless to say, you can immediately think of some classic gun battles of John Woo. In fact, before this, the image of Warren Beatty wearing a hat, holding a match and drinking soda will not remind you of Chow Yun Fat in the heroic age?

General comments

This film is based on a true story, which happened during the Great Depression in 1930s. They not only robbed banks in partnership, but even killed many innocent people and went to the road of no return.

Under the unique aesthetic creation of director Arthur Penn, the whole film exudes a strong nostalgic color, and the slow-motion shooting scene at the end of the film is more like a sad death ceremony. While making people nervous, I don't know whether to hate or love the protagonist.

When it premiered that year, it was scolded to pieces by defenders and critics. However, it did not fall in the attack, but became a popular film, which made a lot of money and made young people's clothes and ideas tend to imitate the style of the 1930 s.

The film also has a special style, that is, a sense of comedy and horror are combined. The romantic and ridiculous criminal process is very funny, but it is gradually introduced into the shadow of horrible and bloody death, and oliver stone's Sha Ping Killer is influenced by it.

She won the 40th Oscar for Best Supporting Actress and Photography with 1967.