Synopsis

During the Great Depression, restless waitress Bonnie Parker meets ex-convict Clyde Barrow and joins him on a crime spree across the American South. Their small gang robs banks, steals cars, and attracts publicity while evading the law. As Bonnie and Clyde become folk heroes, their romance and growing notoriety lead them toward an unavoidable and violent confrontation.

Factoids & Trivia

• The screenplay began as a lengthy treatment written by David Newman and Robert Benton, who drew inspiration from the French New Wave filmmakers Jean-Luc Godard and Francois Truffaut.

• The production was filmed on location in Texas and at Warner Bros.' Burbank studio between October 4, 1966, and January 1, 1967.

• The film's graphic depiction of gunfire and death was unusually explicit for mainstream American cinema at the time. Its style helped make it a landmark of the emerging New Hollywood movement.

• Initial critical reaction was sharply divided. The film's reputation improved substantially after its release, and a later Time magazine cover helped present it as a symbol of changing American cinema.

• The film received 10 Academy Award nominations and won for Best Supporting Actress and Best Cinematography.

• The historical portrayal of Texas Ranger Frank Hamer was controversial. Hamer's widow and son sued the filmmakers for defamation, and the case ended in an out-of-court settlement in 1971.

• The movie helped establish slow motion, rapid editing, and stylized violence as influential tools in American crime films.

• It was initially expected to perform modestly but became a major commercial success and one of the most influential American films of the 1960s.