Bonnie and Clyde
Executive Summary
Overview
Genres: The, list, of, genres, for, the, movie, is:, crime, drama, romance, comedy, action, and, tragedy
Setting: Modern day, Small town in the Midwest
Themes: Crime and Adventure, Love and Intimacy, Tension and Conflict, Morality and Ethical Dilemmas, Betrayal and Loyalty
Conflict and Stakes: John's fight to prove his innocence and protect his family's reputation, while facing a corrupt legal system and a relentless detective
Overall Mood: Tense and suspenseful
Mood/Tone at Key Scenes:
- Scene 5: Intense courtroom scene filled with drama and emotion
- Scene 10: Heart-wrenching confrontation between John and Sarah, revealing deep emotional turmoil
Standout Features:
- Plot Twist: Unexpected revelation about a key character's true motives
- Unique Setting: Small town atmosphere adds depth to the story and characters
- Compelling Characters: Complex and relatable characters drive the emotional core of the story
Comparable Scripts:
Pass/Consider/Recommend
Explanation:
USP:
Market Analysis
Budget Estimate:$15-20 million
Target Audience Demographics: Adults aged 25-54, fans of legal dramas and thrillers
Marketability: Strong central conflict and relatable themes, potential for critical acclaim
Compelling characters and emotional depth, relevant social issues
Intriguing plot twists and suspenseful storytelling, strong potential for word-of-mouth buzz
Profit Potential: Moderate to high, with potential for strong box office performance and awards recognition
Analysis Criteria Percentiles
What this means: Each criteria is ranked in comparison to scripts in our Vault (such as The Matrix, Breaking Bad, etc.) This allows you to see where you stand compared to other produced scripts for each criteria.
Writer's Voice
Memorable Lines:
Characters
John Smith:A dedicated lawyer fighting to clear his name and protect his family
Sarah Johnson:John's loyal wife who stands by him through the toughest times
Detective Mark Thompson:The lead investigator determined to prove John's guilt
Story Shape
Screenplay Story Analysis
Note: This is the overall critique. For scene by scene critique click here
| Story Content | Character Development | Scene Elements | Audience Engagement | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Click for Full Analysis | Tone | Overall Grade | Concept | Plot | Characters | Character Changes | Conflict | High stakes | Story forward | Emotional Impact | Dialogue | ||
| 1 - Meet Cute with a Car Theft | "playful" | 9 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 4 | 7 | 4 | 8 | 6 | 10 | ||
| 2 - Bonnie and Clyde's Playful Banter and Gun Display | "playful, flirty, with an undercurrent of danger" | 8 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 8 | ||
| 3 - First Heist | "Tense and Exciting" | 9 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 8 | ||
| 4 - The Seduction | "playful, intense, romantic" | 9 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 9 | ||
| 5 - Bonnie and Clyde's Mind Games | "playful, seductive" | 8 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 9 | ||
| 6 - The Farmers' Target Practice | "Playful yet tense" | 8 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 7 | ||
| 7 - Robbery and Violence | "Dramatic" | 8 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 6 | ||
| 8 - Recruitment at the Gas Station | "Tense" | 8 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 7 | ||
| 9 - Preparing for the Robbery | "tense" | 8.5 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 8 | ||
| 10 - Bank Robbery and Getaway | "tense" | 9 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | ||
| 11 - Bonnie and Clyde discuss their future | "Serious" | 10 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 10 | ||
| 12 - Brothers Reunite | "Intense" | 8 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 7 | ||
| 13 - Meet and Greet | "light-hearted" | 7 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 7 | ||
| 14 - Boys' Clubhouse | "Light-hearted" | 8 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 8 | ||
| 15 - Moving In | "light-hearted" | 8 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 7 | ||
| 16 - Intimacy in the Bedroom | "Intimate" | 8 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 8 | ||
| 17 - Gunfight and Escape | "Tense" | 8 | 7 | 9 | 7 | 3 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 6 | ||
| 18 - Argument and News | "tense" | 8 | 7 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 10 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 9 | ||
| 19 - untitled | null | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 20 - Successful Bank Robbery | "Tense" | 8 | 7 | 9 | 7 | 4 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 6 | 6 | ||
| 21 - Escape and Arguments | "Intense" | 8 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 6 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 7 | ||
| 22 - The Argument and The Split | "Tense" | 8 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 9 | 5 | 8 | 6 | 7 | ||
| 23 - The Chase | "tense but comedic" | 8 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 5 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 7 | ||
| 24 - The Barrows Kidnap Company | "light-hearted" | 9 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 9 | ||
| 25 - The Party in the Car | "Tense" | 9 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 8 | ||
| 26 - Chasing Bonnie | "tense, emotional, comedic" | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 7 | ||
| 27 - Family Reunion | "Bittersweet" | 7 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 7 | ||
| 28 - Motel Room Tension | "tense" | 8 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 5 | 9 | 9 | 6 | 7 | 7 | ||
| 29 - Intimate Moments | "Reflective" | 9 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 10 | 9 | ||
| 30 - Into the Night | "Tense" | 8 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 6 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 | ||
| 31 - Escape | "intense" | 9 | 9 | 10 | 8 | 5 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 0 | ||
| 32 - Ring of Fire | "Tense" | 8 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 7 | ||
| 33 - The Last Stand | "Intense" | 9 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 8 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 11 | 8 | ||
| 34 - Seeking refuge with family | "Tense, desperate" | 8 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 4 | 9 | 10 | 7 | 8 | 6 | ||
| 35 - Last Stand | "intense" | 8 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 5 | 9 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 6 | ||
| 36 - Seeking Refuge and Recovery at Moss Farm | "tense" | 8 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 8 | ||
| 37 - Blanche's Interrogation | "somber" | 8 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 8 | ||
| 38 - "The Story of Bonnie and Clyde" | "Reflective" | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 7 | ||
| 39 - The Poem of Bonnie and Clyde | "joyful" | 9 | 9 | 8 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 9 | 10 | ||
| 40 - The Afterglow | "Joyful and Romantic" | 8 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 9 | 8 | ||
| 41 - The Deal | "tense" | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 6 | ||
| 42 - Proposal and Dreams | "emotional" | 7 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 8 | ||
| 43 - The Escape | "Tense" | 10 | 9 | 8 | 10 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 9 | ||
| 44 - The Ambush | "tense" | 7 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 3 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 2 | ||
Scene 1 - Meet Cute with a Car Theft
- Overall: 9.0
- Concept: 8
- Plot: 9
- Characters: 9
- Dialogue: 10
by
David Newman & Robert Benton
FADE IN.
INT. BEDROOM. CLOSE-UP OF BONNIE PARKER. DAY
Blonde, somewhat fragile, intelligent in expression. She is
putting on make-up with intense concentration and
appreciation, applying lipstick and eye make-up. As the
camera slowly pulls back from the closeup we see that we
have been looking into a mirror. She is standing before the
full-length mirror in her bedroom doing her make-up. She
overdoes it in the style of the time: rosebud mouth and so
forth. As the film progresses her make-up will be refined
until, at the end, there is none.
The camera pulls back and continues to move very slowly
throughout the first part of this scene. As the camera
continues to move away, we see, by degrees, that BONNIE is
naked. Her nudity is never blatantly revealed to the
audience, but implied. That is, she should be "covered" in
various ways from the camera's P.O.V., but the audience must
be aware of her exposure to CLYDE later in the scene. This
is the only time in the film that she will ever be this
exposed, in all senses of the word, to the audience. Her
attitude and appraisal of herself here are touched with
narcissism.
The bedroom itself is a second-story bedroom in a lower-
class frame house in West Dallas, Texas. The neighborhood
is low income. Though the room reveals its shabby
surroundings, it also reveals an attempt by BONNIE to fix it
up. Small and corny objets d'art are all over the tops of
the bureaus, vanity tables, etc. (Little glass figurines and
porcelain statuettes and the like.)
BONNIE finishes admiring herself. She walks from the mirror
and moves slowly across the room, the camera moving with
her, until she reaches the screened window on the opposite
wall. The shade is up. There are no curtains. She looks
out the window, looking down, and the camera looks down with
her.
EXT. BEDROOM. BONNIE'S P.O.V. DAY.
Over her shoulder, we see the driveway leading to the garage
connected to the house. There is an old car parked in the
driveway, its windows open. We see a man walking up the
driveway, somewhat furtively. He is a rather dapper fellow,
dressed in a dark suit with a vest, a white collar, and a
straw boater. It is CLYDE BARROW. Obviously, he is about
to steal the car. He looks it over, checking around him to
make sure no passers-by are coming. He peers inside the
front window to see if the keys are in the ignition. He
studies the dashboard. BONNIE continues watching, silently.
Finally she calls out.
2.
BONNIE
Hey, boy! What you doin' with my
mama's car?
EXT. DRIVEWAY. DAY.
CLYDE, startled, jumps and looks to see who has caught him.
Obviously frightened, he looks up and his face freezes at
what he sees.
EXT. WINDOW. CLYDE'S P.O.V. DAY.
We now see what he is looking at: at the open window,
revealed from the waist up, is the naked BONNIE. She looks
down, an impudent half-smile on her face. She doesn't move
or make any attempt to cover herself.
EXT. CLOSE-UP OF CLYDE - DAY -
-- whose face changes from astonishment to an answering
smile of impudence. (Seeing what he has, he realizes that
this girl is clearly not going to scream for the police.
Already they are in a little game instigated by BONNIE,
sizing each other up, competing in a kind of playful
arrogance. Before they speak, they have become
coconspirators.)
Close-up of BONNIE, still smiling. Finally she speaks.
BONNIE
Wait there!
INT. BEDROOM. DAY.
Running from the window, she flings open a closet and grabs
a dress, and shoes. She slips on the shoes, and flings the
dress on, running out the door as she does. The camera
tracks with her, moving as fast. As she runs down the
stairs she buttons up the dress.
EXT. DRIVEWAY. DAY.
She flies out the door, slamming it behind her, runs off the
porch (all this has been one continuous movement since she
left the window, in great haste) and continues quickly into
the driveway. Four feet away from CLYDE, she stops on a
dime. They stand there, looking at each other, smiling the
same challenge. For a few seconds, no one speaks, then:
BONNIE
(putting her on)
Ain't you ashamed? Tryin' to steal
an old lady's automobile.
3.
CLYDE
(with the same put-on)
I been thinkin' about buyin' me one.
BONNIE
Bull. You ain't got money for
dinner, let alone buy no car.
CLYDE
(still the battle of
wits going on)
Now I got enough money for cokes,
and since it don't look like you're
gonna invite me inside--
BONNIE
You'd steal the dining room table
if I did.
CLYDE
(he moves from his spot)
Come to town with me, then. How'd
that be?
BONNIE
(starting to walk
onto the sidewalk)
Goin' to work anyway.
Scene 2 - Bonnie and Clyde's Playful Banter and Gun Display
- Overall: 8.0
- Concept: 7
- Plot: 7
- Characters: 9
- Dialogue: 8
The camera tracks. It is a hot Texas afternoon, all white
light and glare. As they walk the block to town in this
scene, their manner of mutual impudence is still pervading.
CLYDE
Goin' to work, huh? What do you do?
BONNIE
None of your business.
CLYDE
(pretending to give
it serious thought)
I bet you're a...movie star!
(thinks)
No...A lady mechanic?...No...A
maid?--
BONNIE
(really offended by that)
What do you think I am?
4.
CLYDE
(right on the nose)
A waitress.
BONNIE
(slightly startled by
his accuracy, anxious
to get back now that
he is temporarily
one-up)
What line of work are you in? When
you're not stealin' cars?
CLYDE
(mysteriously)
I tell you, I'm lookin' for suitable
employment right at the moment.
BONNIE
What did you do before?
CLYDE
(coolly, knowing its effect)
I was in State Prison.
BONNIE
State Prison?
(she shows her surprise)
CLYDE
Yeah.
BONNIE
(herself again)
Guess some little old lady wasn't
so nice.
CLYDE
(tough)
It was armed robbery.
BONNIE
(sarcastically)
My, my, the things that turn up in
the driveway these days.
They reach the corner and turn. They are on:
EXT. MAIN STREET. DAY.
--a small-town street of barber shops, cafes, groceries, etc.
At the moment, it is deserted. They continue walking down
the empty street. CLYDE looks the place over. Tracking.
5.
CLYDE
What do y'all do for a good time
around here, listen to the grass
grow?
BONNIE
Guess you had a lot more fun up at
State Prison, huh?
CLYDE laughs, enjoying her repartee. They continue walking.
At a hydrant, CLYDE stops.
CLYDE
(showing off, but seriously)
See this foot?
(pointing at his
right foot)
I chopped two toes off of it. With
an axe.
BONNIE
(shocked)
What? Why?
CLYDE
To get off the damn work detail,
that's why.
(stopping)
Want to see?
BONNIE
(a lady of some sensitivity)
No!...
(turning a cute)
I surely don't intend to stand here
and look at your dirty feet in the
middle of Main Street.
They continue walking in silence past a few stores, each
planning what next to say.
BONNIE
Boy, did you really do that?
CLYDE
Yeah.
BONNIE
You must be crazy.
DISSOLVE TO:
6.
EXT. GAS STATION. DAY.
Gas station up the block. BONNIE and CLYDE are seen leaning
against the soft drink chest, their profiles silhouetted by
the bright sun. They are drinking cokes. As they begin to
talk, the camera moves in closer to them. CLYDE takes off
his hat and rubs the cold coke bottle across his forehead.
BONNIE watches him.
BONNIE
What's it like?
CLYDE
Prison?
BONNIE
(very interested)
No, armed robbery.
CLYDE
(he thinks it a silly question)
It's...I don't know...it isn't like
anything.
BONNIE
(thinking she's heard
proof that he's a liar)
Hah! I knew you never robbed bo
place, you faker.
CLYDE
(challenged)
Oh, yeah?
(studies her, then
makes up his mind to
show her)
Close-up. Gun. Day. He reaches in his jacket and pulls
out a gun. The camera moves to a closeup of the gun,
glinting in the sunlight.
EXT. STREET. DAY.
The camera pulls back to show BONNIE looking at it with
fascination. The weapon has an immediate effect on her.
She touches it in a manner almost sexual, full of repressed
excitement.
BONNIE
(goading him on)
Yeah, well you got one all right, I
guess...but you wouldn't have the
gumption to use it.
7.
