Bonnie and Clyde

• BandC Opening Sequence: How is cinematography used in the sequence (3) - Extreme close up of Bonnie's lips - seductive red lipstick presents sexual connotations - Mid-shot of Bonnie behind the bars of her bed connoting she is trapped - foreshadowing her life of freedom to follow - Low angle shot of Bonnie running down the stairs, already making her seem powerful
• BandC Opening Sequence: How is mise-en-scene used (2) - Bonnies costume, or lack of costume, has sexual connotations - reinforces the idea of male gaze (laura mulvey) - Clydes costume is modest - no sexual connotations - suggestive of his inability in bed
• BandC Opening Sequence: How editing is used (1) - Discontinuity editing - scenes don't entirely flow from one another with temporal overlap - used when Bonnie goes down the stairs to meet Clyde
• BandC Opening Sequence: How sound is used (1) - Sequence entirely diagetic - focusses audience attention on the two characters from the offset of the film
• BandC Opening Sequence: How performance is used (2) - Clyde is stood outside, while Bonnie is inside, refers to gender norms of women being trapped while men are free (reflection on society) - Clyde follows Bonnie, subverting gender stereotypes as as soon as they are together Bonnie is the one in control and clyde is subservient to her
• BandC Family reunion sequence: How Cinematography is used (1) - Change in camera filter in sequence - golden aesthetic - symbolising Bonnies chance to say goodbye - presents family nostalgically as if Bonnie has already died
• BandC Family reunion sequence: How Mise-En-Scene is used (2) - Everyone is wearing dark - typical of a funeral, connoting this is the final meeting they will have together - Abandoned location set - reinforces how Bonnie and Clyde are in serious danger from the police, and has led them to be isolated from even Bonnies mother
• BandC Family reunion sequence: How editing is used (1) - Discontinuity editing - allows director to portray the scene as lasting a long time (in film time) whulst only taking up little time on our screens, this is done through changing camera filter aswell
• BandC Family reunion sequence: How sound is used (1) - There is no non-diagetic sound, suggests Bonnie is savouring every last minute with her family, as they will soon be gone, just like te music
• BandC Family reunion sequence: How performance is used (1) - Fay Dunaway's performance as Bonnie captures the sorrow she feels for her parents as her daughter adopted a life of crime - however she lacks regret as she is doing something exhilarating , everyday
• Who purchased the script for Bonnie and Clyde - Warren Beaty (the star)
• 2 Points about Bonnie and Clyde's aesthetic (2) - Art House inspiration from the french new wave - Influenced by the counter culture of the 60's
• What new technologies did Arthur Penn optimise in Bonnie and Clyde (2) - Steadicam technology - Squib technology
• Themes in Bonnie and Clyde (7) - Fame, legacy, authority, society, morality, public opinion and crime
• Representations in Bonnie and clyde (3) - Bonnie and clyde represent the young rebellious counter culture of the 60's - Clyde is demasculinised and the film presents the drive for equality during the second wave feminism movement - Sex and class
• Who are the auteurs of Bonnie and Clyde (5) - Warren beaty - Arthur Penn - Jack Warner - Newton and Benton (Script writers) and truffaut - Dede Allen (editor)
• How is Bonnie and Clyde attributed to an art house/ French New Wave aesthetic - truffaut added the Ballad of Bonnie and clyde sequence, which included fragmenting techniques like jump cuts
• What song was used for the soundtrack/ sound motif in bonnie and clyde - Bluegrass
• What is the equilibrium in Bonnie and clyde The life of crime was living prior to Bonnie/ or Bonnie's life prior to clyde
• When is the disequilibrium of Bonnie and Clyde (2) - Virtually right at the start when Bonnie meets clude - Or the bank robbery sequence - first robbery together
• What is the new equilibrium in Bonnie and Clyde Their death - like Vivre Sa Vie
• How does Bonnie and Clyde nod to the polarisation of politics at the time - its appeal to anti-authority, representation of the police as the enemies
• End Sequence: Cinematography (2) - Dark colours and low key lighting portrays death as saddening despite them being criminals - Close up of Bonnies eyes before final shot reverse shot is a parallel to the opening, Penn is making us think about why we a sympathising with two people who should be the enemies
• End Sequence: Mise-En-Scene (2) - Bullet Hit Squibs covers bonnies dress with blood, emphasising the shock to the audience as this level of blood technology was new - Birds flying from the bushes draws audiences attnetion to the bushes as we wait with anticipation
