Bonnie and Clyde (1967)

When Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway exploded onto the American screen in 1967’s ‘Bonnie and Clyde’, I was 15years old and took an afternoon to go see them at what I thought was their best. Sitting in that movie, I became an advocate for the “bad guys”. I was held spellbound by Warren’s beauty and Faye’s boldness, especially when she announced to actor, Michael J. Pollard’s, character that, “We rob banks”, I thought how cool and bold it was for a woman to be able to say that as easily as if she were stating that they sang in the church choir. It was their job, pure and simple and they sought a driver. In addition to all the activity and stimuli the movie provided, I was enthralled by Faye’s wardrobe, I’d never seen women’s clothes like that in a movie. Faye managed to be glamorous in very functional clothing, mostly low-heeled shoes; had to do lots of running in her business, pencil & flared skirts and casual tops, unstructured/unencumbered suits and berets. I thought it the ultimate wardrobe.
I particularly favoured the photo of Faye with one foot on a car’s bumper, pistol in hand and cigar in her mouth. I actually found a photo of the real Bonnie in a similar pose. I’ll never forget how the characters looked at one another right before they were taken down in a torrent of bullets; history tells of 27 bullets shot through Clyde alone.