Aaron King

Professor Gentry

COM 120

27 April 2021

Examining Bonnie and Clyde’s Innovative Nature

Introduction

Bonnie and Clyde, directed by Arthur Penn, is an important film in more ways than one -

primarily because it’s an excellent film and secondly because of its influence on the New

Hollywood movement. The film uses various cinematic techniques to its advantage to display

innovation in content and storytelling, and the result is a film that essentially broke ground on an

entire filmmaking movement (Rafferty). Let’s now delve into the techniques used by Penn, and

then we’ll synthesize those components to understand this film and its role in the movement.

Cinematography & Mise-en-scene

Cinematography & mise-en-scene are used to communicate sexual appeal between

Bonnie and Clyde in the film’s “Coke” scene. The scene occurs towards the very beginning of

the film when the two characters are just getting to know each other. As they each drink from a

Coca-Cola bottle, we see a shot of an obscured Clyde in the foreground with the focus on Bonnie

in the background, drinking the coke. Bonnie’s attraction to Clyde is visualized here - Clyde’s

presence in the frame reminds the audience what, or rather who, Bonnie is directing her focus

towards. The bottle (a component of the mise-en-scene) also helps communicate Bonnie’s

attraction to Clyde, as she attempts to visually seduce Clyde using the bottle as an aid. That

visual is effective in communicating her sexual desires to the audience.

In the ensuing shots, we see Bonnie’s excitement at the sight and touch of Clyde’s gun in

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a shot-countershot exchange - we see Bonnie’s face light up, then the gun, then Bonnie’s face

again, looking aroused. We then see her touch the gun (held by Clyde) in an arousing manner.

The gun (a part of the mise-en-scene) is symbolic of Clyde’s penis because we can see in

Bonnie’s expression that she is aroused by the gun as she slowly moves her fingers over it. The

use of the Coke bottle and the gun serve as symbols that represent taboo (at least for the time)

sexual concepts. Finally, the closeness of the shots creates a more sensual feeling to the scene,

which in turn also displays the sexual theme of the film.

Editing

In the final scene, editing is used to convey the narrative as well as the main characters’

connection in their violent final moments. After Clyde pulls the car over to help Ivan Moss, we

see Ivan look away to an oncoming car, and then we see each character observe the birds flying

overhead. After this, there is a cut where we see Ivan look at the bushes - we know that Ivan is

planning to betray the couple, and we now know that those bushes are now going to be important

in fulfilling that betrayal.

Then, we see a series of short close-up shots - we see Moss dive under the car, letting us

know that he knows there is danger coming. Then, we see shots of the two protagonists, each

quickly realizing what’s about to happen and then communicating their love through their facial

expressions in a series of quick cuts between each partner’s faces - no dialogue is needed.

Finally, we see the spraying of bullets that decimate the pair, which is an awfully ambitious

inclusion of gore for the time (a feature of several New Hollywood films).

These quick cuts between shots communicate Bonnie and Clyde’s passion for each other

as they realize their fate. We don't need to hear the dialogue because they don’t have any time to

talk. Secondly, the camera has already expressed that emotion for us through the imaginative use

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of quick cuts - in those last moments, the smiles of the two lovers are shown in quick succession,

letting us know of their love before the inevitable occurs.

Sound

Several times in the film, a soundtrack of a banjo being played is used as the protagonists

attempt to evade the law. This soundtrack not only adds to the verisimilitude of the film but also

adds an element of irony. For example, let’s recall the scene in which the Barrow gang evade two

police cars after a bank robbery and drive past the border to Oklahoma. The group has just

committed a serious and damaging criminal act (armed robbery), and Clyde has shot a security

guard. Now, they are attempting to evade policemen who are simply doing their jobs. And the

musical component is... an uplifting and almost comedic banjo tune? It seems that the instrument

is being used ironically.

To me, banjo music reflects the feelings of the Barrow gang - they don’t perceive the

danger they have caused nor the repercussions that they face. They feel comically invincible, and

the banjo serves as an auditory reinforcement of that. Why that type of music, though? Why not

use another instrument? Well, banjo music also projects verisimilitude - we know that this music

was popular in this place and at this time, so it seems appropriate on the surface level until we, as

an audience, unpack the ironic undertone that it expresses. The use of banjo music ironically

displays the perceived invincibility of the Barrow gang.

