Bonnie and Clyde

While perusing Instapundit this morning, I noted that the director of the
movie "Bonnie and Clyde"- Arthur Penn- has died. This piqued my
curiousity, so I started researching the movie and the Barrow gang and
decided to write a little about it.

I saw this movie in the theater when it first came out. I was pretty
young at the time. What I remembered most about it was the way
it ended. The final scene with the ambush and massacre of the
couple was something that can be said to be unforgettable.

I have owned the DVD for maybe a year or so. I have become familiar
with it. Now I have begun to study it a bit.

After researching the gang and watching the movie, I have made some
observations. First of all, the movie is sympathetic toward Bonnie and
Clyde. The movie comes close to depicting them as a modern day
Robin Hood and his Merry Men. To be fair, it doesn't quite go that
far, but it does allow this possibility to creep into one's conscience
should one allow it. I suppose one could sympathize a bit with
Clyde's sexual hangups, but this seems inappropriate in this story.

For example, the lawmen who pursue them tend to be more cruel
and unfair than they are. Take the scene with Frank Hamer, the
Texas Ranger who pursued them to the end. They captured him, but
let him go. Even though they were merciful toward him, the mercy
wasn't reciprocated. Hamer comes off looking like a vengeful killer
who is worse than the Barrow Gang. Hamer gives them no chance
in this movie even though the Barrow Gang spared him when he was
at their mercy.

The lawmen are often the target of an unsympathetic portrayal. At
times, they are shown to be cowardly. For instance, in one scene,
they refuse to pursue the gang into another state. In another case,
the lawmen embellish their own stories in order to make themselves
look good to the public. And in addition to being cruel, the Hamer
shown in this portrayal is quite devious. He tricks Blanche into
giving him C.W. Moss's name. He does this while she is blind and
has just lost her husband in a shootout.

Not only is the movie unsympathetic to the lawmen, it is also critical
of society itself. Blanche is seen as hypocritical and weak, yet wants
to share in the loot. She just happens to be a minister's daughter. So,
the movie is taking a shot at Christianity it would seem. Aside from
Chritianity, it takes a shot at capitalism. After all, it is okay to shoot
up a house that the bank has taken away from the farmer who once
worked it for years. The Barrow Gang is just sticking up for the
little guy.

The movie is rated highly for its cultural importance. But by who?
Who would knock capitalism, Chritianity, and the law? Of
course, I am referring to the modern day left. But should anyone
be listening to these people with an uncritical frame of mind?