Ebert's GREAT MOVIES, Part 3: "Bonnie and Clyde"

Lightwizard<

You are certainly correct. The ensemble cast of "Bonnie and Clyde" is superb. Warren Beatty was certainly at his best in this film.

I never cared much for either "In the Heat of the Night" or "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?" Both films reflect the civil rights era in which they were made and are, to me, a bit preachy, too proud of their "can't we all get along" subtexts.

"The Graduate" is a classic film, too. Its treatment of its sensitive material along with the Simon and Garfunkel music still are worthy of another look.

Fortunately or unfornately, I have never seen "Dr. Doolittle." Rex Harrison made only one film as far as I'm concerned. That, of course, was "My Fair Lady" which I consider to be the most elegant of movies in spite of Audrey Hepburn's rather rusty reading of Eliza.

Joanne, Tucson was my hometown, although I had left by 1967. I loved drive-ins and the weather in Tucson was perfect for them. I wonder who of us on this thread remembers making out at the drive-in? I do.

GW, what you said about ensemble acting is what makes the difference for me in picking B&C over The Graduate, even though I loved both movies. It was seamless and so believable. Each actor was vital to the movie as a whole.

I voted for Michael J. Pollard for many of the reasons Joanne mentioned, but as I read the opinions of Estelle Parsons, her performance is coming back to me. I can remember her shrillness and whining as being almost impossible to hear without wanting to strangle her.

Both B&C and The Graduate were shocking for their time without being cheap or arbitrary. They were just excellent.

I watched again before voting. Frankly it was a hard choice. The cast taken as a whole was nearly perfect. I went with Fay Dunaway because my favorite aunt's name was Fay; although, Dunaway did a damn fine job of acting. I thought her facial expressions were very subtle, and I always like that.

I liked the misty, ethereal photography. It made you feel at times like it was all so romantic, and then again, like it was happening in another world. The Estelle Parsons part in the get-away car when Hackman was shot was nearly perfect. You can just imagine how horribly unreal it all must have seemed to her.

When I first saw the movie the get-away scene in which Clyde shot the banker who jumped on the running board of the car and the final shooting of Bonny and Clyde were so awful I was affected for some hours after the movie. Today, the shooting of the banker was pretty tame, although the killing of Bonny was still awful, it was not as awful as it seemed in 1967.

For one thing I did not sympathize with them today as completely as I did in '67. Killers are bad people, even if they have a human side.

I agree the sound track was great.

One Dunaway movie I'd like to see again is "Oaklahoma Crude" which she made with George C. Scott. It's not been available in the local video shops.

Oklahoma Crude is a fantastic movie, and i'd completely forgotten it until you mentioned it just now . . . i would like to see that again . . .

Oh my goddess Diane my daughter was born in Tucson in January 1967? I moved to Tucson in 2/66, we must have just missed each other or maybe we did not.

Ah - "Six Degrees of Seperation" :wink:

Six Degrees of Separation it is. I left in 1964, but go back evey year to see my brother.

Wow, Diane then you know about the drive-ins with the little air conditioning units.

So WH, we meet again. There are few things I enjoy more than debate with an intelligent gentleman...So once again, it's on.
In most times throughout history there have been things that needed to be addressed, or preached. I enjoyed the conflicts in both movies, and believe in the hands of lesser actors it could have been much more "preachier"., and the duels between the actors would have been less apparent.

Booman<

No need to flatter me with the word "intelligent."

Remember, I live in the part of the country where residents had (deservedly) heard enough preachings about the evils of segregation before these two films tried, once again, to preach the same message we in the South had been hearing for more than a century.

Where I live, we had the best preacher of all, the Rev. Martin Luther King, as one of our citizens. Some of us were children then, but we understood the message and prayed for harmony.

So, when Rod Steiger appears as a stereotypical Southern sheriff in "In the Heat of the Night," well, I had seen it all before. I had lived it and breathed it passionately. Thus, Steiger's Oscar-winning turn was ho-hum
to me. Harmony is what I am all about.

As for Sidney Poitier, well, he's not really among cinema's finest actors. The only thing memorable about "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?" was not Mr. Poitier. The thing best remembered about this film was that it was the last cinematic pairing of two people who ARE among cinema's finest actors, i. e. Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy.

Your turn, Booman.

Flattery, you see, gets you nowhere.

I thought "Guess Who´s Coming To Dinner" was about people getting up from their seats,wandering around a bit and sitting back down again.

Hebba<

Please think again!

I have to say that I enjoyed their reunion in "Desk Set" over "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner." In "Desk Set," the culture shock was the fear of computers taking over for human minds that drove the plot instead of the fear of a daughter marrying out of race. My favorite film with Poitier was one he wasn't in (excuse being reduntive): "Six Degrees of Seperation."

Lightwizard<

Sounds like the plot of "Desk Set" was a bit ahead of its time. I have seen this film many, many years ago -- and don't remember much about it.

I thought Kevin Bacon was the "Sixth Degree of Separation."

Will Smith played the lead, posing as Sydney Poitier's son.

An odd film I thought:it started rather weak but really took off and became quite a "think" piece.Great piece of work all in all and thoroughly captivating.

WH,
I'm a little slow because I keep expecting to get e-mail. When I think of conflicts in "Dinner", I'm thinking of the two sets of parents.
On the other matter, everyone isn't as enlightened as you. (Sorry if I'm embarrassing you :-D ) However you reminded me of a strange encounter I had a few years ago. I made a car trip to the south with my wife. I was amazed at the friendly and sincere conversation several white people engaged me in, and believe me, I can spot phoniness. It had been 20 years since I had toured the south exstenively, and it was llike a new place. Who knows, those movies might have been the final infleunce......HAH!

You can click on the upper left of the categories and you want E mail updates on anything in that category and in you profile you must check off that you want updates for topics you are involved in.

I have a friend in Ft. Lauderdale who tells me that community is very tight knit and you not only see a lack of any racism but the gays are also totally integrated into the community. Everyone just gets along with a live and let live attitude.

Booman<

Thanks for the reply.

The city in which I live is only about 48% caucasian.

Next time you're visiting the area, you and your wife stop by my house,
ring the doorbell and ask, "guess who's coming to dinner?" That way, I'll
know who you are without an introduction.

I might not have anything prepared, but the area is full of nice eateries.
Looking forward to seeing Mr. and Mrs. Booman.

Wow, we sure drifted far away from BONNIE AND CLYDE....