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After re-screening the opening sequence of Bonnie and Clyde (above), consider it within the context of our class discussion of the Classical Hollywood model of filmmaking (i.e. Rear Window) and the European art cinema model of filmmaking (i.e. Hiroshima, mon amour). How do you see it blending both models? Or, do you think that it borrows from one more than the other? Please make sure that your answer makes reference to specific visual or other stylistic characteristics from the films.
The closing sequence of Bonnie and Clyde was seen as single-handedly transforming the way that violence was represented in Hollywood cinema. Why do you think that is? Do you think that it remains as effective and disturbing today as it was in 1967?
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In regards to our class discussion on the classical Hollywood and European art cinema models of filmmaking, I believe that the film BONNIE AND CLYDE (1967) blends very well both filmmaking traditions. For instance, in regards to European art cinema filmmaking, we are introduced by a single image: blood-red lipstick on the lips of our primary female character. While the actual color red became a staple once color was introduced to film, the introduction of a single image rather than an environment was in the past a staple of European filmmaking. In my opinion, European filmmaking was precise, they did not always have to have big names in their films nor did their films have to make a lot of money. The whole reason Hollywood existed in decades past was to entertain and to make money. There is quite a bit of sexuality, the nude Faye Dunaway, in this introductory sequence and being provocative was always a mainstay in European filmmaking. In regards to classical American filmmaking, we have one big name (at the time) in the main billing: Warren Beatty. At the time, Warren Beatty was a sexual icon for girls of all ages. So, in a way, American film studios were not provocative in the sense of being original, but instead to make money, plain and simple. Another way this opening sequence is very much in the mold of classical Hollywood filmmaking is the use of a lengthy tracking shot rather than quick edits. While watching the clip of REAR WINDOW (1954), edits were precise but camera involvement was intense, moving in and out of the single courtyard of New York apartment buildings; whereas watching HIROSHIMA, MON AMOUR (1959), we witnessed quick edits to move the film along.
When reviewing the final sequence of Bonnie and Clyde, I believe that it still remains effective, leading movie-goers into the latest brand of filmmaking, which was very much provocative and guerilla in essence. In addition to the violent conclusion of the film, there was also the provocative scene where Clyde shoots a bank teller straight in the face as he tries to hang on to the back of Bonnie and Clyde’s automobile while their companion, C.W. Moss, is driving. As the years come and go, we have seen a lot more scenes that were twice as provocative, such as SCARFACE (1983), with its excessive use of foul language and blood and gore, as well as BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN (2005), with featured more than a few romantic moments between two masculine men. While many may remember BONNIE AND CLYDE as the film to spark this new brand of films, newer audiences may relate a lot better to newer films released during THEIR lives. In other words, as newer and greater things grace our screens, we may tend to forget how they got to be there in the first place.
~ Kelly Doucette
9/5/07 Film 301
As was stated in the question, the opening scene from Bonnie and Clyde recalled in some ways both the Classic American way of film making, as well as the European Art Cinema. It established both main characters and their “roles” quite early on, as is normal in American cinema. However, in more of the European Art tradition, the opening scene of the narrative proper is filled with sexuality and sensuality, abstract to a specific, immediate aim, and to an extent to make the viewer uncomfortable and confused. This latter aspect might be either to catch the viewer’s attention or throw the viewer off.
Regarding the end, and why the violence in the closing scene was considered something new, I can only say that it was vivid and ugly. There had been countless deaths in movies before Bonnie and Clyde, but they generally tried to make any death implied, (a hand dropping limply, covered with chocolate syrup,) or pretty. Hollywood was full of beautiful corpses. But here, in this film, we see the attractive young actors get riddled with bullets, their bodies jerking violently with each impact, (the “scary puppet dance” as I once heard it called.) He dies crawling in the dirt, she dies slumped over awkwardly.
It would be silly to say that death in Hollywood stopped being pretty that day; We still have hot young actresses dying with only a trickle of blood to mark their doom. But they did inspire people to aspire towards new, perhaps uglier kinds of realism.
Joe Evrard said...
The first minute or two of the movie was classical Hollywood where the director put in the old time photographs of what I'd assume to be Bonnie and Clyde and their families. It was also interesting that even before the first shot, something had caught my eye. The way that they introduced the two actors, Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty with their names going from white to an almost blood-colered red already said, or at least to me, that this isn't gonna be a happy, yay let's all be friends, type of movie. Then in the first shot, without Bonnie saying a word, we as the audience can already tell that she in not happy for some reason by her smacking her bedpost. So that also lead me to believe this was more classical Hollywood. I also believe though, it did change to European when Bonnie meets Clyde due to the fact that she was nude and talking to Clyde from her window. This introduction was sexual just like the beginning of Hiroshima, Mon Amour.
As for the ending, it seems to me like it is very romantic. That might sound stupid due to the graphic violence and the blood, but I'll put it this way. Many movies have people die horrible deaths where they are fighting back or doing other thinks to deserve their deaths. The "villian" of the movie gets what's coming to them. As for Bonnie and Clyde, we, know that they have done bad things like stealing and killing, but we don't put them in the category of the "villian." When the birds fly in the last scene, and Clyde starts to run back there is an instant where Bonnie knows what is gonna happen and they smile at eachother. It's almost like saying "I love you" one last time before they are killed. So, for as violent as the final scene was, it still made a point of romance.
One final thing that has little to do with the summary. Did anyone know that the ranger that was put in the boat, (real actor's name Denver Pyle) played Uncle Jesse in the TV show The Dukes of Hazzard?
Nicholas Naber 9.7.07
Bonnie and Clyde (1967) is a culmination of Classical Hollywood, and or European Art films. The opening scene is classic in the way that we are introduced to our main characters within the first few minuets. The shots taken in Bennie’s room show her bed, her dresser, dressing area, and mirror giving us the information of where she is. Like in Rear Window we see the context of the room and understand the setting. The characters names are introduced to us when Bonnie goes downstairs to yell at Clyde to get away from her mothers Ford. This also, lets the viewer know she must be living at home. Bonnie and Clyde is similar to art films from Europe. The first sequence shows us a nude woman, whose moving around the room then she lays on the bed and hits the headboard, we don’t know what’s going on because we aren’t told why this woman is undressed and why she’s hitting her headboard. The shots of the nude woman are very reminiscent of Hiroshima, Mon Amour.
Bonnie and Clyde’s ending is extremely violent. This film has of course changed the way violence is shown in American cinema. There was violence in classic films yet they weren’t so gruesome, up close and realistic as the deaths of our two characters. The way they are shown dieing is disgusting, the gunshots keep coming even after they are obviously dead. Bonnie and Clyde paved the way for movies like the Godfather, especially when Sonny is shot to death at the tollbooth. This scene is definitely as disturbing and gruesome today as in 1967 movies today use this sort of killing all the time, but this scene seems especially ominous and terrible with its foreshadowing of the birds flying away and CW’s father hiding under the truck and of course the relentless barrage of gunshots.
If this shouldn't be here, just tell me, but I'd just like to add a few general questions:
-How likely would it have been that Clyde's brother would have fell back into a life of crime with or without Clyde?
-Were we supposed to like Bonnie?
-Was there actually any chance that Bonnie could be happy and content in any situation, ever? It seemed like she was hard wired to be discontent.
-At her willingest, just HOW willing was Blanche to go along with them?
-Is Moss going to have a crime career after this?
-If they had lived, would Clyde only have been able to sustain an erection after Bonnie got something published? (Sorry.)
-Was the sheriff being over- the- top cruel to Blanche by sneaking up on and away from her, considering he was going for a "good cop" type of interigation?
-And was Blanche actually being "tricked" into giving Moss's name, or did she just want them caught at that point?
-Did Gene Wilder just decide to stop eating after Bonnie and Clyde, or was that just his baby fat?
-Did anyone predict Gene W. would be getting big roles after this film?
The opening sequence of BONNIE AND CLYDE was an excellent blend of both the classical Hollywood and European art cinema models of film making. We are given information about Bonnie without her speaking by being shown her room and her clear disgust at getting dressed. Likewise, in REAR WINDOW, we were able to deduct a great deal about the characters without any narration. Unlike REAR WINDOW, however, the opening sequence has a raw sense of reality. I couldn't help but laugh at the woman in REAR WINDOW who thrust her leg onto the kitchen table as she was pouring coffee. Rather than portraying this false sense of glamor, Penn portrays Bonnie in a more bare (both physically and figuratively), raw manner. We see her frustration and anger as she paces around the room, punching her bedpost as she is unable to dress herself and go to work. This rawness parallels with HIROSHIMA in that it does not tidy up the characters. Both share a sense of realism that is laced with raw sexuality.