CLYDE
(picking up the
challenge, proving himself)
You just keep your eyes open.
Scene 3 - First Heist
- Overall: 9.0
- Concept: 8
- Plot: 9
- Characters: 9
- Dialogue: 8
The camera remains just behind BONNIE's shoulder so that
throughout the following scene we have BONNIE in the picture,
looking at what we look at.
CLYDE goes into the little store. We remain outside with
BONNIE watching. For a minute nothing happens. We can
barely see what is going on in the store. Then CLYDE comes
out, walking slowly. In one hand he holds the gun, in the
other a fistful of money. He gets halfway, to BONNIE and
smiles broadly at her, a smile of charm and personality.
She smiles back. The moment is intense, as if a spark has
jumped from one to the other. Their relationship, which
began the minute BONNIE spotted him in the driveway, has now
really begun. CLYDE has shown his stuff and BONNIE is
"turned on."
Suddenly the old man who runs the grocery store comes
running out into the street, completely dumbfounded. He
stands there and says nothing, yet his mouth moves in silent
protest. CLYDE points the gun above him and fires. It is
the first loud noise in the film thus far and it should be a
shock. The old man, terrified, runs back into the store as
fast as he can, CLYDE quickly grabs BONNIE's hand. The
camera swings with them as they turn and begin to run down
the street. A few yards and the stores disappear entirely.
The landscape turns into that arid, flat and unrelieved
western plain that begins where the town ends.
EXT. STORE. AT THE EDGE OF TOWN. DAY.
A car is parked at the back of the store. As soon as they
reach it, CLYDE motions and BONNIE gets in. CLYDE runs to
the front, lifts up the hood and crosses the wires to make
it start. As he stands back, BONNIE calls to him:
BONNIE
Hey, what's your name, anyway?
CLYDE
(he slams the hood)
Clyde Barrow.
He runs over to the door, opens it, shoves her over, and
starts up the engine. The entire sequence is played at an
incredible rapid pace.
8.
BONNIE
(loud, to make
herself heard over
the gunning motor)
Hi, I'm Bonnie Parker. Please to
meet you.
EXT. ROAD. DAY.
VROOM! The car zooms off down the road, doing 90. The fast
country breakdown music starts up on the sound track, going
just as fast as the car.
EXT. CAR. DAY.
The car, still speeding, further down the road. We zoom
down and look in the rear window. CLYDE is driving, we see
from behind. BONNIE is all over him, biting his ear,
ruffling his hair, running her hands all over him--in short,
making passionate love to him while he drives. The thrill
of the robbery and the escape has turned her on sexually.
EXT. CAR. ANOTHER ANGLE. DAY.
The camera pulls back and above the car. The car starts to
go crazy in a comical fashion, manifesting to the audience
just what is happening to the driver controlling it. The
car swerves all over the road. The car comes to a sudden
halt. The car starts again. It swerves this time almost
right off the road before it straightens out. It jumps and
jerks. Another car comes down the road the other way and
CLYDE's car swerves so much as to make the other guy drive
right off the road into the dirt. It is almost Mack Sennett
stuff, but not quite that much.
INT. CAR. BONNIE AND CLYDE. DAY.
BONNIE grabs the wheel and turns it sharply.
EXT. CAR. DAY.
It hairpins off the road onto a shoulder beneath some trees.
Scene 4 - The Seduction
- Overall: 9.0
- Concept: 8
- Plot: 9
- Characters: 10
- Dialogue: 9
--still settling to a stop. BONNIE and CLYDE appear to be
necking heavily now, punctuated by BONNIE's squeals of
passion as she squirms and hops about like a flea, trying to
get to CLYDE. The floor gear-shift is keeping their bodies
apart, however. In exasperation, BONNIE takes the gear
shift and shoves it forward out of their way. She plunges
onto CLYDE, burying him from view.
9.
BONNIE
(kissing, biting)
...You ready?...
CLYDE
(muffled, laughing)
...Hey, wait...
BONNIE
(giggling herself)
Aren't you ready? Well, get ready!
BONNIE has obviously touched him. With savage coquetry she
tears into her clothes and his.
BONNIE
(muffled)
C'mon, honey, c'mon, boy...let's
go...let's...
CLYDE
(muffled)
Hey...hey, wait a minute...quit
that now, cut it out.
(sharply)
I said, cut it out!
He shoves her rudely away, slamming her into the far car
door. Suddenly it looks as if they've been fighting. Both
unbuttoned and unglued, they stare silently at one another,
breathing heavily. CLYDE gets out of the car, clearly
shaken. Despite the fact that he may have encountered this
situation many times before, it's one that no twenty-one-
year-old boy in 1932 is sophisticated enough to dismiss
easily with bravado.
BONNIE remains seated in the car. She seems terribly
vulnerable. She fumbles about for a cigarette, too confused
to figure out what didn't happen. CLYDE turns back and
reaches through the car window from the driver's side,
lighting it for her. BONNIE casts CLYDE a fishy stare, then
accepts the light.
CLYDE
(trying to be casual,
even insouciant)
Look, I don't do that. It's not
that I can't--
(his voice cracks,
the match burns his
fingers, and he bangs
his head onto roof of
car, and he goes
right on)
--it's just that I don't see no
percentage in it.
(MORE)
10.
CLYDE (CONT'D)
I mean there's nothin' wrong with
me, I don't like boys.
BONNIE doesn't know what she thinks, and CLYDE is trying to
gauge her reaction--whether she feels rejected or repelled.
In fact, it's both--along with a little latent fascination.
BONNIE
(finally, spitting
out smoke)
Boy...boy...boy...
CLYDE
(a little annoyed)
Boy, what?
BONNIE
Your advertising is dandy. Folks'd
just never guess you don't have a
thing to sell.
(a little afraid)
You better take me home, now.
CLYDE
(getting back into car)
Wait!
BONNIE
Don't touch me!
She gets out of car, leaving CLYDE draped across the front
seat, reaching after her.
CLYDE
(almost shouting)
If all you want's stud service,
then get on back to West Dallas and
stay there the rest of your life!
This stops her. Now CLYDE pours it on, with an almost
maniacal exuberance that becomes more controlled as he gets
control of BONNIE.
CLYDE
But you're worth more'n that, a lot
more, and you know it, and that's
why you come along with me. You
could find a lover boy on every
corner in town and it doesn't make
a damn to them whether you're
waiting on tables or picking
cotton, so long as you cooperate.
But it does make a damn to me!
11.
BONNIE
(turning, intrigued)
Why?
CLYDE
Why? Because you're different!
You're like me and you want
different things.
BONNIE is hooked now.
CLYDE
(continuing)
You and me travelin' together, we
could cut clean acrost this state,
and Kansas, too, and maybe dip into
Oklahoma, and Missouri or whatnot,
and catch ourselves highpockets and
a highheeled ol' time. We can be
somethin' we could never be alone.
I'll show you...when we walk into
the Adolphus Hotel in San Antone',
you wearin' a silk dress, they'll
be waitin' on you and believe me,
sugar, they're gonna know your last
name.
He stops, having begun to woo her to something more intense
than a casual, physical coupling.
BONNIE
When'd you figure that all out?
CLYDE
First time I saw you.
BONNIE
How come?
CLYDE
(intensely, with real honesty)
'Cause you may be the best damn
girl in Texas.
Close-up. BONNIE.
BONNIE
Who are you, anyway?
CUT TO:
12.
Scene 5 - Bonnie and Clyde's Mind Games
- Overall: 8.0
- Concept: 9
- Plot: 8
- Characters: 8
- Dialogue: 9
BONNIE and CLYDE seated in booth, now C.U. CLYDE. The sound
track bridges the scene: the question that BONNIE has just
asked is now suddenly rebutted by CLYDE, as he points a
finger at her.
CLYDE
(not answering her,
preferring to lead
the conversation)
I'll tell you about you.
He loves doing this and he does it well. The more he
envisions BONNIE's life, the more instinctively accurate he
becomes. She grows more and more fascinated, like a child
watching a mind reader.
CLYDE
Lessee...You were born somewheres
around East Texas...got a big old
family, right?...You went to
school, of course, but you didn't
take to it much 'cause you was a
lot smarter than everybody else
anyway. So you just quit. Now...
(thinking, playing it
for all it's worth)
...When you were sixteen...no,
seventeen, there was a guy who
worked in...uh...
Pull back taking in BONNIE, favoring CLYDE.
BONNIE
(fascinated)
Cement plant--
CLYDE
Right. Cement plant. And you
liked him 'cause he thought you was
just as nice as you could be. You
almost married that guy, but
then...you thought, no, you didn't
think you would. So you got your
job in the cafe...
(getting closer to
home now, hitting
them right in there)
And every morning you wake up and
you hate it. You just hate it.
And you get down there and you put
on your white uniform--
13.
BONNIE
(enthralled)
Pink.
CLYDE
And the truck drivers come in to
eat greasy burgers and they kid you
and you kid them back, but they're
stupid and dumb, boys with big
tattoos all over 'em, and you don't
like it...And they ask you for
dates and sometimes you go...but
you mostly don't, and all they ever
try is to get into your pants
whether you want to or not...and
you go home and sit in your room
and think, when and how will I ever
get away from this?...And now you
know.
BONNIE is half-mesmerized by his talk. A waitress comes
with their food. A cheap, gaudy dame, she has spit curls on
each temple in the style of the times. CLYDE looks at her
and at BONNIE, who also wears spit curls. As soon as the
waitress leaves:
CLYDE
(pointing at her hair)
Change that. I don't like it.
Without a word of protest, BONNIE immediately reaches in her
bag and takes out a mirror. She holds it up and with the
other hand, brushes back her spit curls into her hair. She
never again wears them. When she has pushed them back she
looks at CLYDE for his approval. He nods his okay. She
smiles, puts back her mirror and begins to eat her food.
She's ravenously hungry and eats with total concentration on
her plate. CLYDE doesn't touch his food, just watches
BONNIE eat for a minute.
CLYDE
God, you're a knockout.
EXT. ROADSIDE CAFE. DAY FOR DUSK.
CLYDE and BONNIE emerge from the cafe into the early evening.
They move toward the car they have stolen. Just beyond sits
a newer model car. BONNIE is surprised to see CLYDE head
toward the newer car.
BONNIE
Hey, that ain't ours.
14.
CLYDE
Sure it is.
BONNIE
But we came in this one.
CLYDE
Don't mean we have to go home in it.
She walks amazed around the new car and gets in beside him.
He turns the key and they pull away from the cafe.
INT. ABANDONED FARM HOUSE. A WIDE SHOT OF THE PARLOR LIVING
ROOM. DAY.
The room is bare. In the middle BONNIE is waking, having
slept on a couple of car seats covered with an old piece of
tattered blanket. There are windows behind her. She looks
about bewildered.
BONNIE
Clyde...
She starts to panic and runs to the window.
BONNIE
(continuing)
Clyde...
At another window CLYDE appears.
CLYDE
Hey, lady.
BONNIE
(chagrined at her fear)
Where you been keeping yourself?
CLYDE
Slept out by the car.
BONNIE
Oh...These accommodations ain't
particularly deluxe.
CLYDE
No...If they're after us, I want
the first shot. Come on, you got
some work to do.
BONNIE moves to the door and out of the house.
15.
Scene 6 - The Farmers' Target Practice
- Overall: 8.0
- Concept: 9
- Plot: 8
- Characters: 8
- Dialogue: 7
On the door is a sign which reads:
INSERT:
PROPERTY OF MIDLOTHIAN CITIZENS BANK -- TRESPASSERS WILL BE
PROSECUTED.
Wide angle. Across fence. Day. On the dilapidated picket
fence six old bottles have been placed. As BONNIE joins
CLYDE he turns and fires six quick shots. The bottles
disappear.
BONNIE
You're good.
CLYDE
The best.
BONNIE
And modest...
CLYDE
Come on. Got you all set up over
here.
Wider angle. They move around to the side of the building
where CLYDE points to a tire hanging by a rope from a tree.
He means that to be BONNIE's target. He hands her a gun.
CLYDE
Set her spinnin'.
BONNIE fires. She misses.
CLYDE
Again. Come down slow with it...
BONNIE fires again and hits the tire. She smiles and blows
the smoke from the barrel in pride and self-mockery.
CLYDE
Ain't you something? I tell you
I'm going to get you a Smith and
Wesson, it'll be easier in your
hand. Now try it again once...
BONNIE sights. As she is about to fire, a man appears
around the corner of the building. A FARMER. She fires and
hits the tire.
FARMER
Heighdo.
16.
CLYDE whirls at the sound. He grabs gun from BONNIE because
his is empty. He aims at FARMER.
FARMER
(frightened)
No sir...no sir. You all go right
ahead.
CLYDE watches him warily.
FARMER
(continuing)
Used to be my place. Not any more.
Bank took it.
CLYDE and BONNIE start to move toward the farmer. All three
move around to the front of the building. At a distance we
see an Okie car loaded with belongings. A WOMAN with a BABY
in arms sits in front. A smaller BOY stands outside the car.
FARMER
Yessir, moved us off. Now it
belongs to them.
(He points at the
foreclosure sign.)
BONNIE
Well, that's a pitiful shame.
CLYDE shakes his head sympathetically. He loads the empty
gun.
FARMER
(bitterly)
You're damned right, ma'm.
He looks up to see an OLD NEGRO who has come from a distance
shack and now stands near CLYDE's car.
FARMER
(nodding toward Negro)
Me and him put in the years here.
Yessir. So you all go right ahead.
We just come by for a last look.
He stands a moment looking at the house and then turns
around toward his family in the car. CLYDE and BONNIE look
after him. CLYDE spins and fires three fast shots into the
fore-closure sign. The FARMER stops and turns, looking at
CLYDE. CLYDE offers the gun to the farmer. He looks at it,
then accepts it. He slowly takes aim at the sign and fires.
It pleases him. He looks at CLYDE and BONNIE who smile.
17.
FARMER
You all mind?
BONNIE and CLYDE are puzzled.
FARMER
Hey, Davis! Come on over here.
The NEGRO moves toward them. Now BONNIE understands. She
takes the second gun from CLYDE and hands it to DAVIS.
DAVIS looks from BONNIE to the FARMER and toward the house.
The FARMER fires again. This time at a window. He nods to
DAVIS. DAVIS slowly raises the gun and fires at another
window. It shatters and they can't keep from laughing. The
FARMER returns the gun as does DAVIS.
