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what once was sort of...

Posted : 12 years, 1 month ago on 13 February 2012 02:45

i suspect when this movie was released it was more shocking than it is now. sexual and violent but also a relatively loose camera that seems almost mock documentary. i do know that people considered that the film glorified their lives and i'd agree with that to an extent. in fact, it doesn't so much glorify their lives but show what they did as careless and rather unintelligent self gratification. for a film that begins by using seemingly factual notes on a still frame, this is far from realistic.

in fact, it only takes a moment of two of research to realize how off the story is. of course, if all you do is watch the movie, you'll undoubtedly find much to be suspect here. firstly, as soon as clyde shows up trying to steal bonnie's mom's car, this turns into a fornicating romp in which bonnie ups the ante by egging clyde on to perform robbery. this in turn is all it takes to set off the rest of their antics. shallow at best.

clyde is the worst here, simply trying to steal when ever he could to get whatever he needed. which at some point leads him to commit murder because a police man is holding onto their car...apparently enough to make clyde nonchalantly point his gun directly and not threaten but just shoot...oops...oh well..damn.....now we're wanted for murder...guess we'll have to steal more. its not a very well scripted movie.

clyde's brother and his brother's wife join the 'gang' when while meeting up clyde is ambushed by cops and they all shoot their way out of the trap. except his brother's wife who seems to spend the entire film screaming and/or being annoying.

about the only truly interesting character in the movie is the young driver...who it turns out is not a real character at all. he's several people rolled into one to simplify the stories. which is another issue the film has; it flies through all the story as if its a couple days. trying to build momentum by shear force rather than effectively developing depth to the characters. in the end i didn't care that they were shot dead. by that point i didn't believe the story and hadn't developed any attachment to the people. even the drive, who potentially is the most complicated and conflicted person is left almost jokingly watching his heroes (bonnie mostly, but clyde too) drive off to what he knows is going to be their deaths.

ok so i was disappointed by this movie, and perhaps i had too high of expectations for it. in truth its a good watchable movie. its dated. its fictionalized rather loosely on legend rather than fact and only hints that this may not be a glamorous life they bumble through. for a entertaining nonsense old school run foul of the law shoot 'em up, its pretty decent.

(6/10)


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