Analysis of Bonnie and Clyde

This movie was very unique in the way it was edited because it combined the traditional Hollywood continuity style along with the European "cut and paste" techniques. At times when the movie was slow paced (usually for plot development or speaking roles), the shots were longer and focused on a specific point in time. When the movie picked up speed, however, (as in the chase scenes) the editing became quick and choppy. This unique combination of editing styles really made the movie stand out and also made it feel like a roller coaster with several ups and downs.

The biggest scene that stuck out to me was the chase scene into Oklahoma. This scene take place just after the Barrow gang robs a bank and are being pursued by the law. Most of the following shots are only two to four seconds long. As soon as the scene starts, a banjo begins to play an upbeat song called "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" which is an upbeat song with a fast tempo that is perfect for the chase scene that is about to ensue. The first couple scenes are cut to show the gang then the police officers in the same place as where the gang was with the gang now in the distance. The first scene shows the Barrows pulling away from the bank and then quickly cuts to the same shot of the bank except with the police now rounding the corner and with the Barrows much further down the road than they were in the previous shot. The next shot shows the Barrow gang swerving down a dirt road. They quickly drive by the camera and before the dust made by their car even settles, it cuts to the next shot of the the law in the exact same spot from the exact same angle. This effect is used to bridge the gap of time that actually passes between the two cars. It also makes the chase scene more intense because the police seem to be much closer than they actually are.

The next shot shows a farmer standing near a fence as the Barrow gang races by. Then the shot changes to the inside of the gangs car to show the chaos amidst the Barrows. The shot then quickly returns to the road from the same angle as before and shows the police driving by in the same spot. This happens again with the second police car and then jumps to the front of the Barrow gangs car. It then switches to a shot of the road and the mile markers in front of them and then again switches to the police behind them, shooting. This sequence gives a somewhat skewed view of what is actually happening and causes some confusion. The next shot is a re-establishing shot that shows all three cars driving through a field. This shot gives a better perspective of the chase as it is actually happening not as it is edited together. From here it cuts to a close up of the police car with the cops firing their guns and then quickly cuts back to the re-establishing shot. The Barrow gang's car then drives closer to the camera and slides off screen. At this point, the music stops as the scene cuts back to the bank where a security guard is being interviewed about the robbery that just occurred. As soon as he is finished speaking, the music starts back up and the scene then cuts to him getting his picture taken and then back to the chase. This time, however, the cuts are even faster than before. There is a slew of cuts lasting only about a second changing back and forth from the Barrow gang's car, to the police cars, to the inside of the Barrow gang's car, to close-ups of the different cars, and back to the inside again. This shows the chaotic nature of the chase and the interior car shots show the reactions of the gang to the law's attempt at stopping them.

There are too many other shots to go into detail in this blog analysis, but you get the idea of how this movie was edited. There are several more re-establishing shots before the scene is through and there are a couple more returns to the citizens at the bank. Eventually, they make it across the border into Oklahoma. This method of editing makes the viewer really have to pay attention to little details as the shots quickly go by. It is very easy to loose track of what is going on because very few of the shots in the chase scene follow a strict continuity. Overall, I loved the combination of these two styles of editing because it added so much more to the character of the film itself. The editing also helped make the movie humorous because the quick cuts made the characters snappy quotes seem even funnier. The editing used was definitely unique. This film seemed to break the rules of both Hollywood continuity and Hollywood storytelling of not sympathizing with the "bad guys."