Bonnie and Clyde: Criminal or Anti-Heroes?

The notorious Bonnie and Clyde were no doubt criminals who robbed banks, killed people, and ran from the police when they were wanted by many during the 1960’s, but they were also anti-heroes, which is a factor we sometimes rarely think about when thinking of the dynamic duo. When director Arthur Penn made this film, he redefined what it meant in America to be a hero and showed us that our main protagonists were criminals, but yet he showed us how to sympathize with them. In order to gain our sympathy Penn had to avoid depicting our main characters as ruthless, heartless killers. Of course Bonnie and Clyde did kill others throughout the film, but they had their reasons for doing it, it wasn’t just out of pleasure or for fun. In scenes where Bonnie and Clyde would shoot other policeman, it was for their own good because they didn’t want to get caught, it wasn’t for fun. Penn was able to add a sense of emotion to the scenes in order to help us realize that the killings weren’t pleasurable or done in order to be amusing.
    The trick to the anti-hero that also causes us to sympathize with them is they always possess an underlying pathos, sadness, or suffering that can sometimes conflict with their lives and the paths that they are on or get in their way somehow. In Bonnie Parker’s case, we see that she misses her mother and family and the way that her life used to be, and she enjoys being with Clyde but wants to go back and visit her family. In Clyde Barrow’s case, we see that he cannot have an intimate relationship and doesn’t particularly know how and tells Bonnie that he “ain’t no loverboy”. When we see these deep and sad sides to Bonnie and Clyde, we sympathize with them because in many ways they struggle with emotional problems in their lives just as other human beings do.

    Despite the couple’s crimes, Bonnie and Clyde are still sometimes seen as heroic figures because of the strength that they have to push on, and because even when they are on the run, they do not break under pressure, they stay strong. Bonnie and Clyde are in it for the money, but they don’t particularly want to hurt others along the way. They want to get away with getting the money from the banks and getting out as fast as possible, without causing other problems or harm to society.