The closing scene of the film, although violent and gruesome, continued the pattern of realism. Like Joe said, there is something romantic about the death; however, it is in no way glamorous. In essence, the closing scene did an excellent job of blending both classical Hollywood and European art cinema styles. The death seemed a bit dramatic and romantic (classical Hollywood) but was at the same time terrifically gruesome and unglamorous (European art cinema). The scene might not seem as disturbing to modern day audiences, but only because our special effects have come such a long way.
By Melissa Neumann
9/8/2007
With the opening scene of the movie “Bonnie and Clyde,” we are introduced to our main characters and their world, as in the Classic Hollywood style of film. We meet the seemingly unhappy Bonnie, who wants a better life by her reaction to the world around her. Clyde appears and proves to be an escape and adventure for her. But during our intro, we get a sensual side to it all, as in “Hiroshima, mon amour,” with a nude Bonnie being one of the first things we see. While slight nudity in movies today is accepted, it can still sometimes surprise people, so 40 years ago, it must have had an even bigger affect. (And American cinema is not as free as European cinema. I’ve seen a movie from the 1930s from Europe, Ecstasy, which featured a full frontal nudity scene with actress Hedy Keisler, who later had to change her last name to Lamarr to avoid scandal from it when she got her start in American cinema.) But we don’t know about what is all going on in Bonnie’s life or Clyde’s. We get fast facts. We meet our main characters and see where they are from. We don’t know their purpose in life or what is all going on it in.
However, with this movie, we see the important aspect of nearly all movies, attractive main characters. I know a lot about Bonnie and Clyde, and have seen a lot about them, and the bandits were not as lovely as their Hollywood counterparts. Bonnie, while described as attractive, was not a gorgeous blonde like Faye, and Clyde wasn’t exactly a handsome stud like Warren. Plus in the movie, there were parts that were somewhat different than what actually happened to them. While the death scene is how it happened, the event that led to it was not how it was. They were set-up with the troubled motorist, but the way they came to it was different.
The demise of Bonnie and Clyde at the end gave us a start to the bloodier death scene that is a must-have for all horror movies, action movies, and even some comedies. Of course, today getting shot with hundreds of bullets is tame compared to what is in some movies. The death scenes have grown into something fierce over the years. But this scene was true to life. Bonnie and Clyde’s death was in such a gruesome way and I can’t imagine how they would try to tone it down, unless instead of having long shots, they showed the bodies moving, but from about the shoulders up. It was beautifully shot and beautifully done without being beautiful.
Now to address a few of the questions Victor asked, I actually liked Bonnie. She did have an attitude problem, but she wasn’t very happy, so I can’t blame her. I can relate to her character, so I enjoyed it. And C.W. Moss was based on W.D. Jones, who, if I am correct, didn’t return to a life of crime, but one of alcohol. And Blanche in real life was not as cowardly as Estelle Parsons in the movie. Also in real life, Clyde was gay. It started when he was in jail. Bonnie and Clyde never had a romantic relationship.
Bonnie and Clyde (1967) is iconic for using both Classic Hollywood and European Art Model styles of filmmaking in many ways. The opening sequence of the film starts with a close up of Fey Dunaway’s sexy red lips and then pans over to a mirror reflecting her face. The camera cuts appropriately around the room teasing us with snippets of her naked body, a seductive tactic found evenly in both Classic Hollywood films and European Art Model styles. Eventually the camera cuts away outside to Warren Beatty looking over an unwatched automobile. It returns to Fey Dunaway eventually calling out to him from a window in her room finally joining the characters in the same space, dialog, eye line matches and all. The edits are in narrative real time as most Classic Hollywood films are, differing greatly from the other film screened in class earlier, Hiroshima, Mon Amour (1959), which had a timeless/representative montage-like structure based more on an overall feeling/experience rather than a direct developing story. Content wise however, the film appears to share more European themes as it follows two people in love evading society and constantly on the move as outsiders. I especially liked the visual theme of imprisonment found within the first sequence’s mirrors, windows and bed-frame bars. These distinctive shadows and framing suggest separation and alienation, the main motives behind our “heroes” in the film.
The closing sequence of the film ends with the death of our main characters Bonnie and Clyde. The film continues its classical narrative editing but much faster in order to evoke a sense of heightened excitement. Bonnie, Clyde and their driver C. W. Moss are running from the law. An automobile is driving down the road and we see both Moss then Clyde turn to look at it. Then the edits continue their quick cutting by inserting a shot of disturbed birds leaving a nearby bush. The flapping of their wings sounds all too much like a Tommy gun, a great tactic for foreshadowing. As the bushes continue to rustle, C. W. Moss dives under the car. Clyde smiles at first as if it’s a joke but then lets his face fall and turns frightened to look at Bonnie. Bonnie returns the look but they don’t even get a full second to look at each other one last time before a barrage of bullets rip through the nearby bush exposing the camping policemen. The camera slows down time as their bodies shake and bleed. What’s interesting about this ending is that the film allows its audience to attach themselves to characters that break the law and kill, morals that aren’t traditionally accepted. Then of course as fate would have it, the characters get what’s coming to them as the lovable couple is taken from us in an extremely gruesome way. The bodies aren’t lying there with blood cleanly placed on the corner of the lips after a few gunshots, no, their characters are mutilated for a full 33 seconds in slow motion, glorifying in a way that is probably more common in today’s modern action flicks.
~Zach Goldstein
As far as visual correlations to the Classical Hollywood and European art cinema models, the opening is almost cut in half using both. Inside Bonnie's house seems to draw from the art cinema model with it's quicker cuts (before drawing back from the mirror and when she goes to the bed, these are noticeable edits that go against Classic Hollywood's blink and you'll miss them cuts), bold close ups (the opening shot of her lips), fast moving zooms (one leading to another close up of her eyes this time) and before leaving the house there is a low angle shot of her running down the stairs which would be at home in horror movie.
Just as soon as Bonnie exits the door of her home to meet Clyde, it was like walking into a Classic Hollywood film. The style in Bonnie's house is gone and the visuals go on autopilot. Their walking and enjoying some of each others banter, so you don't want to take away from their first meeting with stylistic camera shots.
I agree with those who posted the sexual relationship between Bonnie being nude and that of the opening in Hiroshima, mon amour. However, it's not just that she's nude, she's longing for a man and that's why after looking in the mirror, maybe asking herself why she's alone, she hits the bed frame.
Without Bonnie there is no movie here. The film would have been a bank robber, his gang and shoot outs with the law (who would have probably been the heroes). I can easily see why the ending of the film changed violence in Hollywood. It's not a watered down death when they die (a shot of a hand falling as someone posted) it's realistic and the only thing you see is Bonnie and Clyde doing the "scary puppet dance" and more blood with each proceeding cut. I don't know if it is as disturbing now because of how much blood there was or their body movements, but the choice made to have Bonnie and Clyde die in such a way since these were the heroes, we liked them and wanted them to live. Obviously the movie would have been less if they drove off into the sunset, instead we get a real ending with a bloodbath that I think is one of the main reasons why it is still relevant.
Shiraz Bhathena
The opening scene of Bonnie and Clyde, by far, focuses more on the European style of filmmaking. Conventional Hollywood filmmaking styles seem to be lacking completely. If the film had been made in what was considered the ‘conventional Hollywood’ way, the opening would have been completely different. There would have been a rich lavish score playing, and a still shot of a field somewhere, with this giant helvitica text scrolling up oh so slowly that probably would have started out with something like ‘There comes a time in a person’s life when they must choose between right and wrong, between helping the common citizen or fighting him for his own wealth….’ etc. But instead, the film fades into a shot of Faye Dunaway’s lips, which then cuts to her looking at herself in the mirror. In a matter of 2 seconds, the frame has told us everything we need to know about this character, about her sexual frustrations, and about her need to live dangerously.
The European ‘style’ comes into the fact that everything is done through the framing, much like the opening sequence of ‘Mon Amour, Hiroshima’ or ‘Blowup’. Although Faye’s naked body is never fully revealed, the director is able to angle his shots in such a way to at least reveal the fact that her body is nude. Whereas her dilemma of being stuck between a child and a woman would probably have been discussed between her and a minor character at this point in the film, instead, the director reveals it through two shots. One, with the character banging her bed frame silently, and second from a shot of her clutching the frame tightly as she stands, and the second being her clutching the frame as, in the corner, we see a doll, and although it is not in focus, it is evident what it is, and considering its location, probably representative of the character’s youth. The use of symbolism through framing is a technique that was apparent in 1950s melodramas, but never really used to display something as ‘risqué’ as the adult theme showed here. However, it was apparent in films such as Godard’s ‘Vivre Sa Vie’, as we see the main character dancing around the café, but also an avid fan of pinball. Although the issues are never mentioned, through the use of mise-en-scene and framing, it is all very apparent where these characters are ‘stuck’.