What was the New Hollywood Movement?

Before we examine how these technical elements come together, we first need to explore

the context of Bonnie and Clyde within the New Hollywood movement. Television had emerged

in the 1950s, which provided a similar experience to audiences at a lower opportunity cost.

Around the time of this film, the Hollywood status quo was no longer the attention-drawing,

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money-making machine it once was. Big-budget films floundered, and studios were on their

heels (Jordan).

At this point, young, globally aware filmmakers saw opportunities to disrupt a broken

system and reinvent Hollywood - a “new Hollywood”, if you will (Dargis). These independent

and creative-minded filmmakers (Arthur Penn among them) focused on making lower-budget

films that appealed to audiences in new and unique ways. These films, Bonnie and Clyde

specifically, eventually earned critical acclaim and made huge amounts of money at the box

office, which surprised the traditional powers-that-be of Hollywood.

Common aspects that applied to many New Hollywood films were morally ambiguous

messages, increased attention to sex and violence, and independent directors that had much more

decision-making power than in previous decades (Saporito).

Synthesis

Why was Bonnie and Clyde considered a landmark film in its importance to the

movement? Well, one aspect is that the film had many characteristics and themes that came to

define New Hollywood. The film showcased two attractive, charismatic antiheroes (a component

of mise-en-scene) whose moral ambiguity made the story a bit harder to fit into a traditional

storyline - a characteristic of New Hollywood films. Additionally, the film dedicated energy to

exploring taboo topics through innovative new ways (Saporito). Look at the popular films of

Hollywood’s Golden Age - you won’t find sex and violence discussed, represented, or

showcased in many of them (if any).

While the film didn’t openly showcase sex, it did use cinematography and mise-en-scene

to represent sexual desire on behalf of Bonnie in a technically unique matter. The scene with the

Coke and gun playfully demonstrated a much raunchier topic in a way that hadn’t been done

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before. And, in the cases where the two characters were engaged physically, Penn had the camera

turn away from the main point of action, leaving the audience uninvolved in the engagement

while still keen on what was happening. At the time, that was simply uncharted territory for a

Hollywood film.

Similarly, the film embraced violence in a way that few movies had beforehand. The two

main characters practically thrived off violence, and the final scene(s) of the movie ended with

their bloody demise.

Lastly, the film embraced innovative techniques of communicating themes to the

audience. The ironic use of banjo music wasn’t what an audience would expect, but it showcased

the perspective of the main characters as they rambled down country roads, zooming away from

justice. And, again, the use of mise-en-scene and cinematography to communicate sexual

symbols and desires is certainly creative. The use of editing (instead of simple dialogue) in the

protagonists’ last moments to quickly communicate their love for each other was brilliant - a less

ambitious director certainly wouldn’t have come up with such an impressive final product.

In short, Bonnie and Clyde is a film that broke ground - it pushed the boundaries of

various filmmaking techniques to areas that American audiences hadn’t experienced, commented

on topics that were considered “off-limits”, and caused a shockwave to ripple through

Hollywood’s big studios with its (eventual) huge profits and critical acclaim.

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Works Cited

Dargis, Manohla. “'60s Hollywood: Power Shifted (or Did It?).” The New York Times, The New
York Times, 12 Nov. 2010, www.nytimes.com/2010/11/14/movies/14dargis.html.

Jordan, Sarah. “The New Perspectives in the American New Wave.” Facets Blog, Facets, 23
Apr. 2018,
facets.org/blog/exclusive/lists/essentials/the-new-perspectives-in-the-american-new-wav
e/.

Rafferty, Terrence. “The American Revolution.” Director’s Guild of America, 2011,

www.dga.org/Craft/DGAQ/All-Articles/1102-Summer-2011/New-Hollywood.aspx.

Saporito, Jeff. “The Filmmaker's Handbook: What Was the New Hollywood Movement?” The
Take, The Take, 1 June 2020,
the-take.com/read/the-filmmakeras-handbook-what-was-the-new-hollywood-movement.

Penn, Arthur, director. Bonnie and Clyde. Warner Bros. Pictures, 1967.

Appendix
Original Scene

Picture Audio

Extreme wide shot of a local Ambience, with the sound of

grocer (Name: JONES GROCERY) on a the car pulling up and
street corner in a small town. stopping.
Flat fields can be seen in the
distance. We see a car pull up
and stop on the side of the
street in front of the bank.

