Bonnie and Clyde was a 1967 film that ranked among the most popular and influential American motion pictures of the 1960’s. The film followed the criminal careers of Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker, two real-life outlaws of the Great Depression of the 1930’s. Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway both won praise, and Academy Award nominations, for their performances as the title characters. Arthur Penn was the director.
At the beginning of the film, Barrow is a small-time car thief. He meets Bonnie Parker, the daughter of one of his intended victims, and they team up. The pair go on a crime spree that makes them the most famous outlaws of their day. The film has been acclaimed for its atmospheric re-creation of the American Midwest during the 1930’s. The film effectively blends comedy and romance with its basically violent action story. The theme song “Foggy Mountain Breakdown” by the bluegrass team of Flatt and Scruggs enhances the movie’s lighthearted moments.
The realistic violence in Bonnie and Clyde influenced many later films. The movie also was noted for its experimental techniques, such as abrupt changes in the story’s mood, soft-focus photography, and especially the slow-motion final scene portraying the violent deaths of Bonnie and Clyde. Although Bonnie and Clyde were ruthless criminals, the motion picture humanized them and even made them sympathetic in comparison with the law enforcement officials trying to track them down.
The supporting players included Gene Hackman , Estelle Parsons, Michael J. Pollard, and Gene Wilder. Parsons won the Academy Award as best supporting actress. The movie got eight other Oscar nominations, including those for Beatty and Dunaway and one for best picture. Arthur Penn was nominated for best director, and Hackman and Pollard, for best supporting actors.
