Bonnie & Clyde Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.0

Bonnie & Clyde Blu-ray Movie Review

Revitalized for modern audiences.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman January 28, 2014

Hollywood sure does love to pick up the pieces of history and reshape them into the entertainment image of the day. Doing so with a marketable name and building off of previous filmed endeavors? Even better. Enter the Bonnie & Clyde miniseries, a nearly no-lose proposition for studios itching to rediscover a hot commodity. This one's got it all, including young, pretty faces in the lead; plenty of violence and gunplay; a bit of sex appeal; interesting themes on fame, fortune, and fate; cultural awareness; and historical notoriety both in history textbooks and cinema itself. Yet it fails to really capture the imagination for the duration. Director Bruce Beresford's film, which was simultaneously broadcast across the entire family of A&E networks, is a hit-or-miss affair that shows flashes of greatness but plays too slowly to open and too methodically in its middle stretch. A home run finale isn't quite enough to completely satisfy, but the film's deeper exploration of its characters and its expanded insight into who these people are beyond the obvious help to mask the surrounding shortcomings and give shape to an imperfect yet watchable and mostly enjoyable film that, in the aggregate, won't supersede the above-linked Warren Beatty/Faye Dunaway picture but that does present a fair little modern spin on one of the most infamous duos of the 20th century.

Cruisin' for a bloody bruisin'.

Clyde Barrow (Emile Hirsch) first laid eyes on Bonnie Parker (Holliday Grainger) at her wedding. Even then, he knew she would one day be his. When her marriage goes sour, Clyde comes-a-calling. The two hit it off immediately, but Clyde is arrested in a speakeasy bust and held on charges for his complicity in a small-time theft. Bonnie, who longs to be a celebrity, helps Clyde escape from jail. The two form an inseparable bond of companionship, love, and crime. As their crimes grow ever more daring, their notoriety soars not simply on the jobs they work but through the headlines and stories written by a zealous journalist named P.J. Lane (Elizabeth Reaser). Meanwhile, a former Texas Ranger named Frank Hamer (William Hurt) accepts the challenge to come out of retirement and hunt down the elusive criminal duo at all costs.

Bonnie & Clyde's first half feels slow, painfully slow at times, but it builds a critical narrative support element not only for the blood and bullets action to follow but the personalities that drive that action. Ideas of individual destiny, an unquenchable desire for more fame and fortune, and a basic drive to find increased success in an endeavor, even an illegal and immoral endeavor, all play critical roles in the story's development. To be sure, the early characterization is narratively iffy in delivery but certainly not iffy in terms of relevance to the greater plot and the themes that run through the film. The picture makes use of every last little bit of historical wiggle room available to it as it paints the picture of small-time people who make it big for all the wrong reasons, as their name recognition surges, the crimes become ever more daring and bloody, and the law's hunt for them intensifies. The picture does a commendable job of taking viewers through that progression, which can be a drag while saddled with unimaginative scenes and dialogue, but the net effect is positive as the film finds deeper character arcs beyond the common knowledge and encyclopedia entry texts with which most viewers will already be familiar.

So familiar is the story of Bonnie and Clyde that the film has the unenviable challenge of holding its audience's attention even when the outcome is a foregone conclusion, forever linked to the two names, an indelible part of the American lexicon and history. The picture commendably maintains a fair pace and interest level in its second half, not just going through the hunter/hunted progression but making use of the character development from the first half in pushing the story to its conclusion. The picture creates a palpable sense of dread surrounding the inevitable, painting its characters as guilty parties and victims both, guilty of their crimes but victims of what might be thought of as overzealous, cold-blooded comeuppance. Indeed, there's a certain sadness to it, not in the fact that a few violent bank robbers met their just punishment but in how unforgivingly and violently they met that end. Deeper than that is a looming sadness along the trail of physical and emotional hurt Bonnie and Clyde leave behind. It's a story that spans coincidence and destiny and sometimes blurs the line between right and wrong but sometimes also makes it perfectly clear. Bruce Beresford's direction captures that balance with a spirited reproduction of both the overreaching story themes and the finer character nuances that shape it. More, Actors Emile Hirsch and Holliday Grainger fall effortlessly into part, bringing something beyond the basics to the characters, having fun with the parts but also exposing the inner person beyond the name and the barrel of a gun.