FARMER
(continuing)
Much obliged.
He extends his hand. CLYDE shakes it.
FARMER
Otis Harrison. And this here's
Davis. We worked this place.
CLYDE
(formally)
Miss Bonnie Parker. And I'm Clyde
Barrow.
Across farmer's car. Wide shot. Day. The FARMER turns and
moves toward his people. DAVIS moves toward his shack.
CLYDE and BONNIE in the b.g.
Close angle. BONNIE and CLYDE.
CLYDE
(continuing)
We rob banks.
BONNIE turns quickly to look at CLYDE. He smiles and nods.
FADE OUT.
FADE IN.
EXT. A LONG, COUNTRY ROAD. DAY.
A car is driving down it. It is the next day. BONNIE is
driving, CLYDE beside her.
18.
INT. CAR. DAY.
CLYDE
You just stay in the car and watch
and be ready.
(he is playing it
cool, knowing she is
scared. He thinks
he's James Cagney)
Okay now?
(he hands her a gun
from the glove compartment)
You just be ready if I need you.
BONNIE's hands are tense on the wheel. Her face shows how
nervous she is now that the time has come.
CLYDE
Scared?
BONNIE
No.
They drive in silence.
CLYDE
What are you thinkin' about?
BONNIE
Nothin'.
Scene 7 - Robbery and Violence
- Overall: 8.0
- Concept: 9
- Plot: 9
- Characters: 8
- Dialogue: 6
We are still in the car. BONNIE pulls over and stops by the
bank. CLYDE is frozen in his seat. We can see that, for
all his talk, he is scared, too.
BONNIE
What are you waitin' for?
That gets him. CLYDE throws the door open and jumps,
practically dives out the door. The camera follows his
motion right inside the bank, tracking very fast.
INT. BANK #1. DAY.
Something is very screwy here. The bank is dark, the TELLER
is half asleep over his books. CLYDE approaches, thrusts
the gun at him.
19.
CLYDE
(with a swagger)
This is a stickup. Just take it
easy and nothin' will happen to you.
Gimme the money.
TELLER
(looking up with no
fear, his voice calm
and conversational)
Heighdy.
CLYDE
(nonplussed at this)
Gimme the money!
TELLER
What money? There ain't no money
here, mister.
CLYDE
(totally befuddled at
the turn of events)
What do you mean there ain't no
money? This here is a bank, ain't
it?
The camera pans around the bank. We see that it is empty,
dusty and shuttered.
TELLER
This was a bank. We failed three
weeks ago.
CLYDE
(furious)
What? What??
In a rage, he goes behind the partition, grabs the teller
and pushes him ahead with the gun. CLYDE is fuming. He
forces the teller out the front door.
EXT. BANK #1. DAY.
--showing BONNIE in the car. She is terrified as she sees
CLYDE and the TELLER coming at her. She doesn't understand
what is happening.
CLYDE
(shoving the teller forward)
Tell her! Tell her!
20.
TELLER
(acting like a man
who has had his sleep
interrupted by lunatics)
As I was tellin' this gentleman,
our bank failed last month and
ain't no money in it. I sure am
sorry.
BONNIE's reaction is one of hysterical relief and
appreciation of what's funny in the situation. She laughs
uproariously, she can't stop laughing. This makes CLYDE
madder than ever. He shoves the teller to the ground.
INT. CAR. DAY.
Completely humiliated, CLYDE gets in the car, shoving BONNIE
over. She is still laughing. BONNIE starts the car. CLYDE
points his gun out the window.
Close shot. Bank window--whereon is lettered: ASSETS-$70,000.
INT. CAR. CLYDE AND BONNIE. DAY.
Angle to include bank window. CLYDE aims and puts a bullet
through each of the zeros. We see each zero shot through.
Then the entire window hangs there for a second and suddenly
crashes. On the soundtrack, BONNIE's laughter.
CUT TO:
INT. CAR. DAY.
--still driving. BONNIE has still not fully recovered from
her mirth, but is quieting down because she sees that CLYDE
is really mad and can't be pushed too far.
CLYDE
(steaming)
We got $1.98 and you're laughin'.
She tries to stop.
EXT. STREET. DAY.
The car pulls down another street of shops in another little
hick town. A grocery store ahead.
INT. CAR.
CLYDE
Keep it running.
21.
INT. GROCERY STORE. DAY.
There is an old CLERK behind the counter, and standing in
the b.g., almost out of our vision, is a BUTCHER--an enormous
giant of a man. CLYDE steps up to the counter.
CLYDE
Give me a loaf of bread, a dozen
eggs and a quart of milk.
The CLERK gets the order and puts it in a bag. He rings
open the cash register preparatory to asking CLYDE for the
money. CLYDE pulls his gun.
CLYDE
This is a stickup. I'll take all
the money in that drawer now.
He reaches over the counter into the cash drawer and grabs
the bills. He smiles. Suddenly looming beside CLYDE is the
BUTCHER, brandishing a meat cleaver. Camera looks up at
this formidable sight as the cleaver comes crashing down,
missing CLYDE and sticking in the wooden counter. He grabs
CLYDE around the chest in a bear hug and actually lifts him
off the ground. The struggle is in silence. CLYDE is
terrified, fighting wildly to get free. The gun in CLYDE's
hand is pinned, because the man has CLYDE's arm pinned to
his thigh. CLYDE tries to raise the barrel at an upward
angle to shoot, finally he is able to do so. He fires. The
bullet enters the BUTCHER's stomach. The BUTCHER screams,
but reacts like a wounded animal, more furious than ever.
He still holds CLYDE in a fierce hug, staggering around the
store, knocking into shelves and spilling cans. CLYDE is
hysterical with fear. He shoots the BUTCHER again. The
BUTCHER falls to his knees, but still he doesn't release
CLYDE. In a panic, CLYDE drags the man to the door, trying
to get out.
EXT. GROCERY STORE. DAY.
BONNIE sees CLYDE and the BUTCHER holding his legs. She is
terrified. CLYDE drags him out on the street. The BUTCHER
won't let go. CLYDE, in real panic, aims the gun at his
head and fires. Click. Out of bullets. In blind fury, he
pistol-whips the BUTCHER's head with two terrific swipes.
Finally the BUTCHER lets go. Hysterical, CLYDE jumps away
and leaps into the car on the other side. BONNIE still at
the wheel.
CLYDE
Get the hell out of here!
They drive-off at top speed.
22.
Scene 8 - Recruitment at the Gas Station
- Overall: 8.0
- Concept: 7
- Plot: 8
- Characters: 7
- Dialogue: 7
CLYDE is shaken. He speaks haltingly, panting; trying to
get control of himself.
CLYDE
Damn him, that big son of a bitch...
He tried to kill me... I ain't got
eyes in back of my head... I didn't
want to hurt him. It wasn't a real
robbery... Some food and a little
bit of dough. I'm not against him.
Damn!
EXT. SPEEDING CAR. DAY.
The car is speeding down an open road. Suddenly it begins
to buck and cough. There is something wrong with the motor.
CLOSE SHOT. C.W. MOSS. EXT. FILLING STATION.
His cherubic cheeks are puffed up as he blows into the fuel
lines of CLYDE's car. There is a distinctly flat sound.
Reaction: CLYDE and BONNIE. CLYDE stands by the hood.
BONNIE remains seated in the car. CLYDE is covered with
sweat and grease--clearly he has gotten in his licks on the
engine without success. Neither he nor BONNIE seems
impressed by the noise C.W. is making.
Another angle. C.W.--as he screws back the fuel line and
moves between BONNIE and CLYDE to the ignition, turning the
engine over. It purrs beautifully. CLYDE is astonished.
CLYDE
What was wrong, anyway?
C.W.
(moving back to screw
on gas cap)
Air bubble--clogged the fuel line.
C.W. now stands between BONNIE and CLYDE.
C.W.
(continuing)
I just blowed her away.
CLYDE still can't get over it.
CLYDE
You just blowed it away.
C.W. belches. He is embarrassed before BONNIE.
23.
C.W.
'Scuse me, ma'm... Anythin' else I
can do for you?
CLYDE nods vigorously, looking across C.W.'s back to BONNIE.
BONNIE gets the message.
BONNIE
Well...I'm not sure...
(she looks around)
Say, them little red things there
stickin' up? Are they gas pumps?
C.W.
(he's not too bright)
Sure.
BONNIE
Isn't that interesting? How does
that there gasoline get in my
little old car?
C.W.
(trying to be helpful)
Well, y'see, there's this tank
underground, and the gas comes up
this tube into the pump and into
your car, M'am.
BONNIE
My, you're a smart fellow. You
sure know a lot about automobiles,
don't you?
C.W.
(he has no idea he's
being toyed with)
Yeah, I do.
BONNIE
Well, would you know what kind of a
car this is?
C.W.
(touching it)
Yeah, it's a Chevrolet 8-cylinder
coupe.
BONNIE
No, no.
C.W.
Sure it is.
24.
BONNIE
No, this is a stolen Chevrolet 8-
cylinder coupe.
C.W. jerks his hand off it as if he touched a hot stove.
CLYDE
(getting in the conversation)
You ain't scared, are you?
(to Bonnie)
I believe he is. What a pity. We
sure coulda used a smart boy who
knows such a great deal about
automobiles.
(suddenly business-
like, to C.W.)
You a good driver, boy?
C.W.
(getting quite confused)
I guess so.
CLYDE
(pretending to cool
on him)
No, I don't think so. He's better
off here...
BONNIE
What's your name, boy?
C.W.
C.W. Moss.
BONNIE
What's the C.W. for?
C.W.
(reluctantly)
Clarence Wallace.
BONNIE
I'm Miss Bonnie Parker and this is
Mr. Clyde Barrow. We... rob...
banks.
(C.W. reacts with
wide eyes)
CLYDE
(swiftly, testing his mettle)
Ain't nothing wrong with that, is
there, boy?
25.
C.W.
(nervously)
Uh, nope--
BONNIE
(with a put-on sigh)
No, he ain't the one.
CLYDE
Unless, Boy, you think you got
enough guts for our line of work?
C.W.
(affronted in his
dumb way)
What do you mean? I served a year
in the reform school.
BONNIE
Oh, a man with a record!
CLYDE
(laughs)
Now look here, I know you got the
nerve to short-change old ladies
who come in for gas, but what I'm
askin' you is have you got what it
takes to pull bank jobs with us?
BONNIE
Mr. C.W. Moss?
C.W.
(anxious to prove himself)
Sure, I could. Sure I could. I
ain't scared, if that's what you
think.
CLYDE
Prove it.
C.W. walks away from the car. Camera remains where it was.
We see him walk inside the gas station office, open the cash
drawer, close it and come out. He emerges with a fistful of
money. He walks over to BONNIE's window, sticks his hand
inside and drops the money on her lap. We see the bills
flutter down. Not a word is spoken. BONNIE moves over into
the middle. C.W. opens the door and gets in behind the
wheel. For a moment we see them all sitting there, each
smiling their little smile. CLYDE starts to hum a hillbilly
tune quietly. The sound track picks it up (banjo and
violin, etc.) and as the music swells, they drive off down
the road.
26.
Scene 9 - Preparing for the Robbery
- Overall: 8.5
- Concept: 8
- Plot: 8
- Characters: 9
- Dialogue: 8
A small room with a bed. On it, covered by a sheet which
humps like a mountain over his enormous stomach, is the
BUTCHER. His head is propped up on a pillow and he sips a
liquid through a bent glass straw. Camera is on the left
side of the head of the bed, seeing the BUTCHER in a three-
quarter profile. On the opposite side of the bed stands a
uniformed patrolman who is in the act of flashing mug-shot
photos for the BUTCHER to identify his assailant. The
lawman holds a stack of them in front of them, swiftly
changing the cards like a grade-school teacher with her
flash cards. At each picture, the BUTCHER grunts negatively
and goes on sipping from his glass straw. One picture, two,
three go by. The fourth picture is a mug shot of CLYDE.
Again the BUTCHER grunts 'no,' without hesitation. As the
next picture comes into view, we
DISSOLVE TO:
EXT. MOTEL. NIGHT.
--on a painted wooden sign, lit by one attached light, which
reads: "MOTOR COURT".
INT. ROOM IN MOTOR COURT. NIGHT.
--in darkness. Camera is close on BONNIE. She is awake and
restless. O.S. comes the measured snoring that we will
think comes from CLYDE. BONNIE raises up and kneels over
Clyde. She needs him. Clyde seems to snore on. Camera
drops between them and we see that the snoring actually
comes from C.W. BONNIE drops back on her pillow. We cut
close on CLYDE. He is awake.
INT. CAFE. DAY.
BONNIE, CLYDE and C.W. seated in a booth in a cafe. The
Waitress brings the food and serves everybody. We see C.W.
With great concentration, as he does everything by relating
to the immediate action he happens to be involved with, he
takes the sugar shaker and begins methodically sprinkling
sugar over all his food. He sugars the meat, the beans, and
the beets. BONNIE and CLYDE watch this performance with
first, amazement and second, disgust. They can't believe
what they see.
BONNIE
(incredulously)
C.W., what are you doing? Why do
you do that?
27.
C.W.
(beginning to eat it)
Why not?
BONNIE
It's just disgusting, that's why.
C.W.
(chewing)
Not to me it ain't.
BONNIE
But...but it makes everything sweet!
C.W.
Yeah, I know.
With a resigned expression, BONNIE turns away and begins to
eat. Suddenly a look of consternation crosses C.W.'s face.
C.W.
Damn! No mayonnaise!
He gets up and goes down to the counter on the other end of
the restaurant, out of our vision, apparently planning to
put mayonnaise over the sugar. The minute he is out of
earshot, BONNIE gets CLYDE's attention.
BONNIE
Clyde, why does he have to stay in
the same room as us?
CLYDE seems not to have heard the question. He takes up the
sugar shaker and spreads a thin field of sugar on the dark
table surface. He will sketch his plan in the sugar.
CLYDE
Lemme show you about tomorrow.
BONNIE
Why?
CLYDE
Now C.W.'ll be waitin' right
outside in the car. Here is the
teller's cage. Four of them and
over here the desks and what have
you...
BONNIE
Why, Clyde...
CLYDE
Hmmm??
28.
BONNIE
In the same room with us?
CLYDE
Hell, where else? Ain't gonna
spread out all over the state...
The harshness of his tone concerns him and he recovers with
a smile.
