Comparative Hollywood Flashcards
Bonnie and Clyde - Social Context
. Shifts in social attitudes in the 60s with youth mainly
. Anti-war protests bc of Vietnam
. Deference to govt. began to reduce
. Attitudes to sex relaxed: intro of birth control pill
. A new ratings system overseen by The Motion Association of America which Hollywood still uses today was intro’d so young people could see it
Bonnie and Clyde - First scene 1
. First shot: CU Bonnie’s lips as she applies lipstick
. Mocking Citizen Kane ‘Rosebud’ - anti establishment
. Unconventional - not establishing - French new wave
. Turns to mirror, unsatisfied with life
. Naked: firm + confident w sexuality.
. She’s dominant: permissive 60s + French new wave
. Mirror: identity - Penn’s interest in presenting lives of the marginalised/impoverished by depression
B + C - First Scene 2
. B leaves mirror, throws herself on to bed: restless
. Her face behind bars of bed: imprisoned
. Beats the bars: anger - Depression era 1930s
. Shabby mise-en-scene: poverty of Depression
. Sympathetic criminal + outsider - Penn’s intention
. Critique of govt: anti-establishment values of 60s
B + C - Cola bottle scene
. CU Clyde drinking
. B looking up at C - CU show intimacy, mutual desire
. CU B running lips around phallic coke bottle + looking at C, heavy lids + smiling
. CU on C’s gun as he takes it out, crotch level
. B looks down, mouth open, eyes wide - euphemistic
. C’s sexual insecurity: guns to compensate
. B feels barrel of gun: frank sexual image
. Subversive: twin themes of sex + violence
. Permissive 60s
B + C - We Rob Banks
. Farmer: non-professional actor, authentic
. New Hollywood cast unknown/new actors for realism
. Repossessed farm: anti-govt, sympathy for farmer
. New Hollywood: political message, dissatisfied w govt due to Vietnam war, rising activism in 60s
. LS farmer’s family: dressed shabbily, belongings tied w string, run down car
. Poverty of Depression - look at cam desperately
. More than 15mil unemployed during Depression
B + C - We Rob Banks
. C doesn’t shoot farmer, subversive, shoots govt sign
. Shakes hand w farmer + Davis: kind, empathetic
. C lets farmer + D shoot at the property
. B+C defend undervalued in society - anti heroes
. Davis is African American, both treated equal
. Sympathetic B + C, apologetic, MS on their faces
. Civil Rights activism of 1960s+
. Penn links 20s + 60s: growing lack of deference to govt ‘we rob bank’ = we’re on your side
B + C - Second Robbery
. B as getaway driver: confident, staring ahead
. C is nervous: babbles + fidgets, sympathy
. Humanises C - he’s not as professional as he thinks
. C moves quickly, waving gun around, bank teller isn’t scared of him: comedy + sympathy
. POV shot: C looking, cam pans up + down - empty
. C frustrated: criminal prowess > sexual proficiency
. Silence as bank teller goes out, tells B bank is closed - comedy, farcical nature of silent films, she laughs
B + C - Last Robbery
. Establishing shot: bustling town centre, witnesses
. B + C go in together - Moss is getaway driver
. B + C are calm, professional
. Tension builds: we cut from Moss to B + C and again
. B + C come out, can’t find car - panic
. Siren wails, CU on car - panic, claustrophobia
. C shoots bank teller: weapon + man in same shot, first time in a film according to Penn, permissive 60s
. Morally grey heroes: murder + sympathetic
B + C - Robbery when C is attacked
. C softly asking for foodstuffs - moral ambiguity
. Points gun upwards, minimises threat
. Align w working class, grocer vs bank
. Shopkeeper attacks C: jump cuts, shaky cam, threat
. Shopkeeper physically dominates C but he doesn’t use his gun, “I didn’t wanna hurt him”
. Gun just for show, only attacks in defense - appeals to audience against Vietnam war
B + C - cinema scene
. Just shot + killed someone
. B engrossed in film: Gold Diggers of 1933
. CU on Moss: brow furrowed, sweating
. CU on Clyde: fidgets
. B chastises C + M, doesn’t appreciate danger
. “We’re in the money” song, women dressed wealthy, large cardboard cut outs of coins: 20s vs 30s
. B escapism: film + life of crime
. MS after: B looking in mirror, identity, fame + fortune
. Doesn’t care about crime: morality change
B + C - poem
. B’s voice reading poem in car with rain then reading it from newspaper in field
. B has mythologised C: fame in harsh Depression era
. Gained fame through crime, only way to be paid attention to as lower class citizens
. Infamy achieved - B knows they’ll be blamed for any crime that happens now
. Poor r ignored + undervalued in society
. Gained autonomy denied to so many in this time
B + C - final scene: before shoot out
. B + C in car: discussing Moss, the future, foreshadow
. Broken glasses: reminder of murder
. Go to help Moss’s dad who betrayed them - tragic
. Low angle swish pan of flock of birds from bush where law enforcement are hiding: freedom
. MCU on B + C separately looking up, can’t be free
. CU on B + C looking at each other as they realise: conveys all the passion + love they have for each other
B + C - final scene: shoot out
. Extremely fast shoot out, 1 cam at 100 shots a sec
. Slow mo draws out pain + brutality
. Normal speed: visual assault, disorientating
. High angles of C on floor, low angles of B in car
. Rag doll effect: bodies still shaking after death
. Haunting silence as shooting stops
. Long high angle two shot: B + C’s bodies, lingering
. Both characters in white: purity, innocence
. Romantic anti-establishment heroes
Effect of final scene in Bonnie and Clyde
. Changed how violence was depicted in films
. Shockingly brutal + violent, harrowing
. Paved the way for more liberal US The Motion Picture Association of America ratings guidelines released a year after B + C
. Messy violence: not neat or sanitised
. Inspired the Godfather, Scarface, Queen and Slim
. 1960s: lack of deference to govt, protests for civil rights, anti-war, women’s rights
. Appeals to audience sick of Vietnam war, realistic depiction of violence as would be seen on the news
Arthur Penn
. Morally grey heroes: sympathy with outsiders
. Represents lives of marginalised - Little Big Man
. Dignity given to undervalued in society
. Challenges American myths: anti-establishment Zeitgeist of era
. Corrupt + cowardly law enforcement - hiding in the bush, don’t try to take B + C away quietly
. American Dream challenged in Depression context
. Sympathetic criminals: no option but crime
. General Custer in Little Big Man: corrupt wealthy