• End Sequence: Editing (2) - Slow motion prolongs their death - Overlapping discontinuity editing alose prolongs their death by showing it multiple times, would shock the audience as we are forced to feel sorry for the characters as if they have been betrayed
• End Sequence: Sound (2) - Chirping birds and rustling foley audio creates suspicion as we know whats about to happen (they are obviously historical characters) - Silence after the gunshots allows audience to digest whats happened before the credits - leaves them in a state of shock
• End Sequence: Performance (2) - violent death of Bonnie and clyde revolutionises the film industries portrayal of graphic violence - vietnam war being televised portrayed how stupid it was to shield violence from films - Arthur Penn's portrayal of death changed the way films are perceived globally
• What are the institutional contexts of bonnie and clyde (3) - Studio system - Hays code scrapped in 1968 - 1970's the conglomerates started to buy struggling studios
• Describe the studio system in terms of the institutional contexts of bonnie and clyde (3) - Shot on location, example of the power shift from studio to director during the decline of the studio system - Paramount decree in 1948, downfall of the studio system as it stopped vertical integration, stating the studio system of the big 6 was a oligopoly - Seven year contract system ended, they became free to choose their roles and control their image
• Describe the hays code scrapped in 1968 in terms of the institutional contexts of bonnie and clyde (2) - Declined due to the development of television technology, new channels displayed footage of the vietnam war, which wasnt censored, leading to hollywood looking childish in comparison to TV as it was avoiding reality - Bonnie and clyde was released in 1967, hays code ended in 1968, bonnie and clyde triggered the final fall of the hays code, being considered the most violent film of the decade and becoming the first ever X rated film
• Describe the new hollywood conglomerates starting to buy struggling studios in terms of the institutional contexts of bonnie and clyde - Major studios began renting their equipment to hollywood directors, and conglomerates studios began to buy struggling studios
• Describe the historical contexts of bonnie and clyde (4) - New tech like steadicam, handheld camera and zoom lenses - Polarisation of politics at the time, nods to the social unrest through an appeal to anti-authority, the new hollywood films are politically charged with liberal attitudes to sex and drugs - Counter culture movements like the hippy movement and the summer of love, as well as JFK assassination contributing to political turmoil, presented in the film through penns aligning of spectator with anti authoritarian figures - Vietnam war, and the conscription of poorer, predominantly bl...
• Describe how historical contexts shape bonnie and clyde (2) - Narrative alignment to bonnie and clyde, anti-authroritarian figures, influenced by the counter culture movement and vietnam war - Bonnie is sexualised, but is extremely prevalent in driving the story, maybe shaped by the early origins of second wave feminism
• Describe the elements of arthur penn as an auteur (3) - Arthur penns characteristics - Arthur penns auteurship in bonnie and clyde - How arthur penn may or may not be considered an auteur
• Describe the characteristics of arthur penn as an auteur in terms of arthur penn as an auteur (2) - Arthur penn reworks additional genre forms throughout which he explores the history of the united states, he has a fascination with anti-heroes - His techniques include on location shooting and small production teams, with a nod to references to french new wave
• Describe arthur penns auteurship in bonnie and clyde in terms of arthur penn as an auteur (2) - The film is characteristic of the themes evident throughout his films focussing on two outsiders who are anti-authoritarian - The ending of bonnie and clyde demonstrates how violence guarentees bonnie and clyde both liberation but also brings about their demise
• Describe how arthur penn may or may not be credited as an auteur in terms of arthur penn as an auteur (3) - The fall of the restrictions of classical hollywood and hays code in 1968 provided liberation to the studio system and allowed penn to display his auteurial techniques like on location shooting - However warren beaty purchased the script, hired penn, casted and led the film, making him more of an auteur, newton and benton wrote the script and asked truffaut to edit it, adding the ballad of bonnie and clyde, suggesting the french new wave inspiration may not of been sourced entirely from ...