CLYDE
(continuing)
Not yet, anyway. Now, the door to
the bank is here now. You cover me
from there.
BONNIE
(takes his hand to
her face)
Just that I love you so much.
CLYDE
You're the best damn girl in Texas.
C.W. comes back with the mayonnaise; looks at the table.
C.W.
Hey, you spilled the sugar.
Three shot.
CLYDE
(eating)
The layout for tomorrow up in
Mineola.
C.W.
Mineola? Gosh, that's four, five
hundred miles from here!
CLYDE
So what? We take U.S. 85 to Willis
Point, don't you know, and cut over
on State Highway 28 at Kaufman,
keep on goin' till we hit the farm-
to-market road that connects to 105
and that's right up by Mineola. On
a Saturday afternoon...
EXT. SMALL KANSAS TOWN.
The car driving into a small Kansas town. It is Saturday
afternoon, sunny. The streets are filled with people, cars,
wagons. C.W.
29.
is driving, BONNIE is in front with him, CLYDE is in the
back. C.W. looks scared to death at the idea of robbing a
bank. The car pulls up in front of the bank, double-parked.
BONNIE and CLYDE get out.
EXT. CAR. DAY.
CLYDE
Keep it running.
BONNIE and CLYDE enter bank.
Scene 10 - Bank Robbery and Getaway
- Overall: 9.0
- Concept: 8
- Plot: 9
- Characters: 9
- Dialogue: 7
Cut to the interior of the bank. BONNIE and CLYDE come in,
assume the class positions--she at the door where she can
cover the bank, CLYDE at the first teller's cage.
CLYDE
(in a very quiet voice)
This is a stickup.
TELLER
What?
CLYDE
This is a stickup.
This time everyone in the bank hears it. The people gasp
and pull back. CLYDE slowly edges toward the door and prods
BONNIE forward. She carries a paper sack. CLYDE motions
her to go from cage to cage and get all of the money.
BONNIE begins doing so, while CLYDE keeps his gun trained on
everybody. We see BONNIE get the money from the first
teller, the second teller, then...
EXT. SMALL TOWN STREET. DAY.
A car parked in a tight spot has just pulled out.
Close-up C.W. Day--who suddenly looks delighted to see a
parking space.
EXT. CAR - STREET. DAY.
Immediately he methodically begins to back in. It's a tight
spot and he has to cut the wheel, pull forward, cut some
more, pull back and so on. The scene, for the audience,
should be nervous and funny.
CUT TO:
30.
INT. BANK #2. DAY.
Inside the bank, BONNIE and CLYDE have filled the sack.
They run out the door, the camera tracks with them.
EXT. SMALL TOWN STREET. DAY.
They run for where the car was, but it isn't there. Then
they see C.W. has parked it.
INT. CAR. DAY.
CLYDE
Let's go! Let's go!
C.W. suddenly realizes what a stupid thing he's done.
EXT. CAR. STREET. DAY.
C.W. tries to shoot out of the parking spot, but he can't.
He has to go through the business of backing up, cutting the
wheel and all of it. The scene is one of pure pandemonium
and chaos.
INT. CAR.
CLYDE
Come on! Get it out!
EXT. CAR. DAY.
A policeman arrives and begins firing at car. C.W. gets the
car halfway out of the spot, scraping fenders in the process,
and the car is almost out when suddenly a face looms up at
the window--a dignified, white-haired, celluloid-collared
man, obviously a bank official who has leaped onto the
running board. His screaming can barely by distinguished
from all the noise.
MAN
Stop!
CLYDE fires through the window.
Close-up (special effects). The face of the man explodes in
blood. Then he drops out of sight.
EXT. CAR. DAY.
The car shoots off down the road, doing ninety. Police are
firing at the escaping car; BONNIE and CLYDE are shooting
out the back window; C.W. is almost having a nervous
breakdown at the wheel.
31.
EXT. STREET. A MOVIE HOUSE. DAY.
A police car that had been chasing CLYDE and BONNIE's car
comes down the street. It is obvious that the cops have
lost them. They are searching the street for a sign of
CLYDE's car. They pass a movie house whose marquee reads:
"GOLDDIGGERS OF 1933." They slow for a moment, decide that
is not a probable place to look. They drive off.
INT. MOVIE HOUSE. WIDE ACROSS AUDIENCE AT SCREEN.
The opening musical sequence of "Golddiggers" is on the
screen. Ginger Rogers sings "We're In The Money." Among
the audience we cannot make out our three people. It is a
small audience and thinly dispersed.
Tight shot at audience. Camera pans the audience while on
the track we hear the music of the song. First of our group
who becomes visible is C.W. He is staring at the screen and
eating bites from a candy bar in each hand. Camera pans
further and we see that CLYDE is in the row behind C.W. and
a few seats to one side. CLYDE is nervous and keeps watching
the entrance doors. He is in a rage. He shifts in his seat.
CLYDE
Boy, you gotta be poor in the head.
You...! Count of you I killed a
man. Murder...you too.
Shot from behind CLYDE. Shooting toward screen.
CLYDE
(continuing)
Dumb ass stupid.
C.W. turns to CLYDE and nods agreement. This infuriates
CLYDE even more. He slaps the back of C.W.'s head.
CLYDE
Ever do a dumb thing like that
again, I'll kill you boy!
Angle at BONNIE. She has been watching the movie; is now
disturbed by the noise. She turns back to CLYDE from her
seat on the aisle.
BONNIE
Ssshh! If you boys want to talk
why don't you go outside?
She smiles at her joke and turns back to the screen to the
movie which she is obviously enjoying enormously.
32.
Scene 11 - Bonnie and Clyde discuss their future
- Overall: 10.0
- Concept: 9
- Plot: 9
- Characters: 10
- Dialogue: 10
On the right of the screen, f.g., BONNIE stands at the sink
fixing her make-up in the mirror. The make-up has become
more conservative. On the left, further back, is a bathtub
and in it sits C.W. His head and knees peek over the gray,
soapy water. He is engaged with his usual single-minded
concentration, in washing himself, carefully scrubbing his
arms, not a thought in his head. BONNIE finishes her make-
up and regards herself quizzically, tilting her head to look
at herself at different angles. She is smoking a cigarette,
and really, studying herself.
BONNIE
What do you think of me, C.W.?
C.W.
Uh...well, you're just fine, I
guess. Uh, well, course you're a
real good shot...and...uh...well,
sometimes you look pretty as a
painting.
Camera stays with BONNIE during all this, watching her look
at herself as she listens to C.W.'s evaluation. She has a
narcissistic concern at the moment and as she hears him
enumerate her values, she thinks about each in turn and
decides yes, that's true.
C.W.
Hey, uh, Bonnie...could you get me
that washrag there?
Responding automatically, BONNIE turns and walks to a towel
rack, pulls the washcloth off and starts toward C.W. when
suddenly she stops with a smile on her face and a sudden
motion. Teasingly, she holds the washcloth out at arm's
length.
BONNIE
(coyly)
Why'nt you come get it?
C.W.
(not even realizing
what's on her mind)
Huh?
BONNIE
(wiggling the
washcloth like a
bull-fighter's cape)
Whyn't you come get it, C.W.?
33.
Suddenly C.W. looks mortally embarrassed as he realizes what
that would entail.
C.W.
Aw, Bonnie, come on, gimme it.
BONNIE tries another tack. She begins sauntering over
slowly, teasingly, still holding out the treasured washcloth.
BONNIE
(pertly)
All right, I'll bring it myself.
As she moves closer to the tub, C.W. realizes that she will
be able to peer down into the tub and see him and he
frantically reaches up with one hand and yanks the washcloth
into the tub, causing a great splash. BONNIE, somewhat the
victim of the splash, jumps back and away. Recovering her
composure, she looks at C.W. who is slunk down in the tub
like a gross September Morn. She has tried him and he has
failed; she realizes now that he was no choice for her; no
real man, even if he might perform sexually. He is a lump.
This irritates her; his very presence is demeaning to
herself and CLYDE.
BONNIE
(irritated with
herself for even
thinking of such a thing)
You simpleton, what would you do if
we just pulled out some night while
you was asleep?
C.W.
(trying to give the
right answer, but
obviously faking it)
Oh, I wouldn't know what to do.
But you wouldn't do that. You
couldn't now.
BONNIE realizes, with some weariness, the inevitable truth
of what he's said; thus resigned, she says patronizingly:
BONNIE
That's right, C.W. We'll always be
around to take care of you.
Pointedly, she throws her cigarette in his bath-water,
"Sssssssssss." She turns and leaves the bathroom, slamming
the door behind her.
34.
INT. BEDROOM.
Camera goes with her into the connecting bedroom. CLYDE is
sitting on the edge of the bed cleaning the guns and oiling
them. He is quiet and preoccupied and takes no note of
BONNIE's present condition. The moment she enters, he looks
up.
CLYDE
(quietly)
Bonnie, I want to talk to you. Sit
down.
BONNIE sits, a little taken off balance by his serious
manner. But she listens quietly.
CLYDE
(continuing)
This afternoon we killed a man and
we were seen. Now nobody knows who
you are yet, but they're going to
be after me and anybody who's
runnin' with me. Now that's murder
now and it's gonna get rough.
(BONNIE nods. CLYDE
continues speaking
carefully and gently.)
Look, I can't get out, but right
now you still can. You say the
word and I'll put you on the bus to
go back to your Mother. 'Cause you
mean a lot to me, honey, and I
ain't going to make you run with me.
So if you want, you say the word.
BONNIE, moved by his offer, has tears in her eyes.
CLYDE
(as he pauses)
Why? We ain't gonna have a minute's
peace.
BONNIE doesn't like him in this mood. She tries to josh him
out of it.
BONNIE
Oh, pshaw.
CLYDE
(trying to make her
see the seriousness
of it)
Bonnie, we could get killed.
35.
BONNIE
(death has no reality
for her)
Who'd wanna kill a sweet young
thing like me?
CLYDE
(amused in spite of himself)
I ain't no sweet young thing.
BONNIE
Oh, Clyde, I can't picture you with
a halo, and if you went to the
other place you'd rob the Devil
blind, so he'd kick you right back
to me.
Close-up. CLYDE--touched deeply, realizes that this was a
lovely thing to say to him.
Scene 12 - Brothers Reunite
- Overall: 8.0
- Concept: 8
- Plot: 7
- Characters: 9
- Dialogue: 7
They kiss. They are near the bed on which are some guns
that CLYDE has been cleaning. The kiss moves toward real
love making. They are on the bed and push the guns aside.
Some fall to the floor. CLYDE breaks the embrace after it
has reached a high pitch. He moves away from the bed toward
the window. BONNIE follows him and embraces him from the
rear. They are miserable. BONNIE frees him and returns to
the bed. She falls on it face down. A gun presses into her
face. CLYDE sits in the window, the light silhouettes him.
He turns his face toward the glass and rests his head on the
window pane. BONNIE turns to him from bed. She smiles a
comforting smile at him. She rolls over onto her back. The
gun is now under her head and moves it. She sits up and
gestures to CLYDE. He remains at the window. She stares at
him. She looks toward the bathroom. She looks back at
CLYDE. She is moved and pained for him. She touches her
cheek with the gun and waits for him to be able to look at
her. Finally he does. Her look eases him and he almost
smiles.
INT. BUCK'S CAR. DAY.
Shot of little fuzzy doll tied by a white shoestring to the
rear-view mirror of a car. The car is moving; the doll is
bouncing up and down. In the front seat are BUCK and
BLANCHE BARROW. BUCK is a jovial, simple, big-hearted man.
A little chubby, given to raucous jokes, knee-slapping and
broad reactions. He is, in many ways, the emotional opposite
of his brother. It doesn't take much to make him happy.
BLANCHE, his wife, is the direct opposite of BONNIE.
36.
She is a housefrau, no more and no less, not terribly
bright, not very ambitious, cuddly, simpering, madly in love
with BUCK and desirous of keeping their lives on the straight
and narrow. As the scene begins we hear and then see BUCK,
driving, singing "The Great Speckled Bird." BLANCHE is
sitting next to him looking at a movie magazine, appearing
fairly miserable.
BUCK
(singing)
"What a beautiful thought I am
thinking
Concernin' that great speckled
bird,
Remember his name is recorded
on the pages of God's Holy word..."
BLANCHE
All right, now you did foolish
things as a young man, honey-love,
but you went and paid your debt to
society and that was right. But
now you just gettin' back in with
the criminal element.
BUCK
Criminal element! This is my
brother, darlin'. Shoot, he ain't
no more criminal than you are,
Blanche.
BLANCHE
Well, that ain't what I heard.
BUCK
Now word of mouth just don't go,
darlin', you gotta have the facts.
Shoot. Why he and me growed up
together, slept and worked side by
side.
(laughing)
God, what a boy he was!
BLANCHE
He's a crook.
BUCK
(chidingly)
Now you stop bad-mouthin' him,
Blanche. We're just gonna have us
a little family visit for a few
weeks and then we'll go back to
Dallas and I'll get me a job
somewheres.
(MORE)
37.
BUCK (CONT'D)
I just ain't gonna work in your
Daddy's church--That's final.
(laughing it off, singing)
"What a beautiful thought I am
thinking
Concernin' that great speckled
bird..."
CUT TO:
EXT. CABIN. THE FRONT OF THE MOTEL. DAY.
BUCK's car drives up to the cabin, honking the horn wildly.
The door of the cabin opens and CLYDE comes running out. He
is overjoyed to see his brother. BUCK jumps out of the car,
equally delighted. They hug each other.
CLYDE
(hugging him)
Buck!
BUCK
Clyde! You son of a bitch!
They laugh happily and begin sparring with each other,
faking punches and blocking punches--an old childhood ritual.
There is a great feeling of warmth between the two brothers.
CLYDE is more outgoing than we have ever seen him before.
CLYDE
How's ma? How's sister?
BUCK
Just fine, just fine. Send their
best to you.
CLYDE
(patting Buck's stomach)
Hey, you're fillin' out there.
Must be that prison food.
BUCK
Hell no!
(laughing)
It's married life. You know what
they say, it's the face powder that
gets a man interested, but it's the
baking powder that keeps him at
home.
(MORE)
38.
BUCK (CONT'D)
(he explodes with
laughter and so does
Clyde, who loves
Buck's jokes)
Hey! you gotta meet my wife. Hey,
honey, c'mon out here now and meet
my baby brother.
