If you're like me, you somehow let 50-something years go by without having seen "Bonnie and Clyde" (hey, it can happen.) I remedied that this evening, and overall have to agree that it's a must-see if you lay any claim to being a movie buff.
Most everything that can be said about the plot has been covered in many reviews here, so I'll just add that: -it is a splendidly crafted and acted depiction of an American Legend. Watching it is like being back in the 1930's, even with tiny oversights like Dunaway's suspiciously 1960's teased blonde bangs and--another of my little nitpicks with many period pictures--long King-size cigarettes that didn't exist at the time.
-the main characters are romanticized....rather unfair considering the damage and death they caused. Still, they're superbly portrayed by the talented cast, in realistic period settings.
-in spite of that, the Supporting Actress Oscar win that year seems a bit odd; Blanche is written as a high-strung church girl gone bad, and the character could have been written much more interestingly considering Estelle Parsons' talent. But the movie is about Bonnie and Clyde, after all, so the script pretty much has Blanche as a hysteric who runs around and screams a lot.
-keep in mind its R rating was assigned over 50 years ago. It isn't for kids (especially the ending) but the mature content and violence is a far cry from today's productions. "Bonnie and Clyde" is realistic but not overly gory, compared to the almost mindless lack of restraint in 2024.
But it does allow the viewer to focus on the story, the performances, and realistic 1930's atmosphere, rather than an overkill of sex and bloodletting. Most definitely worth a watch.
Most everything that can be said about the plot has been covered in many reviews here, so I'll just add that: -it is a splendidly crafted and acted depiction of an American Legend. Watching it is like being back in the 1930's, even with tiny oversights like Dunaway's suspiciously 1960's teased blonde bangs and--another of my little nitpicks with many period pictures--long King-size cigarettes that didn't exist at the time.
-the main characters are romanticized....rather unfair considering the damage and death they caused. Still, they're superbly portrayed by the talented cast, in realistic period settings.
-in spite of that, the Supporting Actress Oscar win that year seems a bit odd; Blanche is written as a high-strung church girl gone bad, and the character could have been written much more interestingly considering Estelle Parsons' talent. But the movie is about Bonnie and Clyde, after all, so the script pretty much has Blanche as a hysteric who runs around and screams a lot.
-keep in mind its R rating was assigned over 50 years ago. It isn't for kids (especially the ending) but the mature content and violence is a far cry from today's productions. "Bonnie and Clyde" is realistic but not overly gory, compared to the almost mindless lack of restraint in 2024.
But it does allow the viewer to focus on the story, the performances, and realistic 1930's atmosphere, rather than an overkill of sex and bloodletting. Most definitely worth a watch.