The success with the closing scene being considered so ‘graphic’ in Bonnie and Clyde mainly is due to the editing. There are a few quick shots of the birds, the old man, Bonnie, and then Clyde, but from then on in, there’s a small focus on parallel editing between the two main characters as they are shot to death. It cuts from one to the other as they progressively make more gruesome faces, and then are wounded repeatedly. Finally, the two characters are seen together in the frame, Bonnie in the car, Clyde on the ground. What adds to the gruesome tone of the scene is that up until that point, Bonnie and Clyde were most famously known for the newsreel, shot by an amateur five minutes after the shooting, that shows the two of them in the positions that they are in in the film after they have been shot. The audience sees this, knows that it really happened, and because the framing is so close to the framing of the newsreel when the director is showing the ‘aftermath’, the sequence comes off as more realistic. It also veers from the typical Hollywood convention in the sense that, when comparing it to its predecessor, Gun Crazy, there is no music or dialogue as the characters meet their end. Usually, up until Bonnie and Clyde, a score would be played as the characters were shot, only once or twice, and they would then fall to the floor and gasp out the name of the person closest to them. Here, out of nowhere, birds fly up, and these characters are shot over and over and over again, the gunshots being the only soundtrack heard. In a way, the audience has no choice but to be shocked, and this degree of shock is what would eventually change the way people looked at death scenes in film.
The film Bonnie and Clyde (Penn, Arthur 1967) draws influence from both Hollywood and European art cinema techniques and when looking at the opening sequence this is very apparent. In regards to Classical Hollywood, we as an audience are introduced to both main characters within the first three minutes and although their names are not given away as of yet, it is clear to anyone watching that they are the focus of the film. This is a technique used in Hollywood cinema as it sets up the story for the viewer and allows them to make a judgement on the characters from the beginning. In European art cinema, the main characters are often not introduced at first, leading viewers to pay more attention to discover who the focus is on for the entirety of the film. The beginning of the sequence, in which we see Bonnie moving around her room, is a group of short shots edited together with quick effect. This is a technique I consider to be related to European cinema, as it does not allow you to properly take in what is on screen before moving onto the next shot. To look at films by Jean-Luc Godard such as A Bout De Souffle (1959) it is clear that fast paced editing was popular within European art cinema and Penn drew on that.
I would consider the closing sequence of Bonnie and Clyde to still be as hard hitting now as it was in 1967. Despite the viewer gaining knowledge that the end is nigh for Bonnie and Clyde in a scene previous to the end, the visual experience you are put through when watching the 52 second clip is like nothing seen before. The impact had on Bonnie and Clyde from the shooting, is similar to the effect it can have on audiences; knocking you back in your seat. Previous to Bonnie and Clyde this extreme violence was not seen in Hollywood cinema and the fact that this level of violence was allowed into the mainstream without censorship was a test of how the rules of the time could be stretched.
It is of my belief that the film BONNIE AND CLYDE (1967) is extremely reminiscent of HIROSHIMA, MON AMOUR (1959) in the sense that both the opening scenes show carnal imagery. However the similarities between the films is not limited to this, and can also be seen in the very portrayal of the characters psyches within the first few minutes of film. In HIROSHIMA, MON AMOUR (1959) we see early on that the one of the characters is at odds with the other with regards to certain events, and she is in fact in conflict with reality. This in itself sets up a complex personality which may be developed later in the film.
In the same way that HIROSHIMA, MON AMOUR (1959) sets up the personalities of its characters so does BONNIE AND CLYDE (1967). The main characters’ very attitudes and oddities seem to be established early on. The violence can be seen in the very action Bonnie takes when she angrily hits the bed post for no apparent reason. Clyde’s lack of moral judgment is established in the opening sequence as he tries to steal an old woman’s car. These actions early in the film describe the way in which each character will deal with events that occur later in the film.
-Brian Shea
After watching BONNIE AND CLYDE and giving it some time to digest in my thoughts I personally feel that it is influenced by both of the filmmaking styles. However, I feel that the scene styles lean more towards the traditional Hollywood style. Aside from very first scene when Faye Dunaway is nude and obviously looking for some excitement in her life, the characters seem to keep you moving and up to par with whats going on in their lives. Right away you find out that Clyde was recently released from jail for armed robbery. Very quick backround information that you primarily don't see in the European style. On the other hand, there were numerous scenes that more than hinted at sex, something the classic Hollywood seemed to shy away from and Europeans accept as normal. The violence in this movie most definately influenced future films of this era and our own in the fact that Hollywood violence was never as gruesome. In the old westerns a cowboy would get shot and just fall, or be found near the end of there lives with fake blood on their shirts. The end scene of BONNIE AND CLYDE is horrifying especially in the comparison to the old days. This helped pave the way for scenes like when James Caan gets ambushed in his car by a dozen men with Tommy guns. -Chris Krombach 9/10
In the opening Scene of Bonnie and Clyde we experience both, Classical Hollywood and European style of Film. Like Classical Hollywood movies and what we saw in Rear Window, they introduce the main characters and tell us a little about them. It helps us get to know the characters and get a feel for if we like them or not. Within the first few minutes with no dialog we learn some things about Bonnie. We experience her moving about in her room, we see things such as her looking in her mirror with her bright red lipstick to lying on her bed. This could tell us a lot about her and her personality. Once Bonnie realizes that Clyde is outside trying to steal her mothers car she moves about her house and downstairs, this could also tell us that this isn’t her house she is living in. Is shows that she may still be living with her mother. Now that they have established and told us a little about the first main character, we learn about the second one, Clyde. We learn something huge about him the first time we see him which was him trying to steal the car. It than goes on as he tells us that he robs banks for a living and a little background about him and his life. We see the European style of film like we see in the movie Hiroshima, mon amour where we see the sexuality end of it, the naked bodies. Both of these appear in the beginning of the movie leaving us somewhat confused of what is going on or what is about to happen.
The closing scene in Bonnie and Clyde is very gruesome. We see them get shot numerous of times and the actions of their bodies are portrayed very well to keep it seem real. Compared to the old days we never saw very bloody and gory deaths like we saw here. I think as the movies styles progressed we kept on the path of the realism and the gruesome deaths we see here today. Bonnie and Clyde got us on the path to success and more of what we see today.
Kelly Grzybowski 9/11/07
As stated by the students who posted before I have posted, Bonnie and Clyde is a wonderful blend of classical Hollywood and European art cinema. As in the classical Hollywood cinema opening we are almost introduced right away to the characters the family pictures and the short biographies regarding how they or when they started to show an interest in crime. We as an audience knew that Bonnie and Clyde were going to be the main characters. European style was the fact that the main names of the actors went from white to blood red. It foreshadowed what was to come of Bonnie and Clyde. The beginning was a very sexual and almost romantic introduction into Bonnie's life. We first see her naked and laying in her bed and clearly she is distraught and upset.
For me the ending came about a half hour before the final death scene. I thought it was brilliant when Bonnie and Clyde were in their car with Gene Wilder and his girlfriend as hostages. Bonnie then asks Gene Wilder what his occupation is and Wilder responds back that he is an undertaker. As soon as he says that Bonnies face looks like as if she knows her final fate and though it was fun to rob banks and spend the money they robbed there was no way around the fact that they were going to die. In some way Gene Wilder reminded her of this. Like other students have said the death scene was almost romantic. Yes it was very violent maybe the most violent scene in a movie at that time. Even by todays standards it would still be considered violent. However it was done very romantic. The looks and expressions were as if they loved one another and always will. The death also made it hard for the audience. Almost all of us know the story of Bonnie and Clyde. History tells us how nasty and notorious they were and we were taught that they deserved to be killed, and by law they did deserve to be punished. However the director Authur Penn shows us the human side of these two criminals. The movie showed us that they are people just like us they have hopes and fears, goals, interests, they laugh at jokes. the movie to me displayed that there are always two sides to every story and the worst people sometimes do not always fit the stereotype society gives them.
After watching the opening scene from Bonnie and Clyde a second and third time, I was able to recognize a number of similarities it has with both the Classical Hollywood model, represented by “Rear Window”, as well as with the European Art Cinema model, represented by “Hiroshima, Mon Amour”. While watching the opening scene in class, I immediately had a sensation similar to the sensation I had while viewing the opening scene to “Hiroshima”. I believe the cause of this particular sensation is the camera’s movements. At certain points, there are close up shots of the main character, Bonnie. The first close up or zoom in shot is of Bonnie analyzing herself in the mirror. There is another part where Bonnie is on her bed pouting, and suddenly the camera moves in to focus on Bonnie’s eyes. This particular shot leads the viewers to have to wonder what Bonnie is thinking at that very moment. This is very similar to the opening scene to “Hiroshima” where the viewers can barely make out two figures embracing, thus making the viewers wonder what exactly is taking place. The opening scene to Bonnie and Clyde also shares a number of similarities with the Classical Hollywood model. The main character, Bonnie, is immediately introduced. Also, a bit about that character is revealed through the objects in the room, such as the doll placed on her dresser. This suggests that Bonnie is young at heart. Her attitude is also clearly shown. These two components are also present in the opening scene to “Rear Window”. The character is clearly and affectively introduced.