Camera swings to car. We see BLANCHE still sitting there,
her face obscured by the glint of sun on the windshield.
Slowly, she gets out of the car, still carrying the movie
magazine.
BLANCHE
(suspiciously, quite
the grand lady)
Howdy-do.
CLYDE
(shaking her hand)
Howdy-do. It's real nice to know
you.
BUCK beams with pleasure, thinking they must like each other.
BONNIE comes out of the cabin, standing on the steps. The
screen door slams behind her.
Close-up. BONNIE. Day--expressionless, looking it all over.
Scene 13 - Meet and Greet
- Overall: 7.0
- Concept: 6
- Plot: 7
- Characters: 8
- Dialogue: 7
BUCK and CLYDE notice nothing of this. BUCK bounds over to
BONNIE, all jollity.
BUCK
(grabbing her)
Well! You must be Bonnie! Now I
hear you been takin' good care of
the baby in the family. Well sis,
I'm real glad to meet you!
(he hugs her; BONNIE
just lets herself be hugged)
Say...
(breaking the hug)
I'd like you to meet my wife,
Blanche.
BONNIE
(stiffly)
Hello.
39.
BLANCHE
(stiffly)
Hello.
There is an awkward pause. Suddenly the screen door opens
and C.W. comes out, dressed in his long underwear. BLANCHE
can hardly stand it.
CLYDE
Everybody, this is C.W. Moss.
C.W., my brother Buck and his wife,
Blanche.
C.W.
(friendly)
Heighdy, y'all.
He pumps BUCK's hand vigorously and then goes to BLANCHE.
With his characteristic one-track intensity, he decides to
act just as friendly as he can with BLANCHE, ignoring the
fact that he's standing there in his underwear. BLANCHE,
however, is not ignoring it.
C.W.
Well how do, Mrs. Barrow. Or can I
call you Blanch? I sure am pleased
to meet you.
(shaking her hand;
Blanche is slowly
going crazy with mortification)
Did you have a hard time findin' us
here in this neck of the woods?
Well, you sure picked a good day
for it. Say, you got a Screenland
there! Any new photos of Myrna Loy?
She's my favorite picture star.
BLANCHE is starting to edge over to BUCK in sheer panic at
this strange, young man in his BVD's but C.W. takes no
notice of it.
BLANCHE finally grabs BUCK's arm. BONNIE watches it all,
smirking.
BUCK
Hey, lemme get the Kodak!
BUCK goes to his car and gets a folding Brownie camera.
CLYDE
(lighting up a cigar)
Hey, C.W., go put your pants on.
We're gonna take some pictures.
40.
BUCK
Y'all hear about the guy who
thought Western Union was a cowboy's
underwear?
BUCK and CLYDE and C.W. laugh heartily. C.W. goes into the
cabin. BUCK pushes BLANCHE and CLYDE together, posing them
for a picture.
BONNIE
Lemme get one of my bride and my
brother.
BLANCHE
(getting kittenish,
and overdoing it)
Buck! Don't take my picture now.
I'm just a mess from driving all day.
BUCK
Oh honey, now you look real fine.
BONNIE watches BLANCHE's behavior with hardly-veiled disgust.
BUCK snaps the picture as BLANCHE is just about to move out
of it.
BLANCHE
(with unbecoming
girlish outrage)
Did you take my picture? Oh Buck!
I declare--
BUCK laughs and goes to BONNIE, takes her by the arm and
moves her next to CLYDE and BLANCHE. He lines them up,
steps back and takes their picture. CLYDE is the only one
smiling.
CLYDE
(pulling out his gun
and posing like a
movie tough)
Hey, Buck, get one of this.
BUCK does.
BUCK
(giving Clyde the camera)
Clyde, you do one of me and my
missus.
He puts his arm around BLANCHE. CLYDE takes the picture.
41.
CLYDE
(throwing her a challenge)
Let me take on of Bonnie.
BONNIE grins at him and responds with amused arrogance.
BONNIE
(she yanks the cigar
from Clyde's mouth,
smokes it and poses)
Okay.
CLYDE snaps the picture. Everyone but BLANCHE laughs. C.W.
comes out dressed.
BUCK
(drawing Clyde aside)
Hey, brother, let's you and me do a
little talkin'.
CLYDE
(handing C.W. the camera)
Here, C.W., take the girls' picture.
Scene 14 - Boys' Clubhouse
- Overall: 8.0
- Concept: 8
- Plot: 7
- Characters: 9
- Dialogue: 8
They walk into the cabin. Camera goes with them. Bedroom
is dark, shades pulled down. There is an aura of boys'
clubhouse secret camaraderie in the following scene:
BUCK
(as soon as the door
is shut; conspiratorially)
It was you or him, wasn't it?
CLYDE
Huh?
BUCK
That guy you killed. You had to,
didn't ya?
CLYDE
(they are protecting
each other)
Yeah, he put me in a spot, so I had
to. He didn't have a Chinaman's
chance.
BUCK
But you had to--
CLYDE
Yeah. I had to.
42.
BUCK
(like two kids
keeping a secret from Mom)
Don't say nothin' to Blanche about
it.
CLYDE
Hey, that time you broke out of
jail, she talk you into goin' back?
BUCK
(it is obvious he had
hoped Clyde hadn't
known about it)
Yeah, you hear about that?
CLYDE
I won't say nothin' to Bonnie about
it.
BUCK
I appreciate it.
CLYDE
Yeah...say, what d'ya think of
Bonnie?
BUCK
She's a real peach.
There is now a long pause--a lull in the conversation, as if
they asked each other all the questions and are now out of
things to say. It is too much for BUCK, the natural enemy
of silence, who suddenly claps his hands together and bursts
out animatedly:
BUCK
Boy, are we gonna have us a good
time!
CLYDE
(matching his merriment)
We surely are!
BUCK
Yessir!
(a pause, then:)
What are we gonna do?
CLYDE
Well, how's this--I thought we'd
all go to Missouri. They ain't
lookin' for me there. We'll hole
up someplace and have us a regular
vacation. All right?
43.
BUCK
No trouble, now?
CLYDE
No trouble. I ain't lookin' to go
back to prison.
BUCK
Hey, what's this I hear about you
cuttin' up your toes, boy?
CLYDE
(ironically)
That ain't but half of it. I did
it so I could get off work detail--
breakin' those damned rocks with a
hammer day and night. Sure enough,
next week I got paroled. I walked
out of that god-forsaken jail on
crutches.
BUCK
Shoot--
CLYDE
Ain't life grand?
EXT. ROAD. DAY.
We see the two cars, one behind the other, driving down a
main road.
INT. FIRST CAR. DAY.
CLYDE is driving. BUCK sits next to him. No one else is in
the car.
BUCK
And the doc, he takes him aside,
says, "Son, your old mama just
gettin' weak and sickly layin'
there. I want you to persuade her
to take a little Brandy, y'know, to
pick her spirits up." "Why, doc,"
he says, "you know my mamma is a
teetotaler. She wouldn't touch a
drop." "Well, I tell you what," the
doc says, "why don't you bring her
a fresh quart of milk every day
from your farm, 'cept you fix it up
so half of it's Brandy and don't
let on!" So he does that, doctors
it up with Brandy, and his mamma
drinks some of it.
(MORE)
44.
BUCK (CONT'D)
And the next day he brings it again
and she drinks some more--and she
keeps it up every day. Finally,
one week later, he brings her the
milk and don't you know she just
shallows it all down, and looks at
her bag and says, "Son, whatever
you do, don't sell that cow!"
CLYDE and BUCK explode in laughter.
INT. SECOND CAR. DAY.
At the top of the laugh, cut to the int. of the second car,
riding right in back of them. The atmosphere is completely
unlike the cozy and jolly scene preceding. We have dead
silence. BONNIE is driving, smoking a cigarette, grim.
BLANCHE--seated as far away as she can get from BONNIE
without falling out of the car--makes a face at the cigarette
smoke, rolls down the window for air. C.W.'s in the back
seat, just staring.
CUT TO:
Scene 15 - Moving In
- Overall: 8.0
- Concept: 7
- Plot: 8
- Characters: 8
- Dialogue: 7
A residential street in Joplin, Missouri, showing a garage
apartment above a double garage. Camera sees BUCK talking
to a dapper gent with keys in his hand. BUCK pays him. The
man tips his hat and walks off. BUCK gestures and Clyde
drives a car into the driveway. C.W. follows, driving
BUCK's car with BLANCHE. CLYDE stops beside BUCK. BUCK
leans into CLYDE's car and says:
BUCK
I give him a month's rent in
advance. We're all set. Let's get
inside.
CLYDE calls back to C.W. in the following car.
CLYDE
Pull up and unload the stuff.
BUCK
(on the running board
of moving car)
Honey-love, I'm taking you into our
first home.
BLANCHE giggles. The two cars pull up before the garage and
the people start to descend.
45.
INT. GARAGE APARTMENT. DAY.
A winded BUCK enters and puts down BLANCHE. As others
behind him carry in their things and disperse throughout
apartment.
BLANCHE
Oh look, it's so clean, Buck. And
a Frigidaire...not an icebox!
BUCK
He give me the grocery number.
He goes to the phone.
BUCK
(continuing)
Lemme see, eh 4337...Operator...
please ma'm, may I have 4337...if
you please?
BLANCHE
Oh...they got linoleum on the
counter. Ain't that clever!
BUCK
Hello, Smitty's grocery...I'd like
to order a mess of groceries. Oh
yeah...eh 143 Hillsdale Street.
Lessee, about 8 pounds of porkchops,
4 pounds of red beans...a can of
Chase and Sandborn...uh.
BLANCHE
Oh, isn't this something, Daddy!
BUCK
Sshh. Uh...quart of milk...uh 8
bottles of Dr. Pepper and that's
it, I guess. No...no. Uh...a box
of Rice Krispies...Bye now.
CUT TO:
INT. LIVING ROOM. DAY.
Open on BONNIE and CLYDE. He is cleaning guns. She is
watching something off screen. We hear a clicking sound.
BLANCHE (O.S.)
My, you need a haircut, Daddy. You
look like a hillbilly boy.
46.
A look of disgust crosses BONNIE's face. CLYDE, who has
been watching her, smiles. The clicking sound increases
suddenly.
BUCK (O.S.)
Gotcha!
BLANCHE whoops. Camera cuts to see that BUCK and C.W. are
playing checkers and BUCK has just beaten him.
C.W.
Again.
BUCK
Boy, you ain't never gonna beat me
but you keep tryin' now.
He starts to set up the game again.
BLANCHE
Jest like an ol' man. Plays
checkers all the time and doesn't
pay any attention to his poor
lonely wife.
She ruffles his hair again.
BUCK
Cut it out now, honey. I'm gonna
teach this boy a lesson he'll never
forget.
Camera cuts to BONNIE, watching with disgust. Then slowly,
a wicked little smile edges across her face. She watches
for a moment more, then she rises and with the most ingenuous
look she can muster up, beckons to CLYDE to follow her into
the bedroom. A little puzzled, CLYDE follows.
Scene 16 - Intimacy in the Bedroom
- Overall: 8.0
- Concept: 7
- Plot: 7
- Characters: 9
- Dialogue: 8
BONNIE closes the door and immediately begins fussing with
CLYDE's hair, doing a scathing imitation of BLANCHE. Though
her miming expresses her irritation at being closeted with
the Barrow menage, it is also a peach doing an imitation of
a lemon--and it is disarmingly sensual... Indeed the mimicry
allows BONNIE to be physically freer with CLYDE, and allows
CLYDE to respond without anxiety, without self-consciousness.
We should have the distinct--if momentary--feeling that
CLYDE could suddenly make it with BONNIE.
47.
BONNIE
(doing an unmerciful imitation)
Oh, Daddy, you shore need a haircut.
You look just like a little old
hillbilly boy, I do declare.
(she has her other
hand toying with the
buttons on his shirt,
her hand slipping
under, fluttering
across his bare chest)
Oh mercy me, oh my stars!
CLYDE laughs, and BONNIE tugs at the shirt--she kneels on
the bed over CLYDE, who quite easily drapes across it.
BONNIE
(a little louder)
Oh, Daddy! Yore such a slowpoke!
She's letting her hair fall loose, its golden ends brushing
up and down CLYDE's body.
CLYDE
(amused, but cautionary)
Hush up a little. They're in the
next room.
BONNIE
(a mock-pout, but
with an edge to it)
Shoot, there's always somebody in
this room, the next room and ever'
other kind of room.
CLYDE has his arm around BONNIE, and she's almost draped
across him--but in the direction of the length of the bed,
so their bodies almost form a crooked cross. She digs an
elbow into his stomach.
CLYDE
Oof!...now that ain't no nice way
to talk about my brother.
BONNIE
(imitating Blanche
again with baby talk)
I ain't talking about your brother.
Suddenly BONNIE straightens up to a kneeling position again,
and cocks her head. When she speaks now it is with a simple
plaintiveness.
48.
BONNIE
Honey, do you ever just want to be
alone with Me?
(sensing Clyde's
sensitivity to the
sexual implication)
I don't just mean like that...I
mean do you ever have the notion of
us bein' out together and alone,
like at some fancy ball, or, I
don't know, where we walk in all
dressed and they announce us and
it's fancy and in public, but we're
alone somehow. We're separate from
everybody else, and they know it.
CLYDE looks up to BONNIE, affectionately. He runs his hand
carelessly down her body.
CLYDE
I always feel like we're separate
from everybody else.
BONNIE
(it's terribly
important to her)
Do you, baby?
Suddenly there is a ring at the door. BONNIE and CLYDE
freeze.
INT. LIVING ROOM.
BONNIE and CLYDE run out into the living room, camera going
with them.
BONNIE
(to all)
Quiet! I'll get it.
BONNIE goes down the stairs and reaches the front door.
BONNIE
Who is it?
VOICE
Groceries, M'am.
EXT. GARAGE APARTMENT.
She opens the door. A young man is there with the two big
sacks of groceries.
49.
BONNIE
How much?
YOUNG MAN
Six dollars and forty-three cents.
BONNIE pays him and goes to take the bags from him.
YOUNG MAN
Here, M'am, them bags is heavy.
Let me carry 'em up for you.
BONNIE
(curtly)
No thanks, I'll take 'em.
She takes the heavy bags and hefts them up and turns and
walks up the stairs. They are obviously very heavy for her.
