COMP 1A: Bonnie and Clyde overview

Question 1

What year was the film “Bonnie and Clyde” released?

Answer 1

1967

Question 2

Who directed “Bonnie and Clyde”?

Answer 2

Arthur Penn

Question 3

Which two Academy Awards did “Bonnie and Clyde” win?

Answer 3

Best Supporting Actress and Best Cinematography

Question 4

What era of Hollywood does “Bonnie and Clyde” belong to?

Answer 4

New Hollywood era

Question 5

What song by Earl Scruggs & Lester Flatt is used in the film to keep the tone light during crime scenes?

Answer 5

Foggy Mountain Breakdown

Question 6

What controversial topics does “Bonnie and Clyde” address that were uncommon in Hollywood films of that era?

Answer 6

Sex and violence

Question 7

Which film technique inspired by French New Wave directors is used in “Bonnie and Clyde”?

Answer 7

Jump cuts

Question 8

What is the significance of the use of black in the scene where Bonnie meets her mother for the last time?

Answer 8

It creates a funereal tone and foreshadows the death of the protagonists.

Question 9

What historical context influenced the anti-authority message of “Bonnie and Clyde”?

Answer 9

Social unrest in America during the 1960s, including the Vietnam War and civil rights movements.

Question 10

What type of shot is used in the opening scene to sexualize Bonnie and suggest the film will explore her identity?

Answer 10

Extreme close-ups of Bonnie’s lips and eyes

Question 11

What is the significance of the lack of music in the robbery scenes?

Answer 11

It lends a sense of realism.

Question 12

What does the use of loud and explosive gunfire in the closing scene emphasize?

Answer 12

The excesses of Frank Hamer’s (authority) attack on Bonnie and Clyde

Question 13

How does the film challenge gender norms of the era it is set in?

Answer 13

Bonnie starts the film trapped inside the home, while Clyde is seen out in the world, but the rest of the film challenges these roles.

Question 14

What taboo subjects does the film address through the characters of Bonnie and Clyde?

Answer 14

Bonnie initiates intimacy and oral sex is alluded to, while Clyde’s impotence challenges stereotypes of the masculine virile hero.

Question 15

How do Bonnie and Clyde support the working classes in the film?

Answer 15

They encourage the evicted Otis Harris to shoot at the bank sign and let a man in the bank robbery keep his own money.

Question 16

Which Japanese film inspired the closing scene of “Bonnie and Clyde”?

Answer 16

Seven Samurai by Akira Kurosawa

Question 17

What historical events and social movements influenced the film’s anti-authority message?

Answer 17

The Vietnam War, civil rights movements, and the counterculture of the late 1960s.

Question 18

What was the impact of the MPAA ratings system on the production of films like “Bonnie and Clyde”?

Answer 18

It encouraged independent studios to tackle more taboo subjects and experiment with new filmmaking techniques.

Question 19

What did Arthur Penn say about Hollywood at the time of making “Bonnie and Clyde”?

Answer 19

“It wasn’t just that we were sick of the system. At that point, the system was sick of itself.

Question 20

Which French New Wave directors influenced the film “Bonnie and Clyde”?

Answer 20

Jean-Luc Godard and François Truffaut

Question 21

What theme is explored through the contrast between façade and reality in the film?

Answer 21

The theme of façade vs. reality is explored, exemplified by the line “Your advertising is just dandy.”

Question 22

What significant change in the film industry occurred in 1968?

Answer 22

The Hays Code was scrapped in favor of a new ratings system

Question 23

Which two films are credited with introducing the summer blockbuster era?

Answer 23

Jaws (1975) and Star Wars (1977)

Question 24

What new home video technologies did studios invest in during the New Hollywood era?

Answer 24

Cable TV, VHS, and Beta

Question 25

What was a notable flop that marked the end of the studio epic era?

Answer 25

Cleopatra (1963)

Question 26

What are some stylistic features of the New Hollywood era?

Answer 26

Low budget, director-driven, on-location shooting, influence of European New Wave aesthetics, Stanislavskian acting style, realist character-driven narratives, anti-authoritarian themes, liberal attitudes to sex and drugs, and politically charged content.

Question 27

What change in actor contracts occurred during the New Hollywood era?

Answer 27

Actors were no longer bound by 7-year contracts and had more control over their roles and image.

Question 28

What was the economic state of Hollywood studios during the New Hollywood era?

Answer 28

Hollywood studios were in decline and willing to take fewer financial risks.