"Bonnie and Clyde" and the Pressures of Censorship Film Review by scribbler

"Bonnie and Clyde" and the Pressures of Censorship
An analysis of the morality of the film "Bonnie and Clyde" directed by Arthur Penn.
# 153018 | 994 words | 6 sources | MLA | 2013 | US
Published on May 01, 2013 in History (U.S. The 1930's - Great Depression) , Film (Analysis, Criticism, Etc.) , History (U.S. Baby Boom Years 1945-1965)


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Description:

The paper relates that the violence and glamorization of murderous bank robbers in the film "Bonnie and Clyde" caused some to clamor for censorship when it was released. The paper then relates that the film may not be strictly historically accurate, and it de-emphasizes the seasoned, criminal nature of both protagonists, however, the film's advocates argued that like all great cinema, it reflected how many people felt during the Depression Era. The paper asserts that the film ultimately seems to be more of an amoral than an immoral film, and most critics today rave about the film because of the film-making skill and the quality of the acting.

From the Paper:

"Although Bonnie and Clyde do despicable things on screen, the film also suggests that the Depression, an era in which so many people were desperate and oppressed by an uncaring system, partially drove the couple do act as they did. In the film, Clyde deliberately crafts an image as a bank robber "who is avenging poverty itself" and stealing from the rich because he is poor (Dicks 2001, p.3). To those who advocated the film's censure, critics contended its lauding of anti-hero robbers was no different from the 'first' Robin Hood film--a film that was allowed in old Hollywood, when the Hays Code was still in force.
"The real Bonnie and Clyde did become folk heroes. The film allows the audience's sympathy to drift in the couple's favor at times, particularly when they are at their funniest and show the most bravado. This is in clear violation of the Code, but the filmmakers argued it was not immoral because it was an accurate reflection of how the real Bonnie and Clyde were seen by the American public. For example, reflecting the foreclosures sweeping the nation, "while demonstrating his accurate aim during target practice, he [Clyde] shoots bottles off a wooden fence above a sign reading 'Property of MIDLOTHIAN CITIZENS BANK - TRESPASSERS WILL BE PROSECUTED'" (Dicks 2001, p.1)."

Sample of Sources Used:

  • "A Brief History of Film Censorship." National Coalition to End Censorship. November 20,2010. http://www.ncac.org/issues/film_censorship.cfm
  • Bonnie and Clyde. Directed by Arthur Penn. 1967.
  • Bonnie and Clyde. "Trivia." IMDB. November 20, 2010.http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0061418/trivia
  • Dirks, Tim. Bonnie and Clyde (1967). AMC.November 20, 2010. http://www.filmsite.org/bonn.html
  • Ebert, Roger. Bonnie and Clyde. The Chicago Sun Times. August 3, 1998.November 20, 2010. http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19980803/REVIEWS08/401010306/1023

Cite this Film Review:

APA Format

"Bonnie and Clyde" and the Pressures of Censorship (2013, May 01) Retrieved March 29, 2023, from https://www.academon.com/film-review/bonnie-and-clyde-and-the-pressures-of-censorship-153018/

MLA Format

""Bonnie and Clyde" and the Pressures of Censorship" 01 May 2013. Web. 29 March. 2023. <https://www.academon.com/film-review/bonnie-and-clyde-and-the-pressures-of-censorship-153018/>

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