Bonnie & Clyde Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Bonnie & Clyde's rather glossy and ultra-clean digitally photographed 1080p transfer looks nice, but it also doesn't feel right for the material. The throwback period picture lacks even a hint of grit or texture; the smoothness almost betrays the content's heart and soul, but that's modern moviemaking. Digression aside, the material does look good for what it is, technically stable and seemingly true to filmmaker intent. Details are well defined throughout, whether rough brick work, worn wood, or close-ups of well-used everyday objects like a safe and rotary telephone. Image clarity is superb, and the sharpness and Blu-ray resolution allow the transfer to reveal even the finest skin and clothing lines. Colors are even and vibrant, from bright red lipstick to sunlit natural greens. Black levels are deep and skin textures natural. The image suffers from no excess bouts of banding or blockiness, though a bit of noise does creep into a few scenes. Despite some reservations with the digital shoot, the end product looks great on a technical level.

Bonnie & Clyde Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Bonnie & Clyde features the Sony-standard DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack, and as usual, it's a good one. The nearly three-hour listen features a variety of elements that put the sound system through its paces, from big music to heavy gunfire. Musical delivery is smooth and precise. Some of the older period tunes come across as ever-so-slightly muddled, but that only adds to a sense of classic nostalgia. Clarity is otherwise strong and placement is even across the front with an appropriate surround support. Some of the more aggressive musical cues feature robust, well-defined, and even bass. Environmental ambient effects carry the mood nicely throughout the film. None are over-pronounced and they ensure a naturally enveloping experience. Gunfire represents the primary action element. It explodes through the listening area with incredible authority, punching out heavy, natural shots, whether big .30-06 fire from a BAR, .45s from Colt 1911 pistols, or the lesser report of police revolvers. Dialogue is true and naturally placed in the front-center portion of the soundstage. This is a rock-solid soundtrack from top to bottom, one that suits the material well.

Bonnie & Clyde Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Bonnie & Clyde contains all of its supplements on disc two.

• Iconography: The Story of Bonnie & Clyde (HD, 15:30): A general overview piece in which cast and crew analyze the story and myth of Bonnie & Clyde, the backdrop of the depression and misinformation, the public's ability to identify with them, recreating the period cars and costumes, weapons used in the film, filming the climax, and more.
• Becoming Bonnie (HD, 10:34): A detailed look at Holliday Grainger's casting and performance. It follows her preparations for the part, character details, and more.
• Becoming Clyde (HD, 5:37): This supplement, similar to the above, features a look at Emile Hirsch's casting and portrayal of the iconic character.
• A Legendary Story Revisited (HD, 16:05): A look at the film's goal of fleshing out the origins story of the historic criminal duo, the writing process, maintaining an air of truth but taking liberties with it, playing on themes of predetermination and destiny, Bonnie's desire to find fame, plot specifics, family portrayals, and more.
• UV Digital Copy.

Bonnie & Clyde Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Bonnie & Clyde might feel a bit overly glossed up and sensationalized, but it's a solid, albeit overlong, miniseries effort that recreates its period well and its characters better. Despite taking some admitted liberties with its history, the filmmakers paint a rather vivid portrait of an infamous crime spree that didn't end pretty for any of the lawbreakers and didn't sit well with some in the public. The picture captures an air of sadness throughout that fully materializes near the end. Before then, it's occasionally unimaginative in structure and presentation but nicely acted and solidly assembled on the other side of the camera, too. Sony's Blu-ray release of Bonnie & Clyde features solid video and audio. Several fair supplements appear on a dedicated extras disc. Definitely worth a rental, and fans can buy with confidence.