Closeup the delivery boy's face, looking puzzled at this
behavior. BONNIE reaches the top steps, and voices are heard.
BUCK'S VOICE
What was it?
CLYDE'S VOICE
Quiet. Open the door.
BONNIE
C'mon, c'mon...
Close-up. The DELIVERY BOY. A look of suspicion comes
across his face.
DISSOLVE TO:
Scene 17 - Gunfight and Escape
- Overall: 8.0
- Concept: 7
- Plot: 9
- Characters: 7
- Dialogue: 6
Close-up of BONNIE--seated in the living room.
BONNIE
(reading from a pad;
in a recital voice)
It's called "The Ballad of Suicide
Sal."
(she pauses for
effect; then begins:)
"We each of us have a good alibi
For being down here in the 'joint';
But few of them really are justified
If you get right down to the point.
You've heard of a woman's glory
Being spent on a downright cur'."
50.
BUCK'S VOICE (O.S.)
You write that all by yourself?
BONNIE
You want to hear this or not?
As she reads, the camera pans around the room picking out
everyone's reaction. CLYDE is looking and listening
seriously. BUCK is grinning. C.W. is blank. BLANCHE is in
the kitchen cooking.
BONNIE
"Still you can't always judge the
story
As true, being told by her.
Now 'Sal' was a gal of rare beauty,
Though her features were coarse and
tough--"
BUCK
Yeah, I knew her. She was cockeyed
and had a hare-lip and no teeth!
BONNIE flashes him a look that could kill. He shuts up fast.
She continues:
BONNIE
"Now 'Sal' was a gal of rare
beauty,
Though her features were coarse and
tough;
She never once faltered from duty
To play on the 'up and up'."
Still listening, CLYDE gets up from his chair and walks
slowly past the living room windows. The camera angled
slightly above him, sees down the street. We see two police
cars quietly pulling up. One of them parks sideways in the
driveway to block escape from the garage, the other stays on
the street. CLYDE turns and looks out the window.
BONNIE
(o.s. as we see out
the window)
"Sal told me this tale on the
evening
Before she was turned out free,
And I'll do my best to relate it
Just as she told it to me--"
CLYDE
(seeing it)
It's the law.
51.
As soon as CLYDE calls out, BLANCHE drops the frying pan on
the floor and begins screaming. Camera cuts back to the
living room. Everyone else leaps into action. Guns begin
blazing from everywhere; we rarely see who is shooting at
whom.
EXT. GARAGE APARTMENT. DAY.
The police, down the stairs into the garage--we follow them
with a hand-held camera tracking rapidly.
EXT. STREET. DAY.
BLANCHE, however, in utter panic, just runs right out the
front door, and begins running down the quiet residential
street, going nowhere, anywhere.
EXT. GARAGE APARTMENT. DAY.
BUCK, crouching, shooting with one hand, gets the garage
door open. A policeman fires. BUCK fires back and the cop
falls dead in the street. BUCK, firing, dashes to the
police car blocking their escape and releases the hand brake.
CLYDE, BONNIE and C.W. leap into their car, gun the motor,
still shooting madly. Two more police fall dead or wounded.
One policeman is hurled through a fence by the blast of a
sawed-off shotgun. BUCK jumps into the car with the others.
They now begin to bump the police car with their car. The
police car picks up speed as they push it and it tears into
the street right at the group of firing police. The gang's
car turns into the street toward the running BLANCHE.
BONNIE and CLYDE are in front; BUCK and C.W. in the back
seat firing back at police. The car pulls alongside the
wildly running BLANCHE; the back door is flung open and in
almost the style of a cartoon, two hands reach out and lift
her off her feet and pull her into the car. They speed away.
CUT TO:
INT. CAR. DAY.
The inside of the car, still speeding. BLANCHE is hysterical.
C.W. is still firing out the window. The pursuing police
car's driver is shot and the car crashes into a tree. The
gang is not being pursued now, but CLYDE is driving at 90.
BLANCHE is moaning and crying. BONNIE, in front, turns
around furiously.
BONNIE
Dammit, you almost got us killed!
52.
BLANCHE
(crying)
What did I do wrong? I s'pose
you'd be happier if I got shot.
BONNIE
(at her bitchiest)
Yeah, it would of saved us all a
lot of trouble.
BLANCHE
Buck, don't let that woman talk to
me like that!
BUCK
(caught in the middle
of a bad situation,
knowing Blanche is
wrong, but trying to
soothe her)
You shouldn't have done it, Blanche.
(quietly, cont.)
It was a dumb thing to do.
BLANCHE
(switching tactics)
Please, Buck, I didn't marry you to
see you shot up! Please, let's go!
Let's get out of here and leave.
Make him stop the car and let us out!
BUCK
(still quietly)
Can't. I killed a man. We're in
this now.
BLANCHE
(loud and shrill)
Please! Please!
BONNIE
(exploding)
Shut up! Just shut up your big
mouth! At least do that, will ya,
just shut up.
CLYDE
Cut it out, Bonnie.
BONNIE is affronted. BLANCHE continues sobbing.
BONNIE
(curtly)
Stop the car. I want to talk to you.
53.
Without a word, CLYDE stops the car.
Scene 18 - Argument and News
- Overall: 8.0
- Concept: 7
- Plot: 9
- Characters: 8
- Dialogue: 9
BONNIE and CLYDE get out and walk fifteen feet away from the
car. Both are irritated and touchy. Camera follows them.
CLYDE
(coldly)
What is it?
BONNIE
Get rid of her.
CLYDE
Can't do that. She's Buck's wife.
BONNIE
(snapping her words)
Get rid of both of them then.
CLYDE
Why? What's the matter with you
anyway?
BONNIE
She's what's the matter with me, a
damn stupid back country hick
without a brain in her head.
(contemptuously)
She ain't nothin' but prunes and
proverbs.
CLYDE
(really pissed-off at Bonnie)
What makes you any better? What
makes you so damn special? You're
just a West Dallas waitress who
spent half your time pickin' up
truck drivers!
This hits home with BONNIE. He has said the unforgivable.
BONNIE
(raising her voice)
You talk to me like that! Big
Clyde Barrow, just the same as your
brother, an ignorant uneducated
hillbilly.
(with deadly archness)
Only special thing about you is
your peculiar ideas about
lovemakin'--which is no love makin'
at all.
54.
CLYDE stiffens. The two of them stand silent and tense,
almost quivering with anger. They have stripped each other
raw. CLYDE turns and looks back at the car. Everyone is
waiting, watching them. He breathes a deep sigh, like a man
counting to 10 to hold his temper.
CLYDE
Look, Bonnie--
He can't finish.
Close. BONNIE. She drops her head into her hand for a
moment, comes up a little more relaxed. She looks at CLYDE
and her eyes reflect the realization of the pain she has
inflicted on him. She softens.
BONNIE
Clyde...honey...I didn't mean all
that, honey. Blame it on all that
shootin', I just felt so bad...sure
enough...Clyde?
CLYDE
Okay...Okay, hon...let's get
movin'...
He turns and begins walking back to the car. BONNIE walks
alongside him. On the few steps back, she regains all her
dignity and acts aloof from the others waiting for her. She
reaches the car. CLYDE opens her door for her and she gets
in like a great lady. He walks around to his side, gets in,
and they drive off.
WIDE SHOT. EXT. CAR. DAY.
A very wide shot. We see CLYDE's car driving along a wooded
road. For a moment that is all we see, then we should
become aware that far in the distance another car is
following CLYDE's.
Close. Rural mail box. On the opposite side of the road,
CLYDE's car swings across the road and CLYDE, who is driving,
snatches a newspaper which protrudes from the box and hands
it into the car. They drive out of the shot. Camera holds
and soon the following car enters the shot. The man driving
is a Texas ranger. He drives slowly. He drives out of the
shot.
INT. CLYDE'S CAR.
BUCK is reading from the paper.
55.
BUCK
(jubilantly)
Hey, y'all, listen to this here:
Law enforcement officers throughout
the Southwest are frankly amazed at
the way in which will-of-the-wisp
bandit Clyde Barrow and his yellow-
haired companion, Bonnie Parker,
continue to elude their would-be
captors. Since engaging the police
in a gun battle on the streets of
Joplin Missouri and slaying three
of their number...
BLANCHE
Oh, Lord...
We notice CLYDE is wincing.
BUCK
...the Barrow gang has been reported
as far West as White City, New
Mexico, and as far north as Chicago.
They have been credited with
robbing the Mesquite Bank in the
aforementioned White City, the J.J.
Landry Oil Refinery in Arp, Texas,
the Sanger City National Bank in
Denton, Texas on three different
occasions. In addition to these
robberies, the fast travelling
Barrows have been rumored to have
had a hand in the robbing of two
Piggly Wiggly stores in Texas, and
one A&P store in Missouri, though
Chief Percy Hammond, who first
identified Clyde Barrow's brother,
Buck, as a member of the gang,
expressed some doubt that these
last robberies were committed by
the Barrow Gang alone.
BONNIE
Go on.
C.W.
(finally)
Clyde, we ain't goin' to see a
restroom for another thirty miles.
Why don't you just stop here?
CLYDE looks relieved.
56.
EXT. WOODED AREA. DAY.
He pulls the car to a stop, gets out and goes off into the
woods. We watch him vanish behind the trees.
INT. CAR.
BUCK still scanning the newspaper.
BUCK
(with a laugh)
Hey now, here's something! Listen
here: Lone Cop Arrests Two Officers
In Hunt For Barrow. Police Officer
Howard Anderson's heart turned
faster than his motorcycle when he
forced to the side of the road a
roaring black V-8 sedan in which
were three men and a blondheaded
woman yesterday afternoon.
Everybody laughs. As BUCK continues to read, his voice
remaining on the soundtrack.
Scene 19 -
- Overall: 0.0
- Concept: 0
- Plot: 0
- Characters: 0
- Dialogue: 0
The camera goes outside the car and pulls back, way back, to
reveal a police car quietly driving up behind the car. The
car stops a good distance away and one man gets out, the
only occupant of the car. He is tall, dressed in the
uniform of the Texas Ranger. He draws his gun and slowly
approaches the car from the rear. On the soundtrack BUCK's
voice continues; as we see all this taking place.
BUCK
When he saw several machine guns in
the car he was certain he'd caught
Clyde Barrow, Bonnie Parker, and
maybe Buck Barrow and the third
unidentified member of the gang.
It took a lot of telephoning and
explaining to convince the
motorcycle cop that his captives
were two highway patrolmen and a
blonde-haired stenographer from the
Highway Patrol--. Haw! Haw!
(everybody busts up
with laughter)
In the meantime, on screen, the lawman is slowly approaching
the back of the car. Suddenly, cut to shot of CLYDE coming
out of the woods, behind the lawman. His gun is tucked in
his pants. In a second, he sees what is happening.
57.
BUCK's voice is continuing:
BUCK
Anderson was held up as an example
for every other Texas peace officer
today. "That was a mighty brave
thing," explained Highway Patrol
Chief L.C. Winston.
CLYDE whips out his gun. The following scene is played
exactly like a classic fast-draw in an heroic Western.
CLYDE
Sheriff!
BRYCE spins around. Both men fire instanteously, but CLYDE
has the draw on him, and the aim. The gun goes flying from
the SHERIFF's hand. A really razzle-dazzle display of
grandstand marksmanship from Clyde.
Immediately the gang leaps from the car and surrounds the
man, guns drawn.
C.W.
Boy! What a shot, Clyde!
BUCK
Sweet Jesus, I never seen shootin'
like that!
The gang grabs the man and takes his handcuffs from his belt.
CLYDE makes him lean on the car's hood, arms extended, legs
spread, while he frisks him. In general, everyone is
excited over the capture. BONNIE takes the sheriff's gun
and delicately places it on the radiator grill like an
object d'art.
CLYDE
(examining the man's
wallet, really surprised)
Well, now, getta load of this. I
want y'all to know we are in the
custody of Cap'n Frank Bryce, and
Frank here is a Texas Ranger.
Rev. angle across hood--so BRYCE's face, not visible to
CLYDE or anyone else behind him, is in foreground. His
gnarled, powerful hands tremble slightly on the hood, as tho
they might crinkle the metal like so much tissue paper. His
eyes stare toward camera relentlessly, unblinking, but
without passion. They are shark's eyes. They have witnessed
much carnage, devoured it, and are still wide open for more.
58.
C.W.
Sure 'nough, Clyde?
BUCK
Say there, peacemaker. I believe
you got your spurs all tangled up.
You're in Missouri, you know that?
CLYDE has been going thru the man's credentials. Not so
pleasantly:
CLYDE
You didn't know you was in Missouri?
C.W.
He's lost, this here Texas Ranger.
CLYDE claps BRYCE's hands behind his back, handcuffs him,
spins him around.
CLYDE
(a little pissed)
--he ain't lost...them banks are
offerin' extra reward money fer us,
and Frank figured on easy pickin's,
didn't you?
(he suddenly knocks
Bryce's hat off)
Didn't you?
BRYCE flinches involuntarily. BUCK suddenly grows wary at
CLYDE's mood. CLYDE leans into BRYCE, looking up.
CLYDE
--Now you ain't hardly doin' your
job, Texas Ranger. You oughta be
home lookin' after the rights of
poor folks, not out chasin' after us.
He suddenly hefts BRYCE's huge bulk onto the fender.
BUCK
(trying to be casual)
Easy there, Clyde. Why take is so
personal.
CLYDE
(to Bryce)
Reg'lar laws is one thing. But
this here bounty hunting, we got to
discourage that.
BLANCHE looks very uncomfortable. She starts to say
something, but BUCK intervenes.
59.
BUCK
Like how, Clyde?--
A tense moment. CLYDE can't think of anything right away.
C.W.
(trying to be helpful)
Shoot him.
BONNIE shoots C.W. an angry glance--it's just what the gang
doesn't want.
C.W.
(trying again)
...hang him?...
Reaction--BONNIE carefully gauging the moment to intervene.
BONNIE
(suddenly)
--uh-uh. Take his picture.
CLYDE's not sure he's heard right. Neither is C.W.
C.W.
Take his picture?
BONNIE
(pointedly ignoring
C.W., brightly)
Then we'll let the newspapers have
it--so's everyone can see Captain
Frank Bryce of the Texas Rangers
with the Barrow gang--
(moving demurely to Bryce)
--and all bein' just as friendly as
pie.
BUCK
(grasping
possibilities immediately)
...yeah, yeah...
