Bonnie and Clyde

This film came out in 1967 and was directed by Arthur Penn. It stars Warren Beatty, Faye Dunaway and Gene Hackman.

I had seen this movie before the viewing today in class. However, I would never have realized its French New wave roots if not for today. It was interesting to learn that they had wanted Truffault to direct the film. It was also interesting what affect Warren Beatty had on the film. That this was one of the first times a big star was a producer, and that he helped get the movie a second showing.

It was very interesting how they discussed sex, and impotence. It was neat how a few years earlier, none of that would have been allowed in a film. The idea of a gun being a fallic symbol is nothing new, yet one can really notice it in this film. When Clyde first shows Bonnie his gun, she gets turned on. After he robs the store and the drive away, Bonnie is filled with sexual energy and tries to seduce him. This is the first time we see that Clyde is not interested in sex like many men.

Also interesting is the thought that Beatty was able to see past all of this and decide to gamble on this role. For someone who was an famous bachelor and used his sex appeal to his advantage, playing an impotent theif could have done him more harm than good.

A woman in class said, that every time she sees this film it is like seeing it for the first time. I have to agree. I have seen this film before, but watching it through new, open eyes was an exciting and memorable way to end the semester.

The Story of Adele H.

This film was made by Francis Truffaut. It came out in 1975.

The story takes place in Halifax, in the year 1863. A woman comes to look for a man she is in love with. the man she is in love with does not love her back, and he made that very clear to her. However, she does not seem to understand. Adele becomes obsessed with him and begins to stalk him.

Poor Adele, seems to be very take advantage of in the beginning. The Let. Proposes marriage, but does not really mean it. Adele however, believes that he does. When he is shipped to someplace else, she goes after him, believing his propsal to be real, and hopes to find him and have their marriage take place.

When Adele throws herself in the Let. path and is tosses aside, her infatuation and slight obsession turns into madness.

This film is full of love, passion and even self-destruction. I enjoyed this film, but cannot help but feel it makes women look a little bad, as if we all could easily become that obsessed and stalk the objects of our desire.

Pierrot Le Fou

This film was by Jean- Luc Goddard. It came out in 1965.

The main character is Pierrot, who becomes bored with his life. He decides to travel. He travels from Paris to the Mediteranian Sea with a woman who is being chased by hit-men from Algeria.

What really caught my attention in this film was the way Goddard played with narration. At times Pierro and Marianne would talk about what their characters were doing or would do. (definetly a new idea for film!)

The affair these two have, seems to be going well, until a dead body is found at Marianne's apartment.

Both the charachter seem to get bored very easily. Their boredom causes the affair in the first place, and in the end causes Marianne to leave.

Anna's charachter seems to be about right, as compared to all the other characters we have seen her play. Perhaps this was Goddard's way of saying they had both become bored in their relationship.

I enjoyed this film, as it had drama and a love story. It is truly interesting to watch Goddard and Anna's relationship develope and fail on screen.