The end scene of Bonnie and Clyde was quite graphic, in my opinion. Knowing that during that time, violence and sex were to be avoided in films, I feel that this must have been a controversial and very powerful scene. I do feel that it is just as powerful today as it was back when it first premiered. The viewers were forced to watch the two main characters get shot repeatedly. The camera made no attempt to avoid this. It showed every single bullet penetrate Bonnie and Clyde. The one most disturbing aspect of this scene was the flailing of Bonnie’s limp body being shot repeatedly after she had clearly been killed. Overall, I do think this scene is still as affective today as it was during it’s time.
Christian Turckes
In the beginning of the movie Bonnie and Clyde, it seemed to have both the classical American style of filmmaking, and the European style of filmmaking rolled into one. The was the sexual explicitly of the European filmmaking, like there was in Hiroshima, mon amour. It also had the quick introduction and the short back story to the main characters, which is more like the classical American filmmaking style, like in Rear Window. While in my opinion this film did borrow from both film styles of filmmaking, I would have to say that it borrowed more from the classical American style of filmmaking, because they showed a lot of character development real quickly in the movie which to me, comes from that American style of filmmaking.
The ending sequence changed violence in American cinema, because that kid of thing wasn’t shown before in cinema. I think it opened up people’s minds to what real life is like, and not just what’s on the big screen in Hollywood. I want to believe that it has the same effect on today’s viewers as it did back in 1967, but I don’t think that it does, because people today want to see more and more explicit and graphic things in cinema. Not only that, since people are allowed to express themselves more freely, there really is no limit on how much violence someone can put in a movie as well.
Sebastian Juarez said...
BONNIE AND CLYDE (PENN, 1967) is influenced by both classical Hollywood and European Art cinema.
In the opening sequence, the first image on the screen is an extreme close-up of lips covered in red lipstick which we follow and as the woman’s face turns we are shown her reflection in the mirror. We follow the woman as she moves around in a small room. We get another close-up of her face now framed by two bars on the bed and then suddenly we zoom in on her eyes. The sequence goes on she gets up off the bed and is about to get dressed. Fifty-three seconds into the opening sequence we have a shot looking down from the small room’s window and notice a man dressed in 1920’s clothing standing by a car and then we quickly cut back to the woman in the room.
This sequence described above is a good example of the influence of European art cinema on BONNIE AND CLYDE. In European art cinema, they are more interested in the images than a plot. They are not in a rush to introduce us to the characters or inform us right away of the plot. It is over a minute into the film until there is any dialogue. In a classic Hollywood film we would have been introduced to the characters and would already have an idea of the plot but in this film we only have the image of the woman for the first fifty-three seconds. We assume this is Bonnie Parker because we know the name of the movie is BONNIE AND CLYDE but we are not told this until later in this opening sequence. The ambiguity of the beginning of the opening sequence is something very similar to that of many European art cinema films. It is not until about one minute and forty seconds into the opening sequence that the classical Hollywood influenced part of the film begins. We are introduced to the characters and are given information about the plot.
The fact that BONNIE AND CLYDE is influenced by European art cinema is not surprising since the writers of the script, David Newman and Robert Benton, had originally written the script with Francois Truffaut in mind to direct the film.
The final sequence in the movie changed how violence was portrayed in American motion pictures. Before BONNIE AND CLYDE people were shot and killed in American movies but the actual violence of such acts was not shown on the screen. You saw someone with a gun shoot at another person but the impact of the bullets entering their body and the blood that would result from such an impact was never shown. After BONNIE AND CLYDE violence was portrayed more realistically.
The impact of the final sequence in BONNIE AND CLYDE has lost some of its shock on today’s audiences. Since the film was shot we have seen on the evening news or the 24 hour news channels the casualties of war. First with the Viet Nam war, the first televised war, and now with the current war in Iraq. Audiences today are use to and desensitized to violence. It is on the news, in the movies, (ex. Slasher flicks), and in video games.
P. Sebastian Juarez
In regards to the similarities between Hiroshima, Mon Amor, I feel that the opening scene of Bonnie and Clyde is much more similar than that of Rear Window. Bonnie and Clyde is certainly far less abstract than Hiroshima, Mon Amour, but has not only the in your face sexuality with starting with the leading lady's evident nuidity, but there also a starkness and lacking of details more reminescent of European film making. It does, however, have much more detail revealed within the first couple of minutes than Hiroshima, Mon Amor, though not as much as Rear Window. Within a few minutes, the audience is able to identify certain characteristics about the girl and her location, though using very limited dialogue. From a cinematographer's point of view, there seemed to be a blend of both short and long shots so that neither seemed to be overused.
In terms of the violence, I think that this film was a keystone to paving the way for far bloodier films. I believe in it's time, it had a profound effect, as nothing this gresome had been seen before. This probably was resonsive to political times, as violence was becoming more prominent: Viet Nam, as well Negro Civil Rights movement, the assasination of Dr. King, and so forth. In today's society I'm not fully sure if it would have the same impact, as we have become desensitized as a culture. On one side, there are far more violent films both anatomically correct, as well as sheer gore. By today's standards, it could almost be found comedic the way they look at each other, and the continual shooting even though they are quite obviously deceased. However, if you are able to immerse yourself within the love story, you find yourself identifying with the characters, and it is then that it seems more psycologically upsetting. While you know their demise is coming, character devices such as the happiness Bonnie finds in the simplistic china doll, help draw you further in to their world, only to have you wrenched out with their slaying.
I think that this scene utilized both the European and Classic Hollywood model.
The European model in that some shots of the woman was done in extreme close-up i.e. her lips as well as her eyes. Not so much in that we can't tell what they are but it does not tell us anything about the character besides that she's a female.
The classical Hollywood because of the long tracking shots as well as quick "un-notice" edits. For instance, the tracking shot of them talking/walking towards the end of the scene. Also the quick edits of her moving around her room. There were also little to no music besides room noise to forward the scene.
The ending sequnce help transformed Hollywood in that it makes the badguys look good. Before this, one or two shot would have done the job. But this exaturated/over kill the bad guys actually (to me) turn it into a sad kill rather than (yeah the bad guys are dead kill). Also it satisfies the "Human" greed, the more you get the more you want.
It is still as effective today as it did back in 1967. To name a couple, RoboCop, when he was shot in the parking lot or to be more recent The last Samuri which ended simular to that of Bonnie and Cylde when a few Samuris were shot off their horses with a couple of machine guns.
Defne Tuzun
Xiong Koua
When it comes to the opening sequence of the film, I agree with many of my classmates in what they thought were traits of Classic Hollywood and European art cinema. As for the Classic Hollywood, like Rear Window, the setting and camera movement along Bonnie's bedroom revealed much about her without her speaking a word. From following her around her room we can see she's out of place. It's a dusty old room, with a chipped bed, and her she is, nude, showing her vulnerability with her hair and face done, standing out apart from the rest of the run down place. And somwhat similar to Hiroshima, mon amour, there is a steady shot, no tricky camera work, just us watching her as she frantically gets dressed to run down to Clyde. And like most of my classmates have said, the interaction of Bonnie being naked in front of Clyde is very European what with it being a little more risque than American films made before this.
As for the ending, I have a personal story since the question asked about the violence. The first time I saw anything from this movie was when I was just around 5 years old and saw this very scene. I didn't know who the characters were or what was going on, but I wasn't expecting what was about to happen. Before this movie I had seen other violent films, but this scared me the most because it was just so raw and sudden. After I had seen the whole movie and watching it again in class it was almost more beautiful (for lack of a better word) than terrifying. Obviously after getting to know the characters and their story you grow attatched to them and you, along with the characters know that tragedy will only happen (as shown not so subtly by Bonnie's story that was published). And although I had seen the ending prior to the rest of the film, you still don't know if its the end for them since there were a few times where they could have easily been caught or killed. They always get away, even C.W. believed Clyde could run away from anything and anyone. And the fact that they were like modern day Robin Hood's made you feel for them. So to tie up my babbling, not only was the sight itself of the two of them getting shot up was violent and effective now as it was back then, but because you grow to love them and understand them, its mentally violent (again, for lack of better words). And lastly, I think that is why it single handedly changed Hollywood showed violence; you see the gore and you see someone you like killed.
And to answer Victor:
How likely would it have been that Clyde's brother would have fell back into a life of crime with or without Clyde?
I kind of think it was inevitable because it didn't take much for him to back into that life.
Were we supposed to like Bonnie?
