Film Friday: ‘Bonnie and Clyde’ directed by Arthur Penn

During the week, there was all this news about how Hilary Duff will not be able to play Bonnie Parker in the remake of Bonnie and Clyde. Aside from the jarring idea of a former Disney star playing the part, the idea that anyone would want to remake a film that is such a cultural milestone is shocking.

In 1967, film violence was nothing like what we have today. There was no blood and almost always consequences. People didn’t get killed for the sake of getting killed. Then, when Warner Bros. released Bonnie and Clyde that year, everything changed. Suddenly, blood was spouting everywhere and people were getting shot left and right.

Violence may be the film’s hallmark, but the acting and screenplay are clearly above average. Warren Beatty, who produced the film and worked tirelessly to get it made, plays Clyde Barrow like the psychopath he was, with a wily grin from ear-to-ear. Faye Dunaway as Bonnie is the sexiest criminal ever, with one of the best introductions. It is so hard to see how Duff could have believed she would have done it. Gene Hackman makes a great appearance as Clyde’s brother and Estelle Parsons (who won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar) is wonderful as Hackman’s frantic wife.

David Newman and Robert Benton’s Oscar-nominated script is well-paced and manages to give these psychopathic killers personalities and depth. The characters evolve and change and the end comes as a wonderful shock. You know it will end tragically (especially if you know the real story), but you feel so much for these characters that it hits the audience hard. Arthur Penn’s direction should also be noticed, as should the iconic cinematography by Burnett Guffey.

Bonnie and Clyde is a timeless cultural milestone. It felt anachronistic as a Warner ‘30s gangster picture made in in the ‘60s, but fresh at the same time thanks to its portrayal of youth on the run. Today, its influence on violence in film can still be seen, especially in films by Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez. Even 44 years later, Bonnie and Clyde is still an amazing ride.