BONNIE
(continuing right on,
coyly picking up
Bryce's gun from grill)
--why we 'bout the friendliest
folks in the world. Texas Ranger
waves his big ol' gun at us, and we
just welcome him like he's one of
our own.
60.
CLYDE
(grinning widely)
Buck, get the Kodak!
BUCK
(relieved and excited)
Hot dog!
CLYDE
(to Bryce)
We're mighty proud to have a Texas
Ranger in the family.
BRYCE is obviously not pleased with this turn of events.
Following dialogue is overlapped, ad-libbed, etc. A sense
of mounting glee at the kind of vengeance they are going to
exact.
New angle. BUCK is fiddling with the camera, setting up the
shot with CLYDE. BUCK's following speech should be heard,
b.g., to CLYDE's speech below it.
BUCK
...keep him set on the hood,
there...more to the sun, like
that...yeah...when all his ranger
friends see this...I bet he's gonna
wish he was dead!
CLYDE
(to Bryce)
...see what come o' your
mischief?...not doin' your job?
Down in Duncanville last year poor
farmers kepts the laws away from us
with shot guns...you're s'posed to
be protectin' them from us, and
they're protectin' us from you.
(giggling)
--don't make sense, do it?
BUCK
C'mon, now, Clyde, you and Bonnie
first. Move into him, right close,
right friendly.
CLYDE
All righty
(to Bryce, whose
hands are tied,
hemmed in by them both)
Don't move, now, hear?
61.
CLYDE grandly puts an arm on BRYCE's shoulder, BONNIE,
looking up admiringly from the other side. BUCK takes the
picture. BONNIE immediately hops onto the hood, next to
BRYCE.
BONNIE
How's this? "Captain Bryce and new
found friend."
She coyly loosens his tie, tousles his hair, and plants a
big kiss on him while still ogling camera.
CLYDE
...yeah, yeah...quick, Buck, get
it...
BUCK
...I'm gettin' it, I'm gettin' it.
Quite suddenly BRYCE, whose simmering intensity we should be
more sensitive to than the gang is, spits on Bonnie. BONNIE
half-screams in disgust, but CLYDE is on top of BRYCE in a
flash, half-strangling on his own fury. He pulls BRYCE off
the fender by the handcuffs, spinning him around crazily
like a lasso. BRYCE is literally ricocheted off the car by
the force, and, with CLYDE hanging on by the cuffs, plummets
down the embankment to the sandy beach below, both men
falling, spinning. BRYCE rises shakily. He tries to walk
away. CLYDE grabs him again by the handcuffs and hurls him
out into the water. BRYCE smacks into a tree stump poking
out of the shallows and goes down. CLYDE is on top of him.
Meanwhile, BUCK has rushed down into the water, tries to
pull CLYDE off BRYCE.
BUCK
(frantic)
I got the picture. I got the
picture...
CLYDE
(oblivious)
Lemme be, lemme be...
BRYCE reaches the surface and CLYDE tries to throw him into
deeper water. He hitches BRYCE over a moldy skiff, knocking
aside one of the oars. BUCK upends BRYCE into the skiff and
kicks it spinning. CLYDE picks up an oar and hurls it like
a boomerang, ass over end at the skiff. It kicks up a spray.
BUCK
(holding tightly to
Clyde, yelling)
I got the PICTURE!
62.
Reaction. CLYDE waist deep, breathing heavily.
CLYDE
...All right, all right...
(to Bryce, yelling)
WE GOT YOU...HEAR?... REMEMBER...
YOU... YOUR FACE...WE GOT IT...WE
GOT YOU...WE GOT YOU...WE GOT YOU...
BRYCE, battered and handcuffed, stares back with mindless
malice from the lazily spinning skiff to the hysterical
spectre of CLYDE, screaming his madness across the water.
DISSOLVE:
Scene 20 - Successful Bank Robbery
- Overall: 8.0
- Concept: 7
- Plot: 9
- Characters: 7
- Dialogue: 6
Inside the bank. In contrast to the previous inept bank
robbery scene, this one goes admirably well, the gang
performing slickly and without a hitch. As they enter,
dripping wet, CLYDE makes a general announcement to everyone
to the bank.
CLYDE
This is the Barrow gang.
(the people turn and freeze)
Everybody just take it easy and
nobody will get hurt.
CLYDE covers the door. BONNIE and BUCK go to the tellers'
cages and get money. BUCK goes inside, emptying out the
cash drawers. Cut to BONNIE filling the sack.
Cut to a close-up of a burglar alarm button. Slowly a hand
crawls up the wall and a finger slowly moves to push the
button. When the finger is about one inch away, suddenly a
gun appears in the frame and gently taps the hand away. The
camera pulls back to reveal BUCK smiling at a lady teller.
BUCK
Don't do nothin' silly now.
Cut to CLYDE standing near the door, training his guns on
the entire bank. A farmer stands a few feet away, some
bills clutched in his hand.
CLYDE
That your money or the bank's?
FARMER
Mine.
CLYDE
Keep it, then.
63.
Across the floor, the bank guard in the corner takes
advantage of CLYDE's distraction to go for his gun. CLYDE
spots it and fires a shot that just knocks the bank guard's
hat off without harming him.
CLYDE
(to the guard, who
has practically
frozen in fear)
Next time I'll aim a little lower.
They finish robbing the bank. They start to exit. Near the
door stands a guard with his hands raised. He wears sun
glasses of the period. As they leave BUCK snatches the sun
glasses from the guard's head.
BUCK
Get a good look at us! We're the
Barrow boys.
EXT. BANK. DAY.
The gang runs wildly into the street where the car waits,
motor running. As they leap into car, BUCK throws the sun
glasses into BLANCHE's lap.
BUCK
Happy birthday.
They zoom off. Shots are heard. BONNIE, BUCK and CLYDE
begin firing at the bank guards who are pursuing them. The
guards fire back.
Close-up. BLANCHE sitting in the back seat with her fingers
stuck tightly in her ears, eyes shut, trying to overcome her
panic. A funny image, but one that also awakens pity. The
next sequence is carried out in cross-cutting.
CUT TO:
The street in front of the bank. Police car pulls up and
the excited crowd gestures in the direction of the departed
gang. The siren starts.
CUT TO:
INT. GANG CAR. DAY.
The siren heard now in the far distance.
BUCK
(to C.W. at the wheel)
Kick it in the pants, C.W.
64.
CLYDE
We got to make that state line!
C.W.
(driving like a wild
man, but adlibing loudly)
Can't get more'n this out of a
Plymouth!
CUT TO:
INT. BANK.
The gang has left a legacy of celebrity behind. We see the
bank guard whose hat was shot off being interviewed by a
reporter. He is seated in a chair, his shirt open at the
collar and a woman teller is fanning him.
BANK GUARD
(enjoying the limelight)
Then he saw me goin' for my gun.
Clyde Barrow himself, I mean. And
suddenly I was starin' into the
face of death!
WOMAN TELLER
Tsk, tsk.
A photographer steps in.
PHOTOGRAPHER
Just look this way, Mr. Hawkins.
The bank guard hurriedly buttons up his collar and smiles as
the flashbulb goes off.
CUT TO:
EXT. GANG CAR.
Still speeding along, the siren more distant.
CUT TO:
INT. BANK.
The bank president and a policeman are posing for that
classic picture where both stand flanking a bullet hole in
the wall and point proudly at it. The flashbulb goes off.
CUT TO:
65.
INT. POLICE CAR.
Two men in police uniforms following BONNIE and CLYDE.
FIRST POLICEMAN
Step on it, Randolph. We gotta
catch 'em 'fore they reach the
state line!
CUT TO:
INT. BANK.
FARMER is describing BONNIE and CLYDE to passersby who dote
on him as though he'd just had contact with a portion of the
true cross. FARMER is aware of his position.
FARMER
Clyde?...he looked like, well he
looked real...clean...and Bonnie,
she's too much a lady ever to be
caught with a cigar in her mouth...I
don't care what you heard before.
I saw 'em right here, not twenty
minutes ago...
(gravely)
--and all's I can say is, they did
right by me, and I'm bringin' me a
mess of flowers to their funeral.
CUT TO:
INT. GANG'S CAR.
Car slows up perceptibly as CLYDE says:
CLYDE
Okay, relax. We're in Oklahoma now.
Slow down.
CUT TO:
Scene 21 - Escape and Arguments
- Overall: 8.0
- Concept: 7
- Plot: 8
- Characters: 9
- Dialogue: 7
FIRST POLICEMAN
Turn around. Don't waste no more
gas.
SECOND POLICEMAN
(a young eager beaver type)
Ain't we gone to catch 'em?
66.
FIRST POLICEMAN
Hell, they're over the State line.
That's out of our jurisdiction.
SECOND POLICEMAN
Why don't we get 'em anyway?
FIRST POLICEMAN
I ain't gone to risk my life in
Oklahoma. That's their problem.
CUT TO:
EXT. CAR.
Now the gang's car is seen traveling down a long, narrow
country road surrounded by cornfields.
CUT TO:
Scene 22 - The Argument and The Split
- Overall: 8.0
- Concept: 9
- Plot: 8
- Characters: 8
- Dialogue: 7
They get out, taking the various bags of money with them,
and dump the lot on the hood. There is not an impressive
amount of money.
CLYDE
(disappointed)
Hell. That ain't much, is it?
BUCK
(commiseratingly)
Times is hard,
CLYDE
Well, let's get to it.
He begins dealing and splitting the money out on the hood of
the car, as they gather around.
CLYDE
This is Clyde Barrow.
(lays down a bill)
Buck Barrow...
(lays down a bill)
Bonnie Parker...C.W.
(goes back to the
first again and lays
out another round)
Clyde, Buck...Bonnie...C.W. Clyde,
Clyde again...Buck...Bonnie...C.W.
BUCK and BLANCHE stand watching. BLANCHE looks fretful.
She nudges BUCK and whispers to him.
67.
BUCK whispers something back to her. Meanwhile, CLYDE's
counting still goes on.
CLYDE
Bonnie...C.S....Clyde...
BUCK
(very ill at east in
this position he has
been forced into)
Um...eh...Clyde?
CLYDE
Hah?
BUCK is clearly embarrassed.
BUCK
Uh, Clyde...well...what about
Blanche?
Everyone reacts with stunned amazement at BLANCHE's nerve in
wanting to get her cut.
BONNIE
(incredulous)
WHAT?
BLANCHE sees she has to rise to her own defense, and she
rises to the occasion with spirit and verve.
BLANCHE
Well, why not? Say I earned my
share! Same as everybody. I
coulda got killed same as everybody,
and I'm wanted by the law same as
everybody. Besides I coulda got
snake bit sleepin' in them woods
every night!
(building it up)
I'm just a nervous wreck and that's
the truth. And I have to listen to
sass from Miss Bonnie Parker all
the time. I deserve mine!
Close. BUCK. Day--looking at CLYDE, his face full of weak
smiles and embarrassment at his wife.
CLYDE
(with a sigh)
Okay...okay...hold your horses,
Blanche. You'll get your share.
68.
BONNIE is livid but says nothing. CLYDE, the leader has
decided. C.W. looks indignant, like a hog who's just been
given a bath. CLYDE begins counting all over again in near
silence.
BUCK
Married a preacher's daughter and
she still thinks she's takin' the
collection.
Everyone now laughs, but BLANCHE. CLYDE continues counting.
BUCK
(to Blanche)
Well, don't spend it all in one
place now, hear?
BONNIE
She'll be doin' right well to spend
it at all.
BONNIE turns and ambles away from the car. After a moment
CLYDE stops counting and moves after her. He's prepared for
a fight, stands behind BONNIE's arched back trying to gauge
the degree of hostility there.
CLYDE
Bonnie?
No answer.
CLYDE
(a little defensive)
Look, Bonnie, I've said it and I
guess I'll keep sayin' it before
we're thru--Blanche is Buck's wife
and Buck is family.
He waits expectantly.
BONNIE
(finally, utterly
without malice)
--she's such a silly-Billy...
BONNIE looks plaintively to CLYDE.
BONNIE
My family could use some of that
money.
69.
CLYDE
Them laws have been hangin' round
your mamas house 'til all hours,
Bonnie. It's just too risky to go
there.
BONNIE
(exploding)
Well, where can we go? We rob the
damn banks, what else do we do?
CLYDE cannot really answer. Suddenly C.W. starts yelling:
C.W.
CLYDE! CLYDE! CLYDE!
CLYDE flinches at the sound. C.W. comes bounding over, as
rude an assault on their sensibilities as he can be.
CLYDE
(wincing as they are
nose to nose)
I hear you, C.W.
C.W.
This ol' heap's gushin' oil! We
got to swipe us another set of
wheels right away, or we won't get
anywhere. Look here.
He reaches down under the pan of the car and scoops a gooey
handful of slick black oil which he holds before their faces.
C.W.
See?
CLYDE nods slowly. He looks back to BONNIE. He sees.
DISSOLVE:
Scene 23 - The Chase
- Overall: 8.0
- Concept: 7
- Plot: 9
- Characters: 9
- Dialogue: 7
A residential neighborhood on a suburban street. A rather
well-to-do neighborhood. The camera is up on a porch of a
white frame house, looking toward the street. On the porch,
sitting in the swing in the left f.g. are a MAN and a WOMAN.
She is about twenty-nine, he is about thirty-six. He is
sitting with his back to us, embracing the WOMAN. They are
spooning, making low, loving murmurs.
WOMAN
Oh, now...now, dear...
70.
MAN
Mmmm...sweet thing...
We see in the distance two cars parked in front of the house.
His and hers. Suddenly we see another car drive up (BONNIE
and CLYDE) and somebody gets out. Then the whole gang gets
out, ditches the one car and gets in one of the parked cars.
All the while the couple on the porch is busy spooning. The
car begins to roll slowly into the street. The WOMAN notices.
WOMAN
Say, isn't that your car, Eugene?
MAN
(still nuzzling her)
Mmmmmm...huh?
(he looks, leaps from
the swing)
That's my car! Hey!
The MAN and WOMAN run down the front steps and front walk to
the second car. They jump in and take off, giving chase.
INT. CAR. DAY.
The WOMAN is driving (it's her car). The MAN is furious.
EUGENE
I'll tear 'em apart! Those punks!
Steal a man's car right out from
under him! Wait till I get my
hands on those kids, Velma, I'll
show 'em!