I don't see why we wouldn't. I believe we were supposed to relate to her in that represents that part of everyone that wants that excitement, tired of her life, and Clyde brought that out in her. Also, why wouldn't we like her? I didn't feel the filmmaker or the actress made the character dislikable.
If they had lived, would Clyde only have been able to sustain an erection after Bonnie got something published? (Sorry.)
Haha. I just like that you apologized for asking that. But to be honest, I think he would slowly be able to get more erections with every little thing she did that made him truly excited.
And was Blanche actually being "tricked" into giving Moss's name, or did she just want them caught at that point?
I think it was a little of both. Consciously, she wanted her husband to stop, but since he was dead at that point, she subconsciously let the name slip, as if in revenge.
Did Gene Wilder just decide to stop eating after Bonnie and Clyde, or was that just his baby fat?
Aw! He was cute, don't pick on him.
Did anyone predict Gene W. would be getting big roles after this film?
Yes, because I have a feeling if I hadn't known him before seeing this film I still would have thought he stole most of those scenes he was in.
Brian Cooney 9/8/07
This opening scene definitely blended Hollywood cinema style with European art cinema style. In the Hollywood sense, some of the characteristics and attitudes of Bonnie and Clyde were displayed without any narration whatsoever. We were able to see some of these things through their attire, vocabulary, and even gestures. There were also long takes in BONNIE AND CLYDE as there were in REAR WINDOW, although REAR WINDOW panned a much larger area with the camera. HIROSHIMA, MON AMOUR had many short takes with many small edits. The scene is similar to European art cinema because Bonnie is completely nude for a large period of time. This was unheard of in Hollywood at the time, while European filmmakers had been doing this for a while. The sexuality of Bonnie (still completely nude) talking to Clyde from the window is almost as extreme as the opening scene of HIROSHIMA, MON AMOUR, once again, something a regular Hollywood film would never usually allow.
The violence at the end of this film was by far unprecedented and remains the starting point that has resulted in directorial bravery through violence such as HOSTEL or SAW. For me, the final scene of this film was even more disturbing than those of HOSTEL or SAW because of the sequence of events leading to the shooting. The birds flying, followed by CW's father diving under the car, followed by the one last look Bonnie and Clyde gave each other. They both knew they were going to die and mentally gave one last "I love you" before getting blown away. The deaths themselves were disturbing mainly because of the bodies jerking around for so long and all of the unneccessary gun shot wounds they sustained. The awkward positions the bodies ended up in were also too realistic not to be shocked by. This extremely gruesome ending led the way for more intense, and in some ways exciting death scenes in film.
Joseph Balloni said...
The main focus of the opening sequence is upon character development. Because the movie lacks a concrete setting, it chooses to present the only constants throughout the film, characters Bonnie and Clyde. The film opens with a shot of red lips, Bonnie’s lips.
The shots are used to paint her as a beauty, exuding sexual appeal in her obvious lack of attire. This use of descriptive shots is common among Classical Hollywood films. Even more information heavy is the dialogue first exchanged between the two characters. Clyde is revealed as a common thief, while Bonnie is a mere diner waitress. The very descriptive shots, such as the ones in the opening sequence, are uncharacteristic of the more abstract European art cinema model; and therefore are more closely associated with Classical Hollywood.
The closing sequence, where both Bonnie and Clyde catch each other’s gaze before being shot to death under automatic fire, is a disturbing blend of video and audio. This disturbing quality is established by making their death’s so final. In the scene, neither had a chance to defend themselves, helplessly they took on bullet after bullet. To have a character helplessly die is an event that is used even today. Modern day filmmaking can allow for a more visually disturbing shot, but the fear that is instilled in the audience is universal to both time periods.
Daniel Boville
The opening sequence of Bonnie and Clyde blends both the styles of Classic Hollywood Cinema, and European Art Cinema into it. Already once the scene is over, we get a feeling of Faye Dunaway’s character. In Rear Window we get the effect as the panning of the camera as we can deduct what the character is about. The panning also uses Ms. Dunaway’s nude body as a staple of Hollywood’s sex appeal, luring the views around the room. That said, it uses the European Art cinema technique of sexuality as a main theme in the sequence. The closing sequence of the movie changed the way that Hollywood used violence essentially as a form of entertainment. Before this scene, many murders, shootings, and deaths were shown mildly for example: a single shot on a character as they flail their arms and fall over, or quick cuts back to the gunner with the smoking gun as the victim lays motionless. In this scene, it shows the gruesomeness of the bounty that was on Bonnie and Clyde. The raw death of the characters clearly stamps an ending on them in that everything that they stood for was over. The pummeling of the bullets, even after they were clearly dead, and the showing of it, opened the door to many other films to use this over dramatization to get a point across. Within all of this violence happening at once, there are quick cuts between the characters looking at once another. Assuming the inevitable they look at each other for one last time, a connection that sets a tone of romance, despite their vigilante lifestyle. Looking back, at the time the movie was made the final scene was never seen before; nowadays we see that in almost every action movie. This eventually molded Hollywood to what it is today.
The opening shot of BONNIE AND CLYDE is a single, extreme close-up of Faye Dunaway's blood-red lips. The scene continues to use unconventional composing and very expressive lighting to introduce her character. These elements are very reminiscent of the European art model of film making popular at the time, many such elements continue throughout the film. However, even in the opening (and throughout the rest of the film) the use of more traditional modes of Classical Hollywood style are present, such as seamless continuity editing. BONNIE AND CLYDE is a perfect representation of the blending of Classical Hollywood cinema with the newer European Art model for film making.
The bloody death of the two main characters at the end of BONNIE AND CLYDE portrayed violence in a way that just a few years prior to its release in 1967 would have hard to imagine. This film may have been the first to truly embrace some of the freedom given to film makers by the MPAA ratings system. The new rating system allowed films to portray scenes of more explicit violence than they ever had been able to before. BONNIE AND CLYDE'S surprising ending did just that, and in a sudden and shocking way that further accentuated the violence. While many distrubingly violent films continue to be made, the end of BONNIE AND CLYDE remains just as effective as it did in 1967 because of its swift, sudden impact.
Jordan Strand
Like many here have said, I believe that the film delves into both the European and American forms of Cinema. Like “Rear Window” (American style), “Bonnie and Clyde” introduces us to the characters of the film early on. It shows us Bonnie Parker’s frustration with small country life. Bonnie feels trapped, and the beginning scene indicates that very well when it shows her putting her face up to the bars on the bed post. I find it that part ironic, because she is soon going to be a bank robber, and the use of bars suits her character well. Then we get to know Clyde and his situation. All of this reflects the set up of the American style of filmmaking. On the other hand the European style is shown as well. I can’t help to notice that Bonnie looks a lot like Nico, the German solo singer, Velvet Underground collaborator, and art toy of 60’s artist Andy Warhol. Warhol used Nico as the stunning and beautiful symbol in the innovative rock n roll group Velvet Underground. Bonnie represents that same image often attributed to that of the European arts when it comes to sexuality. The editing of “Bonnie and Clyde” was a lot more like the European cinema. There were no long takes of Bonnie or Clyde at the beginning. And from what I hear the editing in the film was pretty revolutionary for American audiences. An example would be when Bonnie is ready to fall onto her bed. As she is beginning to fall, it jump cuts to her already coming down on her mattress. These quick edit cuts are reminiscent of the “Hiroshima” film.
Yes, the violence is nothing compared to the hard core horror porn we see in today’s atrocious line up of films. But retro violence from the 60s and 70s always seems to strike the right cord in me, personally. The violence seemed not only realistic, but very stylized. The bodies of Bonnie and Clyde contort ruthlessly as they are riddled with bullets. To me it’s still effective. Like the crucifix scene in “The Exorcist”, or Robert Shaw being eaten by a shark in “Jaws”, and Deniro’s rampage in “Taxi Driver”. Maybe it was the time period it was made in, I don’t know, but I find more effective than over top action and horror films today.
Whatever it may be, “Bonnie and Clyde” introduced the American culture to a new rebellious youth in Hollywood. James Dean was no longer edgy enough. Youth in the late 60s needed role models that battled the machine.
Jordan Strand
Like many here have said, I believe that the film delves into both the European and American forms of Cinema. Like “Rear Window” (American style), “Bonnie and Clyde” introduces us to the characters of the film early on. It shows us Bonnie Parker’s frustration with small country life. Bonnie feels trapped, and the beginning scene indicates that very well when it shows her putting her face up to the bars on the bed post. I find it that part ironic, because she is soon going to be a bank robber, and the use of bars suits her character well. Then we get to know Clyde and his situation. All of this reflects the set up of the American style of filmmaking. On the other hand the European style is shown as well. I can’t help to notice that Bonnie looks a lot like Nico, the German solo singer, Velvet Underground collaborator, and art toy of 60’s artist Andy Warhol. Warhol used Nico as the stunning and beautiful symbol in the innovative rock n roll group Velvet Underground. Bonnie represents that same image often attributed to that of the European arts when it comes to sexuality. The editing of “Bonnie and Clyde” was a lot more like the European cinema. There were no long takes of Bonnie or Clyde at the beginning. And from what I hear the editing in the film was pretty revolutionary for American audiences. An example would be when Bonnie is ready to fall onto her bed. As she is beginning to fall, it jump cuts to her already coming down on her mattress. These quick edit cuts are reminiscent of the “Hiroshima” film.