Cut to a shot of the car (viewed Ambience

from the dashboard - eye level
with characters) with Bonnie in
the passenger seat and Clyde in
the driver seat. Bonnie looks at
Clyde, and after a beat Clyde
looks back at Bonnie.

Cut to a shot of the glove Ambience - sound of glove

compartment - there is a gun compartment opening
inside of it as it is being
opened by Bonnie.

Cut to a shot of the inside of Whistling of the grocer. A

the grocery - we see a door opening and footsteps can
30-year-old white male grocer be heard very quietly. Sound

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(from waist to head, standing in of the gun cocking.
an aisle) restocking some
products for about 15 seconds -
(after 10 seconds, camera starts
to move in closer) and then we
see a gun (along with Clyde’s
hand) enter the frame. Gun cocks
and the grocer steadily puts his
hands up. He is frightened
somewhat, but stoic.

Same shot - We hear Clyde say We hear Clyde say “I’m not
“I’m not going to hurt you. going to hurt you. Follow my
Follow my directions.” We then directions. Go empty the cash
see the owner nod slowly. The register” Footsteps down the
camera then follows the owner aisle.
(he is facing the camera) as he
walks down the aisle (waist-up)
so that the camera is moving
backwards.

Cut to outside the store, where Ambience

we see the opposite angle we
just saw - the camera is outside
the storefront window, and you
can see the grocer and Clyde
walking down the aisle from
Clyde’s back. This is
essentially Bonnie’s POV. (about
2-3 seconds long)

Cut to Bonnie, who is leaning on Ambience

the car and viewing the
situation. (we can see her
entire body in this shot.) She
has turned the “OPEN” sign on
the door to the grocery to
“CLOSED” offscreen. (about 2-3
seconds long)

Cut to a close up of the money Sound of money being counted

inside the cash register being quickly - Ambience. When we
taken out by a hand (Grocer’s see Clyde’s face, he says
hand). Camera pans to the gun “Perfect. You’re almost done”.
being held by Clyde (standing a
few feet away), and then up to
Clyde’s face, and then pans back
to the grocer’s stoic face.

Same shot we see the grocer’s Sound of the grocer kicking

expression change right after he Clyde in his groin, and the

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finishes taking the money out of sound of Clyde’s grunt.
the register. His entire body
pivots towards Clyde. It’s a
labored expression.

Cut to a medium shot of Clyde We hear Clyde mumble “Shit!”

wincing and losing his balance
for a moment. He still has the
gun in his hand, but he is
clearly winded. (1 sec)

Cut back to a medium shot of the Gunshot, and the “umph” of the
grocer (eye-level), still at the grocer as he falls backwards.
register, as he reaches under
the counter swiftly and pulls
out a handgun. As he turns back
to Clyde to shoot him, we see
the grocer’s shoulder pierced by
a bullet and he stumbles
backwards, presumably alive but
clearly too weak to get up.

Cut to a close shot of Bonnie as Ambience

she initially reacts to the
sound of the gunshots. (1 sec
long)

Cut to a close shot of Clyde We hear the grocer’s labored

(low-angle shot) as he briefly breathing - he is clearly in
looks down at the grocer, gun pain.
pointed down at him. The gun can
be seen in the lower right
corner of the screen.

Cut to a very close shot of the Labored breathing is now more

grocer’s face, now clearly audible and present.
frightened. The camera pans to
his left (closest to the grocery
counter) and zooms out just a
small bit, and we see a rotary
phone placed down (by Clyde) so
that the man can call first
responders.

Cut to a medium shot of Clyde, We hear faint dialing noises

who raises up after setting down of the grocer as he moves to
the phone, grabs the money on call the authorities, and then
the counter, backs up, and then finally connects
the camera pans to follow Clyde
as we see him rush out of the
store. The grocer is offscreen.

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Same shot - the camera stays
there, looking out at the
storefront from behind the
counter (eye-level), and we see
Clyde get into the passenger
seat of the car, and we see the
car exit the frame. The camera
remains still for a beat. The
grocer is still offscreen this
entire time.
The grocer’s call is answered,
and he begins to describe his
situation (what happened,
where he is, and his injuries)
through labored breathing.
After the car exits, the last
dialogue we hear is the grocer
saying “Please hurry.”