Bonnie And Clyde Editing Analysis

"Editing and Bonnie and Clyde"
Immediately in the film Bonnie and Clyde, director Arthur Penn uses editing to l;et the viewer know that the film will be moving at a rapid tempo. As photographs quickly flash across the introduction, it lets the viewer know that the action will be fast paced.
Throughout Bonnie and Clyde the use of editing does indeed glamourize the criminal activity of the Barrow gang, and is also used to recruit the viewer to the Barrow’s side. This begins early as the rollicking banjo music that is played during getaway scenes is almost cartoon like, in which the hero always escapes. In contrast to traditional chase scene music; this banjo picking lets the viewer know that these are just kids “out having some fun”. Another

scene where editing is used is the scene in which the couple steals their first car. As they pull away, Penn shows us a shot of FDR, clearly drawing lines between rebellion and authority.
As I watched this film, I took “editing” notes along the way.

There were many notes, and some were even relevant. I won’t list all of them, but here are some of Penn’s editing that led the audience into certain ways of thinking and feeling. There was the long shot of C.W parking the car on the empty street; we just knew that this was a bad idea. Then Penn shows C.W tapping his fingers; you just know the boy is getting nervous. There is the obvious challenge to authority when Penn shows us a close-up of the bullet-riddled foreclosure sign. There is also a two-shot in which we see Clyde’s sympathy for his first shooting victim, whereas in the same shot, Bonnie looks quite cool and collected. Shortly afterward, Penn uses a close-up to show the victim lying in a hospital bed and positively identifying the robbers; this lets the viewer know that the manhunt is about to begin.
One excellent use of editing is when we see our first graphically violent scene, as Clyde commits his first murder. The reverse shot of the man clinging to the car, and then getting shot in the face was very effective. After the robbery, as the trio is sitting in the theater, Penn uses close-up shots of each character to portray their frame of mind. Bonnie is clearly focused on “we’re in the money”, whereas Clyde is worried about the impending murder charges, and C.W is showing his nervousness and regret by sweating

bullets.
Other uses of editing include how Penn portrays Blanch as akin to the very authority that the Barrow gang detested. She is a preacher’s daughter, and Penn shows us that Bonnie has a clear dislike of this new distraction. This distrust of authority is a main element. From the “should have minded his own business” grocery delivery boy, to Frank Hammer, and finally Ivan Moss, Penn is masterful at letting the audiences know not to trust certain types; authority and elders.
I guess that you could say that the film romanticized criminal activity in a “romantic tragedy” type of way. Penn never attempts to conceal the downside of the Barrow gang’s exploits. Living in the woods and small trailer parks while people shoot at you every few days is not my idea of romance. Even Bonnie understood this when in her poem she finished with “it’s death for Bonnie and Clyde”. However, the bond between Bonnie and Clyde was apparent throughout the film. Romance is evident in the fact that they laughed together, shared intimate moments, shared danger, and ultimately died together