Yes, the violence is nothing compared to the hard core horror porn we see in today’s atrocious line up of films. But retro violence from the 60s and 70s always seems to strike the right cord in me, personally. The violence seemed not only realistic, but very stylized. The bodies of Bonnie and Clyde contort ruthlessly as they are riddled with bullets. To me it’s still effective. Like the crucifix scene in “The Exorcist”, or Robert Shaw being eaten by a shark in “Jaws”, and Deniro’s rampage in “Taxi Driver”. Maybe it was the time period it was made in, I don’t know, but I find more effective than over top action and horror films today.
Whatever it may be, “Bonnie and Clyde” introduced the American culture to a new rebellious youth in Hollywood. James Dean was no longer edgy enough. Youth in the late 60s needed role models that battled the machine.
Not being a film major I hope I don’t offend anyone with my lack of knowledge with concepts regarding film. From our discussion in class about European and Classic Hollywood film I think Bonnie and Clyde used both styles.
The European style is evident by the apparent nudity shown with Faye Dunaway’s character, Bonnie. The first shot of the close ups of the red lips seems to follow the European style as well. Though, not as abstract as Hiroshima, Mon Amour and the shots give us some information about the location and the time, it still shows some of the European style.
Regarding the Classic Hollywood style, like Rear Window, the camera movement along Bonnie’s room exposed much about her without any spoken word. We can see her surroundings, her mood. I also think using a big name actor, Warren Beatty, to help sell the film and make money is typical of Classic Hollywood.
The violence at the end of the film, to me, is pretty effective, even though I knew, as do most people, what was coming. There have been much more violent movies and other movies that have been more provocative, but I think this was a major step and paved the way for future movies. I agree with Joe Evrard that the ending seems to be a bit romantic, even thought the death was horrible and ugly. The look they give each other, to me, says a lot. I don’t necessarily think that everyone put them in the villain category. We “know” their story and some could sympathize with them in some way, maybe. So, I think that on some level some might have wanted their ending to have been different. Knowing what’s coming doesn’t lessen the effect. It was dramatic, effective, and well done.
My babbling is done :o)
Tara L. Vickery
The film lends more to the “Classical Hollywood” style than “Art House” but still experiments with the aesthetics of both, including preconceived notion of the choice of shots and what emotion they're supposed to evoke. On the one hand, it opens with a shot of Bonnie's teeth and proceeds to keep tight to her body, possibly revealing her sexuality, which is a direct rejection of the Haye's code, and lends more to the viewer's intrigue that is so commonly evoked in art house cinema. On the other hand, when Clyde arrives, the film is shifted to a large establishing shot showing the “Old West” and hands the viewer the setting on a platter. The dialogue is then shot according to the “180 degree rule” and proceeds on a dolly, both of which are common in Hollywood, but are more of a logical choice than anything.
The reason it was seen as revolutionary was because it was one of the first scenes to depict violence in a sort of martyr-like way. The slow motion lends to this greatly, because there is a certain power to be felt when the audience witnesses every single bullet passing through both of their bodies, almost as if it was important to note that they were human. Also, the killers are never recognized, because it is an obvious aesthetic choice to not develop their characters, and this furthers the experimentation-like tone because of the rejection of the good guy/bad guy notion. If Bonnie and Clyde were the bad guys, wouldn't the cops be the more developed characters? The effectiveness is also the same back then as it is now, because the slow motion effect has become so commonplace that to see it depict the human side of someone is refreshing.
Even in the first approximately 3 minutes of the film viewers will see the influence of the Classical Hollywood model and the European art cinema model. Yet because this movie one of the pioneering films of the New Hollywood era there are some radical differences from those film models. The first scene shows Bonnie in her room and gives the audience some background of what is going on. This shot is very Classic Hollywood except for one titanic difference, Bonnie is naked. The next scene also seems very Classical Hollywood. Bonnie and Clyde are talking and walking down the street. However, as before, the scene has an element of New Hollywood. At first glance it seems like a very stereotypical southern movie scene but then Clyde starts talking about how he was in jail for armed robbery and is bragging about it. This shift is a parallel to the way the films were shifting at the time. Starting out very clean cut in a way to becoming racy and provocative. This is true for the rest of the movie and climaxes at the end with the final shootout scene. Never before had a film ended in such a gruesome 35 seconds machinegun mow down. I believe that this scene is just as violent now as it was when it came out. One cannot get past how gruesome of a scene it is.
-Nathan Radoszewski
Kevin Stephan
9/11/07
Now the film of "Bonnie and Clyde" i believe is more classical hollwood then european art. Just because when you are shown the 1st scene, you meet Bonnie and Clyde, and you discover that clyde is a criminal. Now there are a few areas where you don't know much information. Like when you first see Bonnie and shes on the bed, you really dont know where she is, whats going on, or why she is naked. But these are the only examples of european art. Now the final gun scene, i believe is tame compared to the stuff we see in movies. Now in movies we see limbs being blown off, blood splattering all over, or even in saw 3 someone perform brain surgury. Where they show the man drilling through the skull. Back then it might be frightening, but now i think its just laughable.
In class we had discussed both Classical Hollywood Cinema and European Art Cinema. In the film Bonnie and Clyde by Arthur Penn (1967) that we viewed both of these techniques are brought out. Right away in the first few minutes of the movie both main characters are introduced to us indirectly. We were able to see and get a feel for their physical features, personalities, and characters from the start, but who they are personally is still unknown. Also, in Hiroshima, Mon Amour (1959) we see a very similar opening scene in how the characters are introduced to the viewer. This is often seen in Classical Hollywood Cinema. However, at not able to the same time the camera zooms in really close at some parts and then quickly moves to the next object. By doing this the viewer is not able to completely take in and understand what had just happened previously. This technique is often found in European Art Cinema. If you didn’t know the story before you saw the movie you would really not expect for them to be who they are and do what they did.
The end of the movie was almost ironic to me. It was like it took all of the crime and killing that they had done through their entire rebellious career and put it all back into them. Being shot a many times as they were was not at all necessary, but done more for effect and revenge as I see it. Nobody would have ever lived after even half as many gunshots as they had both endured. But for some reason the police just kept shooting. This sort of violence and killing was not really seen on the big screen and I’m sure probably made some viewers cover their eyes and rest far back in their seats. I know I did and a movie like this today would not even phase many people even close to the way it did in 1967. American Cinema had developed a new aspect of violence that would only grow from here.
The opening of Bonnie and Clyde pays homage to both Classical Hollywood style and the European art style. Like the European art it starts very sexual, it gives us close-ups, it allows us to look. We get multiple facial close-ups, there is no real dialogue, and we just take it in. The style shifts to a more Classical Hollywood style when we are shown what is to be our storyline, we are taken outside to Clyde and the car, and we see Bonnie’s view. We are to assume this is storyline, Bonnie meets Clyde. We are given that same view as we are looking outside of the apartment in Rear Window. Our character introductions are very Classical Hollywood, they state their name and purpose, and nothing is really left to wonder about. Our storyline continues as we find out Clyde was a crook, and so on.
I think the reason that this changed violence in movies is because it truly didn’t beat around the bush, it wasn’t ashamed of its violence, it was proud of it. You have these characters that you start to care for, be that in a positive or negative way, and you see them slaughtered. It isn’t just a gun and pan, you see the gun, it pans away, you hear a shot, no, you are seeing reactions and the last breathes of these characters you just spent a movie watching. I think this is still disturbing today to an extent. Usually deaths are not that dramatic, we, like I mentioned before, have the gun, pan away, hear a boom, and that’s it. I like the way Zach Goldstein put it, it was glorifying the deaths of these two, which I think made it more violent.
