FILM PICK OF THE WEEK
There have been several film versions of the story of notorious 1930s real-life criminals Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow – the most famous and acclaimed of which is Arthur Penn’s 1967 stylish star vehicle for Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway.
Much lauded at the time, it was a movie that was definitely on the side of the two lovers who were depicted, as they were regarded by many at the time, as Robin Hood-style folk heroes, robbing from the rich. That was not quite the true story – they were violent criminals, who actually robbed from ordinary people struggling to make a living during the Great Depression – most of the robberies took place at stores and gas stations. And they were prepared to kill anyone who got in their way – their crime spree across the central and southern United States left at least 13 people dead, including several police officers.
This 2019 drama, made by Netflix, is a kind of corrective to Penn’s version. Here the focus is on the two men who finally brought Bonnie and Clyde and the Barrow Gang to book. Kevin Costner and Woody Harrelson play the two retired lawmen – who eventually tracked down Bonnie and Clyde and the Barrow Gang. Ageing former Texas Rangers Frank Hamer and Maney Gault are brought out of retirement when it becomes clear to Texas governor Miriam “Ma” Ferguson (Kathy Bates) that the FBI are being outwitted by the criminal couple.
Director John Lee Hancock keeps the pace leisurely, another contrast to the frenetic action of the Penn movie, and points up the fact that Bonnie and Clyde were the film stars – or perhaps social media influencers – of their time. Young people followed them around, wore the same kind of outfits that they wore and admired their notoriety.
In many ways this is an old-fashioned road movie, with long periods of Costner and Harrelson bickering in their Model T Ford, against the backdrop of John Schwartman’s luminous cinematography beautifully capturing the landscapes they are driving through, but their charisma carries it off. There is a great chemistry between them and some nice banter about ageing. Hamer and Gault are well past their prime but they are dogged, wise and experienced, all of which means that they are actually much better equipped to track down Parker and Barrow than their flashy young FBI counterparts.