Bonnie & Clyde vs Gun Crazy PDF

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Week 4 Discussion Question: Which of the two crime couples do you find more sympathetic? Bart and Laurie, or Bonnie and Clyde? (In other words, which couple do you think is more likeable or attractive?) Explain why. HINT: As you're pondering this question and your response think about the reasons for this. How would the characters' construction reflect the surrounding social context in which the films were made (the 1950s vs. the 1960s)? What was going on in these eras that would cause the filmmakers and viewers to see crime and criminals differently?

After watching Arthur Penn’s “Bonnie & Clyde” and Lewis’ “Gun Crazy”, I have concluded that Bonnie and Clyde are the more likeable and easier to Sympathise with.

Right from the start, Penn’s movie shows us that Bonnie is just a regular woman, working a regular job as a waitress. Once she is given the offer to become Clyde’s partner, she is easily swayed. Being set in The Great Depression, it is not far fetched to say that most people would resort to crime to provide for themselves. Even after attempting to rob a small grocery store, Clyde insists that he’s not a killer, and he’s just trying to get by. As we advance through the film, Penn’s choice to make Bonnie and Clyde as “human” as possible is clearly seen. The two constantly show their love for one another, and make family of great importance. Bonnie even goes to the extent of arranging a picnic with her mother, just so they could catch up. By including this aspect, Penn makes it very easy for casual viewers to relate.

On the other hand, Joseph H. Lewis’ “Gun Crazy” just seems too good to be true. It starts off with Bart Tare, the main character, being sent to a reform school. After he returns, he gets a job at the carnival, where he happens to meet his crime partner, Laurie. They end up having an attraction to each other, and continue on with a life of crime, only to both die in the end. Overall, it is much harder for viewers to sympathize or relate to this plotline. It just feels too forced. For example, Laurie gives Bart the choice to commit to a life of crime or she will leave him. Given the context that this is a crime movie, it’s almost too easy to predict that he will stay with her.

Bonnie and Clyde was a revolutionary movie in Hollywood. It revitalized a dying movie business. Given the great casting combined with a spectacular script, it is not hard to see why so many people love this movie.

After viewing Bonnie and Clyde, directed by Arthur Penn, and Gun Crazy, directed by Joseph H. Lewis, I came to the conclusion that the couple, Bonnie and Clyde, are more like able. Bonnie and Clyde are perfect examples of the revisionist gangster – fighting against the powers that be. In my opinion, these two characters share some characteristics with Sally from the film Cabaret – they are all rugged, rebellious, and simply do not care what others think. Bonnie and Clyde were revolutionists, with a certain spirit of liberation that tried to shake up the system, and they were revered for it. Also, Bonnie and Clyde may represent the rebel that lives within all of us – they indulge in behaviors that we can only dream of doing. They are the “bad boy and bad girl” that receive fame, power and reverence. For example, when both Bonnie and Clyde shoot at the bank mortgage sign, the poor farmer, who has been destroyed by the system and the powers that be, follows their lead and shoots out the windows. The farmer then smiles. In my opinion, this signifies the legend of Bonnie and Clyde, as leaders and heroes for the oppressed. Bonnie and Clyde both inspire those who are equally oppressed. Furthermore, when Bonnie and Clyde are injured, the refugees choose to try to heal them; they are not turned in, but sheltered. Although they are fugitives and are constantly evading the law, nobody chooses to turn them in because they are heroes for the oppressed. I believe that oppressed have a sense of admiration for Bonnie and Clyde. Throughout the film Gun Crazy, directed by Joseph H. Lewis, we see the idea of the classical gangster. The villain is agent of oppression – he is only working for his own benefit, to reach the top, and gain all the money and the power possible. In my opinion, the classical gangster longs to be a part of the established – he wants to own and control society, and desires to fit in with the “whites”. 20th century filmmakers did an excellent job of portraying the classical gangster, such as Tony Montana, who is Cuban, and consistently longs for money, power and women. Bart is someone who, in my opinion, is tough to admire. The bookend sequence shown at the beginning and end of Gun Crazy is a good example of why Bart and Laurie aren’t true heroes – Bart is never able to escape the idea of law and order. To add, the beginning of the film is dark and gloomy, and Bart falls into a puddle – signifying his impending downfall. Bart starts the film by being entrapped by the system, and the film ends the same way. Furthermore, in both scenes, the camera is set below the cops – we “look up” to them, but “look down” at Bart and Laurie. Laurie and Bart are both required to “bow down” to the law. Bart and Laurier consistently destroy the social order. Another reason why I do not sympathize with Bart and Laurie is because of the actions of Bart at the end of the film. Bart shoots down Laurie, which shows me that their love was never true – Laurie forced Bart into becoming the villain that he was. Laurie is a “Femme Vitale” – she is cold, not into marriage or motherhood, and does not submit to the supposed power of men. She seduced him into being that way, but truly, I believe that Bart’s life could have went way differently if Laurie was never involved – Laurie could never nurture and love another human. In my opinion, it is possible that Bonnie and Clyde shared a true love and connection for each other, while Laurie and Bart did not. The ending scene contrasts Bonnie and Clyde, as both Bonnie and Clyde are massacred by the Texas Ranger – and set up by Clyde’s dad. Bonnie and Clyde both stick together until their eventual impending downfall – they do not turn their back on each other. However, Clyde’s dad gives his position (hideout) away to the Texas Ranger who ambushes them, and brutally murders them. This is the most important scene in the movie, in my opinion. This scene showed the audience that the people in power are unlikable, and do not always make the best decisions. Bonnie and Clyde are not only murdered, they are brutally murdered, symbolizing the terrible treatment of the oppressed by the "higher ups". Bonnie and Clyde were a better symbol of rebellion than Bart and Laurie. The social context is crucial to the development of these films. Bonnie and Clyde had to be a controversial film because the movie business was dying. Star actors/actresses were free agents, and cinema was becoming much politicized. The usage of squibs (fake blood packets) and loud, booming gunshots captivated the attention of the baby boomers, the most lucrative target audience available. This movie provided a brand of entertainment that was not available on your simple TV set (there was plenty of censorship on TV), but was explicit, risky and dangerous. New wave movements, such as the birth control pill (introduced in the 60s), lead to greater sexual freedom

among teens – a greater sense of rebellion. These movements, along with other protests against the American Government, were demonstrated within film, such as the movie, Bonnie and Clyde. In addition to this, although I sympathize with Bonnie and Clyde, it can be said that all four main characters are trying to live out the American Dream to a certain extent. The crime film’s version of the American Dream is rough and a winding road, so to speak. Immigration was used to find freedom, and the gangsters/criminals in these films did not start from the bottom up, but tried to force their way through the system. However, in the end, it is obvious that crime does not pay, as the downfall of all four of our characters is displayed....