Marisa Marcus
The introduction to the movie Bonnie and Clyde appears to follow more of a Classical Hollywood format than a European cinema model of filmmaking. The reason why this movie appears to follow a Classical Hollywood format is mainly because of the amount of information that the audience receives immediately in the introduction. Even before the movie has even begun, the audience is aware of the movie’s main focus because of the film’s title Bonnie and Clyde. The audience is then granted biographical information of the plot’s main characters through a descriptive slide show. All this information is provided for the audience before the introductory scene even begins, and by the first scene, the audience is already well aware of the characters that are going to be portrayed in the film. As the scene progresses, the audience can gain a sense of the characters and their mannerisms simply through the visual cues. The first character the audience is introduced to is Bonnie. The audience can tell the character is immodest and disgruntled by her current lifestyle by viewing her actions within the scene. When the audience is introduced to Clyde, he is caught by Bonnie stealing a car. From this one plot development, the audience is able to gain a sense that Clyde has not removed himself completely from a life a crime, despite a previous opening statement to the contrary. As the scene progresses, the audience is able to view how the two characters connect, not just through their dialogue, but from their behavior towards each other. This informative visual stimulation is far different than the European cinema model in the movie Hiroshima, in which the film used abstract images in order to grab the audience’s attention rather than reveal crucial plot information.
Even though this introductory scene seems to have more in common with a Classical Hollywood style, this does not mean that European cinema formats didn’t have any impact on the film whatsoever. For instance, the sensuality contained in the opening scene seems to have more in common with a European cinema format than a Classic Hollywood style. While this sensuality can be contributed to characteristics within the characters, the emphasis on nudity and the provocative natures of the characters reflects the sensationalism found in a European cinema format.
The film’s opening sequence also seems to have deviated from Classic Hollywood’s concept of continuity editing, making it more similar to European cinema. Often introductory sequences in Classic Hollywood films would contain a smooth wide, expansive shot, allowing for the set and scenery to indicate visual clues before focusing on the main characters. However, in Bonnie and Clyde, the opening sequence seems to be a more of an abrupt focus on the central characters making it similar to a European cinema format. So, while plot aspects of Bonnie and Clyde seem to be predominantly influenced by a Classic Hollywood format, the film also appears to be influenced by European cinema as well.
In regards to the question of how much violence was contained in the closing scene and how it affected audience members, I believe that the impact of this violence had more of a direct relation to the plot than the actual visual brutality in itself. For instance, a video game can contain an extreme amount of graphic violence. Yet this violence, despite its shocking nature, can have no emotional effect on the viewer. However, the plot in the movie Bonnie and Clyde allows for audience members to become emotionally invested in the main characters. It seems to be this emotional investment more than the visual violence that has an impact on how the audience reacts to the main characters’ untimely death. Because of this emotional strain on the audience, this end sequence will continue to have a profound effect on modern audience members, as well as future audience members in the years to come.
The opening sequence of Bonnie and Clyde starts out feeling as if it is European cinema. There is not a major event happening as we are introduced to Bonnie, all we experience is her facial expressions. The European cinema focus is more for the emotional appeal where the viewer can make assumptions about the character. Between the quick cuts and close ups, the viewer is forced to focus their gaze upon Bonnie's appeal and just follow the sensual aspect of the scene. Where the camera zooms into her eyes and holds for a few seconds, the viewer has no choice but to contemplate her mood. Is she upset and trapped? or is she just trying to be purely sexual? Bonnie being naked appears to be a representation of her desire to be free and personal expression, making this scene to be more European oriented. As soon as Clyde shows up, the pacing of the scene becomes very classic Hollywood cinema oriented. Now we start to get the better introduction of the characters as the dialogue pursues. Also, the plot of the film kicks off with the discussion of thievery and the audience soon learns/notices the desire in both characters; each for adventure. The pacing of the edits is also slowed down, making the film seem like we are watching from an outside source and no longer in the mind of the character.
The end sequence of the film was ruthless. The viewer is expecting something to happen but the Police are not able to be seen behind the bushes. There is a lot of built up anticipation between the quick cuts of all the characters. Once the actual gun shots go off, the viewer is stunned by the duration of the scene. They do not just kill Bonnie and Clyde, they destroy them. Also, Bonnie and Clyde are portrayed as victims upon their death. The close up shots make the viewer sympathize with them as they are brutally gunned down. Once the bodies fall down, the camera stays stationary on them and forces the viewer to reflect on the brutallity. As the gunmen come out of hiding, the viewer is then faced with asking themselves, who was the bad guy? The police staged a very cowardly sting and shot from hiding. I think the scene is still as disturbing as it was 40 years ago because it is a brutal scene. It may not be gory, but the amount of bullets and built up anticipation is still shocking, especially since the whole movie made both Bonnie and Clyde likeable characters.
-Alex Brucker
The opening of Bonnie and Clyde mixes the two styles of film in a clever way. It starts with the framing of the story with pictures of what must be the childhood of both of the main characters. This is classical hollywood; setting up the story so the viewer can see into who these people are. The part with Bonnie lying nude in her bedroom with no score playing in the background and no conversation lends itself to the European art style. The only sound at first is birds chirping and her pounding her bed frame out of what seems to be frustration. There is no opening score in this scene. Also,we as an audience are not given a lot of facts about the plot, at least not as fast as what would have been the norm. I do not pretend to know very much about film, but watching this movie after listening to the lecture gave me a new perspective from which to watch. I came to think that Bonnie and Clyde seems to teeter between both Hollywood and European styles throughout, but mostly holding on to its Hollywood roots.
The final scene showed violence in a completely new way for Hollywood; a way that has been reproduced many times over since then. That fact though is not enough to lessen its highly disturbing quality. Today's culture is definitely less sensitive to violence like this than that of the 60's, but this scene still carries with it a very large punch. Even though I knew it was coming, seeing them ripped apart by those bullets was quite intense. For some reason it reminded me of the way Quentin Tarantino movies depict brutal violence. It was very "in your face" and I imagine even more controversial back then than his movies are now. If that is along the lines of a European art film I do not know, but that sure as heck wasn't what Hollywood was putting out back then. I imagine this caught on in American films because of the impact it had on the audience. People like to feel, and that is what Bonnie and Clyde made them do. The tragic end to the movie also is not stereotypical Hollywood.
Fusion, man...a trans-Atlantic cross-pollination of images and ideas. A new thing for a new time....so crazy it just might work. The vernacular of film must keep pace with the vernacular of man. Blending the smooth, epic narrative style that is the D.W. Griffith Hollywood legacy with the jumpy, impressionistic, raw emotion developed by the Europeans was a gamble. Warner Bros., according to Wikipedia, considered it such a risky venture that they gave Warren Beatty (in his first time out as producer) 40% of the gross instead of a fixed fee. "Bonnie & Clyde" took in over $70 million worldwide by 1973, so bully for Beatty on that one. The American audience, clearly, were ready for a New Thing, a more Extreme Thing...but in retrospect it always seems so gradual...that's how you do it smart! Slowly ratchet up the intensity. Why does a frog permit himself to be boiled if you raise the heat gradually? Because you've held his interest. He is being entertained! That is us and this is now and now is 1967.
Sex. We want visceral sex and the human body. But perhaps we are too shy to demand it. Artfully, carefully, inhibitions are tiptoed around. Our mind fills in the blanks watching the camera dance with a petulant, bored Faye Dunaway in those first moments. Can't go wrong with a good first impression. Even as art-film artifice blends into conventional Hollywood narrative there is now a sexual energy carried forward. We want her, for the rest of the film we want her. Perhaps more than even Clyde.
And where is that energy channeled? How American! How archetypal! To violence! To violence! They say this film was the dawn of modern American cinema, and by God, I believe them. There's a lot of hack writing about the gun as a phallic symbol so we'll skip it. Suffice it to say it would be only a year until the Beatles released "Happiness is a Warm Gun". But there it is. God Bless America. In the final frames of the film we see her body scream, we see her body dance. It is the bullets that penetrate her, and the vicarious exploit of the filmic experience is complete.
A bit crass, maybe, but what it is is a time and a place wherein America got a little bit more honest and a little bit more comfortable about the cheerful degeneracy which shapes our culture. I'm not against this...let me make that clear. Honesty is wonderful. Even at its horrible, brutal worst, it is better than the best of lies. And yes, there's a Hollywood sheen here, but one of the lenses has fallen out of our rose-colored glasses. So be it for larger-than-life movie magic. Make something more true than truth. Even the truth is made out of lies...and I'm a documentary filmmaker...I should know!
the movie BONNIE AND CLYDE (1967) tends to fall into both categories of European art film-making and Classical Hollywood. For instance the opening scene opens with a view of Bonnie standing in her room and then showing her surroundings which helps us to learn about the character without actually hearing them explain the situation. This scene relates to the movie Rear window which was a Classical Hollywood film.The introductory scene also can be related to the movie Hiroshima mon amore because Bonnies nudity and view of herself in the mirror gives her a feeling of being lost and confused much while not giving the viewer to much other information
The opening scene also depicts the European film-making aspect by introducing Bonnie's seductive and sexual attitude, which helps to introduce her role throughout the movie.
