Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Bonnie and Clyde: America's Robin Hood Couple


In the film the couple and their gang are stealing from the banks because the banks are doing the community wrong. We see this when we meet the first farmer that has lost his home to the bank. Clyde tell him, “We rob banks” as he shoots at the foreclosure sign, then offers the gun to the farmer to take his turn. The farmers are pleased with Bonnie and Clyde for taking money from the banks. This is especially evident in the scene where they are robbing the bank, and Clyde asks the farmer if the money on the counter is his or the banks, when the farmer replies that it is his, he tells him to keep it and go. When the farmer is interviewed by the press, he says that the Barrow gang did right by him, and he would even take his wife to Clyde’s funeral. Even though the gang isn’t giving the money they take to poor farmers directly, we feel as if their taking it from the bank is basically the same thing.

The audience is asked to sympathize with the gang on several occasions. We feel sorry for the gang when they get chased out of their dwellings. We especially feel sorry for Bonnie after her conversation with her mother, where she is basically disowned. As the mother tells Clyde that if they ever try to settle down near her, she will make sure that they are taken into custody, we feel sorry and can understand why Bonnie must continue to do what she is doing because there is nothing left for her to go back to. I felt a little pain at the end when we know that they are about to be ambushed. It appeared as if they had finally found love, and were ready to move on, but when they pull off to help CW’s dad, you know something bad is going to happen.  However with the death each victim our sympathy is tested. How can we feel for these people that are killing others, even if it is to save their own lives?

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