BONNIE AND CLYDE

US, 2013, 180 minutes, Colour.
Émile Hirsch, Holliday Grainger, William Hurt, Holly Hunter, Elizabeth Reaser, Sarah Hyland, Lane Garrison, Jack Thompson..
Directed by Bruce Beresford.

Arthur Penn’s 1967 film, Bonnie and Clyde, is considered a cinema classic, somewhat shocking on its first release with its explicitly violence and people interpreting the portrait of the outlaws as glamorising them. The film came out just over 30 years after the actual events.

Here is a film for the 21st century audience, shown as a miniseries over two evenings. Emile Hirsch is much the same age as Warren Beatty was when he made the film, Holliday Grainger a little younger than Faye Dunaway but not much. This film puts more emphasis on Bonnie and Clyde whereas the earlier film highlighted his brother Buck and his wife, Blanche. Dorothy provide and had appeared in the 1950s in The Bonnie Parker Story

For many audiences, Hirsch and Grainger will seem very young, young reckless people, seemingly nothing to lose, guns too readily available, and amoral conscience as regards killing, especially of the police. The couple set themselves up as heroic and as legendary, especially with the famous photos that were used in the newspapers.

The film gives some background to both of the characters, their teenage years, Bonnie’s marriage and the desertion by her husband, Clyde and his work, ambition for cars, participation in robberies, time in prison and his escape. There are many scenes of their bank robbery sprees.
William Hurt gives an interesting performance as the relentless former Texas Rangers in pursuit. Holly Hunter has a cameo role as Bonnie’s mother. Elizabeth Reaser is very strong as the journalist who promotes Bonnie and Clyde and then has pangs of conscience. Jack Thompson, with his always overdone American accent, is the prison warden.

The film was directed by Bruce Beresford who had been directing films for the previous 40 years both in Australia and in the United States – famous for not being nominated for Best Director Oscar for the best Best Picture winner, Driving Miss Daisy.

1. The history of gangsters in the 1920s and 1930s? The legends? The truth? The history of Bonnie and Clyde? The impact of the 1967 film, the portrayal of gangsters, the blood, killings, the role of the police, made just over 30 years after the events? This film 80 years after the events?

2. A film for the 21st century audience, distance from the events, attitudes about outlaws, fascination with their legends, criticism of their environments? Any goodness in their lives and exploits?

3. The period, the 1920s and 1930s, Texas, towns and farms, homes, prisons, shops, banks? The other states and the same locations, hotels and resorts, on the roads, the countryside? The musical score?

4. Emile Hirsch and Holliday Grainger as Bonnie and Clyde? William Hurt as Frank Hamer?

5. How much fact in the screenplay, how much fiction? Especially the device of Clyde’s second sight? His grandmother, the dreams, the images, moments of blood and death? The influence of Bonnie – and who exercised leadership in the duo?

6. The opening, the scene of death, the classic images of the car, the bodies and the blood, the curious onlookers, the children? Bloodshed? This story, the weapons available, their use, the American gun culture, violence taken for granted, the killings, the death of the police? An amoral couple? Little conscience? their self-focus for survival?

7. Childhood, Clyde’s story, his parents, the home, hard work? The relatives? Clyde’s illness, the second sight, his recovery? His bond with his brother? The comment about stealing chickens, the pursuit? Poverty, jail?

8. Bonnie, her age, marriage, seeiing Clyde at the reception, sending her photos to Hollywood, her rejection, her mother’s comfort? Her husband, his breaking his promises about going to California? Her wanting to be known, headlines, wanting glamour, self-centred? Her mother and her criticisms, her mother and support?

9. Clyde and his brother, stealing the money, the police in pursuit, dead end, Clyde and his escape over the wall, his brother and prison, the message about the box and its being in the river, Clyde getting the money, going to the shop, trying to buy the shirts, stealing them after his being refused?

10. Bonnie and Clyde, the friendship, the relationship? Meeting Frank Hamer and talking at the garage? Frank Hamer, and ex-ranger, his need to be doing ranger work? On his horse in an age of cars?

11. Clyde, robberies, in jail, the visit from Bonnie, the gun, the escape? The character of the warden, his hobbies, his attitude towards Clyde, the escape, the pursuit? His later admitting his underestimating Clyde

12. Frank Hamer and his mission? deputised by the authorities, his meeting with Ted (and Ted’s previous relationship with Bonnie and his attraction towards her, and later disavowing this and shooting) Frank’s character, the pursuit, the various sieges, dealing with the local police and their inadequacies, frustration, his theories, using leads, building up a profile? The motel and the escape? His anger, shooting the bed? The final information, the ambush, the cold-blooded killing, the journalists asking about this – and his turning from her and her being responsible for deaths because of her glorifying articles about Bonnie and Clyde?

13. The robbery sprees, collages, the details, the motivation, money, the excitement?

14. P.J.Lane and Bonnie, the discussions, her work as a journalist, discussions with the editor, following up the exploits, the elements of sex and violence, Bonnie and Clyde posing for the photos, with a cigar, the car…? Posting them? Hamer and his discussions with Lane, alerting her to her responsibility? Her change of attitude, the editor wanting sensational articles, Bonnie’s murdering the man at her mother’s house, the widow and the funeral, changing her attitude in the articles, blaming Bonnie and Clyde?

15. The police, Hamer’s associates, the gaffes, the arrest of the accomplice, interrogation, his giving information? Hamer and his profiling?

16. The life of the outlaws, the photos, publicity, the issue of who dominated and who was leader? Buck and Blanche joining in, Blanche as the minister’s daughter, Clyde looking down on her? The developing sexual relationship, Clyde as ordinary, but loving Bonnie, Bonnie and her wildness?

17. Going to Bonnie’s mother’s house, the man confronting them, Bonnie shooting him, claiming there was a gun? The effect on her? Clyde and his challenge – and whether she really loved him?

18. Louisiana, hiding out, the friend, the father’s betrayal, leaving, planning to return, the ambush? The brutal deaths?

19. A reflection on American gangsters of the 1920s and 1930s – and the comparison made with headlines about Pretty Boy Floyd and the Kansas City massacre?