Bonnie & Clyde

My good friend Luke told me that Bonnie & Clyde was probably the main reason he got into "classic, good, movie buff movies," and that in his mind, it's probably the dividing line between casual movie watcher and him now. That said, I had to check it out ASAP, because Luke is just the man. I'd always avoided it, just because it didn't seem too special to me, and I'd always considered the plot to be a cliche, not realizing that the film itself was one of the first of its kind, at least, in modern terms.

All said, I wasn't disappointed with Bonnie & Clyde in the least. Volumes have already been written about it, so there's probably noting new that I can add. It's a shade under two hours, yet it felt so long. Not long in an agonizing, 'when will this torture end?' way, but long in a satisfying, 'now that was a great movie' way. There's so much plot and characterization crammed into the space, it's almost overwhelming. And yet, for all it's surface style and mainstream appeal, there's quite a bit beneath the surface for any cineaste to dissect.

I can really see now how it ushered in almost an entirely new era in American film, in the late-60's/early-70's. The violence and sex is done so tastefully, on the surface, that they were able to get away with it, yet it still rings startlingly true to this day. It really hasn't aged much, if at all.

I was drawn to all of the characters, in many ways, which is very rare for me, when watching a film. Right off, you can really get a sense of who they are, what they're all about, and how they'll react in situations. And yet, they never stop growing, as people, throughout the entire film.

Like I said, very impressed with the whole package. Thanks, Luke. Now Warners, how's that SE coming?