Bonnie and Clyde

 Bonnie and Clyde

The film Bonnie and Clyde is set during the Great Depression. Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker meet when Clyde tries to steal Bonnie's mother's car. Bonnie, who is bored by her job as a waitress, is intrigued by Clyde and decides to take up with him and become his partner in crime. They pull off some holdups, but their amateur efforts, while exciting, are not very lucrative. Bonnie and Clyde turn from small-time heists to bank robbing. The film itself pushed many boundaries of censorship rules and they were greatly influenced by foreign films. 

Bonnie and Clyde was released during a time of Hays code in film. Hays code was a set of industry guidelines that films had to follow to keep them from being too violent or inappropriate. The code was a set of 36 rules that kept Hollywood under its thumb for decades. The Hays Code stated “corrupt” behavior and immorality (as the MPAA defined it, which by 1930s standards was a broad and oppressive spectrum) could not be painted in a positive light. If anything, “immoral” was featured, the immoral character must be shown facing the consequences of their actions. Things like nudity, overt sexuality, heavy drinking, suggestive dancing, interracial relationships, and depictions of LGBTQ+ characters were in violation of the Hays Code. Religion could not be mocked, and the American flag had to be treated with the utmost respect if shown. 

 Director Arthur Penn said to hell with the Hays Code with his action movie, and his decision to show the violence the partners in crime committed gave permission for other films to do the same, and this started a wave of changes throughout Hollywood that allowed on-screen violence to continue. Had it not been for the boundaries this film pushed, films depicting violence like The Godfather and Marvel’s Avengers franchise wouldn’t exist. They wanted to do things with this film that were not allowed at the time but because they did not care about pushing the boundaries, they were able to create a New Hollywood. 

Bonnie and Clyde was also greatly influenced by foreign films. They were mainly influenced by the French New Wave movement. He was inspired by French filmmakers like Jean-Luc Godard and Francois Truffaut and the Italian Neorealism movement. One thing he pulled from these films and filmmakers was the use of unconventional editing techniques. The film used handheld cameras which created a sense of documentary realism which was also influenced by foreign films. This technique was seen in Italian Neorealism films. 

The film's portrayal of its antihero protagonists was also influenced by the French New Wave. The film shows Bonnie and Clyde as rebellious figures who challenge the establishment and the law. This was very different from traditional Hollywood films where the criminals were seen as one-dimensional villains. The influence of foreign films helped to make this film groundbreaking and innovative. 

The director did an amazing job with this film, and it could not have been what it is without a director who was willing to take chances and break past the rules put in place. He saw an opportunity to push past the Hays code and create something more daring than what Hollywood had seen before. The inspiration of foreign films also helped him to achieve the amazing film that he did. Without those influences it could have been a very different looking film and would not have been able to tell the story of Bonnie and Clyde as well as he was able to. 

Boyle, Kelli. “How 1967's 'Bonnie and Clyde' Paved the Way for Films like 'the Avengers'.” Showbiz Cheat Sheet, 8 Dec. 2020, https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/how-1967s-bonnie-and-clyde-paved-the-way-for-films-like-the-avengers.html/.