In regards to the final scene i believe that this is still an effective form though violent, it catches the viewers attention and makes them feel more involved in the scene. The final scene of the movie also involves sort of a romantic feeling when Bonnie looks at Clyde right before he gets shot and smiles, this makes the viewer feel a sense of closure and also can be incorporated with the classical Hollywood film-making because everything is shown for a reason
brennan o'lena
The opening sequence of Bonnie and Clyde is an uneven blend of both classical hollywood and european cinemas. Classical hollywood is present in the way that the viewer is introduced to the two title characters with little dialog for the first two minutes. This still however gives us the much needed introduction as to who these characters are. Bonnie is shown as a young frustrated woman (hitting the bed frame) who does not come from money judging by the appearance of her furniture and house. SHe is also eager for an adventure (portrayed by her continued interest in Clyde after he reveals his criminal past.) Then the mysterious Clyde is caught in an act that sums up his entire being (casing Bonnies mother's car). A good looking well spoken con man. European film is more predominatly present because, as other classmates have said, sexuality is huge. The mere fact that Bonnie is completely naked shows the viewer the sensuality that is to come through out the entire move. Bonnie's nudity however is quite revolutionary in American cinema at that point in time. European cinema is more present because at this time in American culture introducing a character this way was unheard of. Viewers could have done with out the initial introduction of the characters because those points were all hit on throughout the film, but the basis of sexuality is really started right away in the film, thus becoming a represenatation of European Art Cinema.
As for the final sequence of the film I do believe that it is still quite effective. These characters that the viewer has grown so close to, and truely empathized with were murdered. And at this time the imagary of their deaths was shocking. Compared to todays standards of violence, the final sequence would have been nothing( compare gangs of new york, the boondock saints.) None the less the concluding shots still remain effective in my mind for one reason. Although the violence is tragic, the final glance of Clyde to Bonnie speaks volumes. It says everything you have been waiting for them to say, ending in the death they knew would occur.
brennan o'lena
In Bonnie and Clyde I feel that the opening scene does a nice job of blending both aspects of Hollywood and European filmmaking, but overall tends to lean more towards classical Hollywood. First both of the characters are established and you're given a feeling for what each person is all about just by their opening actions. It's pretty straight forward and it's not overly "artsy". There's nothing really abstract about the angles aside from,like others have mentioned, the close-up of Bonnie's lips. This itself isn't overly abstract though, but the fact that it's an extreme close-up makes it feel unnatural because people aren't used to being that close together. In terms of the European art cinema there's the nudity. This wasn't a normal thing to see in classical Hollywood and was borrowed from the European art cinema.
The ending of Bonnie and Clyde could easily make a difference in how violence is shown in film if this was the first scene of its kind. Not only is it very violent and bloody. but it would show other people that it's possible to show this. It's opened up a whole "Pandora's box" so to speak and it's influence is still seen today in many modern movies, but this was just the start. Bonnie and Clyde is not as disturbing today as it was back then. Today there are many more violent movies where you see guts, gore, and even limbs being torn off. One example can be the Patriot. Bonnie and Clyde is very violent,but it's not nearly as disturbing as movies like the Patriot.
Tom Emmrich
The opening scene in Bonnie and Clyde takes after both Classical Hollywood and New Wave art films from Europe with its emphasis on Classic Hollywood The lack of knowledge in the scene directly after the credits places it with the uncertainty of European film, but the information gained about the internal conflict of the unknown female lead, her sexual nature and her living conditions are quite clear. During this time the cinematography and editing also does a few unorthodox things for a Classic Hollywood film such as the lack of a decent establishing shot, no score, cuts that are quite noticeable and some erratic camera motion such as the quick extreme close up on her eyes after a close up shot of her on the bed (there is no cut separating the two shots just a quick movement and zoom). From her there is a shot of a man standing next to a car, totally out of place with the other footage and at the moment absent from a definite point in time and space as related to the happenings of the woman in the room. This is solved by the next shot having the woman walk to the window and look out at the car and man. The next two minutes of film is loaded with dialogue and exposition about the nature and background of the two, as for the moment, unnamed characters. In this regard, the film really does not seem to be that out of touch with Classical Hollywood film. The briefness and ambiguity of the parts of the opening that even have anything to do with European art films and the relative clarity of the film and knowledge the audience has after this brief three minute scene do bode more for its Classical Hollywood pedigree.
The opening sequence of BONNIE AND CLYDE is influenced by classical Hollywood conventions; it references European art cinema slightly in the moment where Bonnie is hitting her bed frame, and only because the reasons for her actions and why the director chose to show them to us are not entirely clear. Nudity does not automatically make the sequence artful. The intent behind sexual images in all three films is what ultimately defines their style. There is very little difference between watching the ballerina in REAR WINDOW and seeing Bonnie naked in her room—both are examples of red-blooded Hollywood voyeurism. But in HIROSHIMA, MON AMOUR, it takes a moment for the viewer’s brain to register the image as something sexual, and one would be hard put to objectify either involved party. The image of the lovers is abstracted, and it is entirely unclear whether these are the main characters, or whether they have any relation to the story whatsoever. In REAR WINDOW and BONNIE AND CLYDE, it is obvious that we will see these women again and that they will be sexualized throughout. Perhaps the liberal use of nudity in European art cinema opened the doors for Hollywood to use the naked form in its own way, but the intent behind each ideology’s use is quite different.
The closing sequence of BONNIE AND CLYDE to me seems laughable. It is obvious that it started a new era of slow-motion graphic violence in Hollywood—and since in the last 30 years we have all seen numerous overblown slow-motion gunshot deaths, it’s just a little silly. The quick-style editing has also been used many times since, in the hopes that cramming every present character’s reaction to what is happening will sharpen the emotional blow. Out of the context of what has come afterwards, I actually like the film and its ending quite a bit. But now that you can use disturbing violence and get a cheap reaction from the audience, character development has gone by the wayside, and films rely too heavily on how much blood and twitching they can show.
The beginning of Bonnie and Clyde (1967) struck me as primarily of the Classical Hollywood style, with some European art cinema support. Similar to the Rear Window (1954), there was a lot of information made clear to the viewer before any words were even spoken. After getting all dolled up for work and testing out her seductive face in the mirror, the first thing she does is pummel the barrier beside her bed. I have to disagree with Ms. Cowell (above post) that this is a representation of European style, but more information indirectly given to us as is the Classical Hollywood style. Alone in her room, during the entirety of her preparation for work, she seems to feel trapped and discontent. She even postpones putting her clothes on to go frown out her window whereupon she finds Clyde.
Another similarity with Classical Hollywood films, and thus the Rear Window, is the classic use of the close-up. Bonnie and Clyde begins with a close up so close you can only make out Bonnie’s painted lips. Nearly immediately after, you’re exposed to Bonnie’s face’s entire reflection in the mirror. From this we determine she is a young, beautiful girl, and if you’re used to Classical Hollywood films you can come to the conclusion that she’ll be a main character.
The beginning is a little like Hiroshima, mon amour in that it starts with a naked woman without out any explanation as to why. It’s as if you were tossed into the middle of something and must construct your idea of what has been happening but clues from the present.
As for the closing sequence, I think it changed the way violence was represented in Hollywood cinema for a couple reasons. First of all, the couple’s lifestyle had turned very peaceful since their wounds were inflicted. As a viewer, I wasn’t so interested in their being punished as they had mostly given up their life of crime. They came off as happy, content, and undeserving of punishment for their previous lifestyle. Instead of the typical death while being caught red handed doing something that deserves punishment, they were punished after a peaceful trip to town.
The second reason is the obviously gory death scene. Not only was there a lot of build up and expectance for the death, but we had to watch them die for over twenty seconds. Also different was the fact that we watched the two bodies flail their limbs with mouths agape in anguish that whole period. This was one of the most appalling death scenes to the date. I know I was still disturbed today, as I would suspect the viewers were in 1967. Clyde was discreet enough to lie, facing away from the camera, on the ground while Bonnie gave a harrowing performance full of agonized facial expressions the whole time of the ambush. After all this killing the two lie, bullet riddled, on the ground or flopping out of her seat.
In reference to the openeing sequence of Bonnie and Clyde, Penn's approach is more closely related to classical Hollywood cinema, rather than the European model. The first scene is responsible for developing character. Through the style of classical cinema, Penn uses lengthy shots to tell the viewer a thing or two about Bonnie. The idea that the first couple shots are her red lips, followed by her staring into the mirror, convey things about her character, such as the fact that she is a dreamer in need of something more. This same idea is presented once again just moments later when she is seen behind the cage-like bars on her bed. She stares at them with disgust and even beats on them, which suggests that Bonnie feels like a caged bird, who is in need of escape.
The violence in the closing scene transformed Hollywood's representation of violence due to its brutality. Bonnie and Clyde was the first time a film's key characters were murdered in such an upfront and honest way, which is what made it so shocking at the time. The fact that people were seeing something they weren't used to in cinema changed the way viewers though of violence in film.
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