Boston Public Library's teen volunteer program has gone remote! As part of this program, local high schoolers will be sharing their thoughts on books, movies, and more on our blog. Today, Elizabeth Choi, a student at Boston Latin School, is sharing her thoughts on the 1967 film Bonnie and Clyde.
Even though In the Heat of the Night, which I also watched this summer, won Best Picture in when both films were up for it, I liked Bonnie and Clyde more. The movie is about the infamous bank robbers Bonnie and Clyde, played by Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty. It was fast-paced, entertaining, and suspenseful.
The opening of the movie, with pictures and a brief description of Bonnie and Clyde, catches the audience’s attention immediately. From there, we are introduced to Bonnie Parker. She is clever and beautiful, but utterly bored with her life in Texas. She meets Clyde Barrow after she watches him trying to steal her mother’s car and discovers that he is a criminal. Eventually, the pair teams up and pulls heists with the help of gas station attendant C. W. Moss (Michael J. Pollard), Clyde’s brother Buck (Gene Hackman), and Buck’s wife Blanche (Estelle Parsons). Bonnie and Clyde had me rooting for them until the very end, despite my knowledge that I shouldn’t be.
Many scenes were very well done, including the “we rob banks” scene, the poignant meeting between the Barrow Gang and Bonnie’s family, and of course the final scene. I can’t sufficiently express how much I loved the costumes, especially Bonnie’s classic outfits. They added to her calm and collected personality, and never disappointed. Her beret was the cherry on top.
The end was tragic and reminded me a bit of Sonny Corleone’s (James Caan) death in The Godfather. The flock of birds dispersing through the sky and Bonnie and Clyde’s exchanged looks of confusion, horror, and love was one of my favorite parts of the film. I cannot recommend this film enough.
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