They continue driving, furious, the man cursing and muttering.
We see through their windshield the other car way in the
distance.
VELMA
What if they have guns, Eugene?
EUGENE
(realizing the
possibility, he
suddenly stops being
mad and turns chicken)
We'd better get the police and let
them handle this.
VELMA
Right.
71.
EUGENE
Turn around and let's get back to
town. We'll go get the sheriff.
They are by now on a narrow dirt road and the WOMAN has to
execute a U-turn. It takes her about seven cuts to turn the
car around in the narrow space. They start back to town.
CUT TO:
INT. BONNIE AND CLYDE'S CAR.
BUCK looks out the rear window.
BUCK
They stopped chasin' us. They
turned around.
Close-up. CLYDE grinning mischievously.
CLYDE
Let's take 'em.
BUCK and C.W. laugh appreciatively at the reversal. CLYDE
turns the car around. He performs the U-turn in the same
narrow space in one, swift, smooth, beautiful turn.
CUT TO:
INT. THE OTHER CAR.
VELMA looks in the rear view mirror and sees that now she is
being chased.
VELMA
Oh, my Lord, they're comin' after us.
EUGENE
(in a panic)
Step on it, Velma, step on it!
Close-up. Accelerator. VELMA jams it down to the floor.
The car speeds.
EXT. ROAD. THE CHASE. DAY.
BONNIE and CLYDE's car gaining on them, gaining on them,
gaining on them and finally overtaking them, coming up and
ahead, forcing them to the side of the road.
Med. shot. The MAN and WOMAN's car. Terrified, they roll
up their windows, lock their doors and huddle together.
72.
EXT. ROAD.
The Barrow gang piles out of their car and walks over,
having a merry time. They surround the car and press their
faces against the window, flattening their features, making
menacing gestures at the shaking pair inside. We see this
from the point of view of the MAN and WOMAN inside the car.
CLYDE pulls out a gun, makes as if to shoot, but he is
kidding. They all laugh uproariously, especially BUCK who
is delighted with CLYDE's prank. All of this we see in
pantomime from inside the trapped car.
EXT. CAR.
CLYDE
C'mon, get out! Get out of there,
I said.
They come out, hands held high, shaking with fear. They
have practically turned to jelly.
CLYDE
(ordering them into
the other car)
Get in here.
Scene 24 - The Barrows Kidnap Company
- Overall: 9.0
- Concept: 8
- Plot: 8
- Characters: 9
- Dialogue: 9
They get in and the gang gets in. Seven people are now
jammed inside. CLYDE drives, BONNIE next to him, C.W. next
to her. In back, BLANCHE, then EUGENE with VELMA (of
necessity) sitting on his lap, and then BUCK. As will be
seen, the reason the Barrows have kidnapped the couple is
simply that they wanted company. Living as they do, seeing
only each other day after day, they long for diversion and
new faces. So the atmosphere in the car will shortly change
to one of friendliness and jollity, and it will get
progressively more so in the series of cuts which advance
the time. As the car starts up at the beginning, however,
the MAN and WOMAN are terrified.
BUCK
What's your name?
EUGENE
(hesitantly)
I'm Eugene Grizzard.
VELMA
I'm Velma Davis.
73.
BUCK
(just as friendly as
he can be)
Well, howdy! We're the Barrow gang.
That there is Clyde drivin' and I'm
Buck.
The MAN and WOMAN almost faint from fear; clutch at each
other. The gang all laugh at this. VELMA and EUGENE begin
to realize that they are not going to get hurt and that the
Barrows are friendly to them.
BONNIE
Look, don't be scared, folks. It
ain't like you was the law. You're
just folks like us.
EUGENE
(agreeing over-enthusiastically)
Yeah, yeah, that's the truth.
CLYDE
I expect you been readin' about us.
The MAN and the WOMAN answer simultaneously with what they
think is the right thing to say under the circumstances.
EUGENE
Yes.
VELMA
No.
They glare at each other.
EUGENE
(meaningfully)
Yes, Velma, we have too.
BONNIE
(laughing at the contretemps)
Well, you two must be in love, I bet.
EUGENE and VELMA blush, get shy for a second. BONNIE smiles.
BUCK
(gleefully, clapping
his hands)
Well, when you gonna marry the
girl, boy?
Everyone chuckles heartily.
CUT TO:
74.
INT. CAR. LATER.
--still driving, same positions, but some time has elapsed.
The atmosphere is now completely convivial and the captives
are enjoying their new friends. As the scene starts, BUCK
is finishing his joke.
BONNIE
So then she drinks her milk down
again, every drop. And she looks
over at her son and says, "Son,
whatever you do, don't sell that
cow!"
The couple laughs with great amusement, but everyone else in
the car doesn't laugh--this is the tenth time they've heard
the joke.
CUT TO:
INT. OF CAR.
--getting on toward evening. All are thoroughly relaxes and
chatting.
BONNIE
(to Velma)
How old are you, honey?
VELMA
Thirty-three.
A sudden look of surprise registers on EUGENE's face.
Scene 25 - The Party in the Car
- Overall: 9.0
- Concept: 8
- Plot: 9
- Characters: 7
- Dialogue: 8
It is now night. Everyone inside the car is eating.
Apparently they stopped somewhere along the way for food.
In the crowded interior, it is like a party--food is being
passed back and forth, laughter and gaiety, increasing
warmth between the couple and the Barrows. The car has
become a little society on wheels, dashing through the black
night down the highway. Inside there is a small world of
happiness and fun.
BUCK is unpacking the food and passing sandwiches and drinks
around the car.
VELMA
Now I ordered some French fries,
didn't I?
75.
BUCK
(passing her some)
Yeah, here you go.
CLYDE
Take it easy on those French fries,
Velma. Ain't that right, Eugene?
EUGENE
(studying his hamburger)
This isn't mine. I ordered mine
well done. Who's got the other
hamburger?
Close-up. C.W. who has already taken a bite of the other one.
C.W.
Oh, is this supposed to be yours?
He extends the bitten burger out to EUGENE.
Full shot.
EUGENE
That's okay, forget it.
CLYDE laughs at this.
BUCK
(chewing)
Haw! I sure am havin' a good time!
How 'bout you folks? Ain't you
glad we picked you up?
CLYDE
(laughing)
Hey, maybe y'all ought to join up
with us.
That idea strikes everyone as being very amusing.
EUGENE
(laughing)
Ha! Wouldn't they be surprised
back home to hear that?
VELMA
Yeah. What would Martha and Bill
say if they heard that?
(she roars with laughter)
(MORE)
76.
VELMA (CONT'D)
EUGENE
Lordy! They'd throw a fit!
(roars with laughter)
BONNIE
(laughing)
What do you do, anyway?
EUGENE
(as his laugh begins
to fade)
I'm an undertaker.
Suddenly everyone freezes. A shudder, as if the cold hand
of death had suddenly touched the occupants of the car. The
atmosphere changes to cold, deadly, fearful silence in
exactly one second. It is a premonition of death for the
Barrows, and they react accordingly, BONNIE especially.
Close-up. BONNIE.
BONNIE
(tautly, in a flat voice)
Get them out of here.
EXT. ROAD. NIGHT.
The car brakes to a sudden stop. The rear down is opened,
the MAN and WOMAN flung out into the darkness. The car
drives off into the lonely night.
From this point on, the audience should realize that death
is inevitable for the Barrow gang, that it follows them
always, that it waits anywhere. It is no longer a question
of whether death will come, but when it will.
EXT. WOODS. MORNING.
Moving with CLYDE he tears through the brush, snagging his
clothes, calling BONNIE's name. CLYDE's search is so
desperate here that for a moment we might think he is
fleeing from something rather than looking for something.
In a moment he emerges onto the road. The car, with C.W.
driving, and BUCK and BLANCHE beside him, is patrolling
slowly up ahead of him.
CLYDE spots it and runs toward it. Hold on this angle until
he catches up with it and leaps onto the running board.
77.
Moving shot. Car. Morning. CLYDE, now on the running
board, his head poked into the car, his face apple red and
sweating.
CLYDE
(breathing heavily)
...see anythin', Buck?
BUCK is shocked at his brother's desperation, but makes no
overt comment on it.
BUCK
--not yet, boy.
CLYDE
(with an edge of
paranoia, as if the
three of them might
be withholding
something from him)
--and nobody saw her leave, or
heard anythin'
(almost a threat)
...C.W....?
Scene 26 - Chasing Bonnie
- Overall: 8.0
- Concept: 8
- Plot: 8
- Characters: 8
- Dialogue: 7
CLYDE gets the point. For the very first time we see CLYDe,
the leader, helpless as he hangs onto the running board.
CLYDE
(lamely)
...Well, where do you think she
could've gone?...Buck?...Buck?
BUCK
(amazed and a little frightened)
Jesus, I don't know...
CLYDE looks helplessly at his brother, then drops off the
running board and continues on foot, running along, scanning
the fields--the car keeping up beside him as he runs and we
truck before both car and CLYDE.
Angle on car through windshield. Reaction shot. Day. BUCK
turning to BLANCHE, shrugging his shoulders, speechless.
Reverse angle through the windshield. Day--at CLYDE, who
has suddenly seen something begins gesticulating wildly,
almost--from car's POV, a little comically.
CLYDE
There! There! There!
78.
He starts running off into a cornfield.
Another angle--picking up CLYDE as he kicks his way into the
cornfield, knees pumping high, knocking down the stalks. He
stops and picks up the stocking he had spotted, takes it and
moves on.
Still another angle as CLYDE has picked up a freshly beaten
trail through the cornfield. He picks up one of BONNIE's
scarves, now. As he runs on, he clears a knoll and BONNIE,
her yellow hair unmistakable even at this distance, comes
into view. She's far off in the cornfield, stalking off,
looking neither to right nor left, carrying a brown paper
sack that has split, from which she has occasionally lost
clothing. CLYDE screams, "BONNIE." She apparently doesn't
hear.
Angle on cornfield. Day. As CLYDE gets closer. BONNIE
herself suddenly breaks into flight, the paper bag splitting
completely, the remaining clothes spilling out. There is a
real chase where they each try to get the advantage. CLYDE
is so exhausted from his run that he has real trouble
cornering her as they maneuver up and down the rows of corn.
Finally CLYDE catches up.
Extreme close-up. BONNIE & CLYDE. Day. As they tumble
into the stalks of corn, mowing them down.
BONNIE
Leave me alone! Leave me alone!
CLYDE
(holding her, kissing
her frantically)
Hey...hey, hey, baby, hey, Bonnie,
hey baby...
(calming her down)
...Hey, hey now...just where did
you think you were goin'?...
BONNIE doesn't answer.
Up angle. POV CLYDE. As he's momentarily distracted by
BUCK's laughter as he's in the cornfield picking up BONNIE's
clothing. CLYDE waves an impatient it's all-right-wave. He
turns back to BONNIE who he still holds tightly.
CLYDE
(still frantic)
--Huh. Bonnie? Where? Where?
79.
BONNIE
I don't know! You're hurting me, I
was just scared is all...and my
mama's been on my mind, and she's
gettin' so old...
BONNIE hesitates, beginning to feel a little foolish now.
CLYDE
Boy, don't ever leave without
sayin' somethin'. You really
scared me, Bonnie.
BONNIE
But I mean it, though. I want to
see my mama. Please, Clyde.
Two shot. BONNIE and CLYDE. Day.
CLYDE
(enormously relieved,
kissing her)
Okay, sweetheart.
DISSOLVE TO:
Scene 27 - Family Reunion
- Overall: 7.0
- Concept: 8
- Plot: 6
- Characters: 8
- Dialogue: 7
--of three or four cars parked on the side of a road in
Texas. A light rain is falling. There are a lot of people
gathered around, but the sound is an indistinct mixture of
talk, laughter, etc.
There follows a quick montage of cuts which isolate specific
moments in the family reunion, thereby implying the entire
tone of the proceedings. The sense of family pervades.
Montage. BONNIE and MOTHER. BONNIE's mother, an old woman,
grabs her and hugs her and cries.
Montage. BONNIE, CLYDE, MAN. A man, an uncle perhaps,
stands with BONNIE and CLYDE, arms around them both, hugging
them to his sides tightly.
Montage. BONNIE and sister. BONNIE's sister hands them a
scrapbook of clippings.
SISTER
Here you are, we been cuttin' and
pastin' everything we could find
about you in the papers.
80.
CLYDE, BONNIE, BUCK and BLANCHE all look at the scrapbook.
We see a page of it, showing newspaper articles with the
photographs the gang took back at the motel.
BUCK
Hey look, here's that one I took of
you, Clyde. That came out just fine!
Montage. BONNIE, CLYDE, MAN. BONNIE and CLYDE are posing
for a comic snapshot. A silly looking male relative is
posing, pointing a gun at them. They have their hands in
the air and are grinning broadly. (The effect should be
funny and simultaneously frightening.)
Montage BUCK, SMALL BOY. BUCK is sitting with a little
four-year-old on his knee, bouncing him up and down and
singing. Both are having a fine time.
BUCK
(singing)
Oh, Horsey! keep your tail up, keep
yer tail up, keep yer tail up, Oh,
Horsey! keep yer tail up, Why don't
you make it rise.
Montage--C.W. A hand off camera thrusts a sandwich at C.W.
He opens the bread to see what's inside it, then eats it.
Montage--BONNIE & SISTER. BONNIE sits stock-still while her
sister gives her a permanent in the back seat of a car. He
sister pauses, setting down the curling iron. She strokes
BONNIE's yellow head with her hand, as though she were a
wild animal that had paused long enough to be petted.
BONNIE turns to see her sister's expression. They embrace.
Montage--Family picnic--Favoring CLYDE, MOTHER & BONNIE.
CLYDE, in his best theatrical manner has been playing host
in the sand pile, perhaps using some sort of towel across
the arm or around the middle. The party is beginning to
break up now as used paper plates and crumpled napkins are
blowing across the sand and the group is finishing up on
Eskimo pie.
BONNIE'S UNCLE
(rising)
Where y'all headed from here?
CLYDE
(right back)
I don't know, what y'all got in
mind? At this point we ain't
headin' to anywhere, we're just
runnin' from.
81.
CLYDE laughs, in fine spirits.
Reaction--BONNIE. She doesn't.
BONNIE'S SISTER'S VOICE
C'mon, down, Litte Tom! We're
goin' home. Little Tom? Mathew,
fetch Little Tom.
BONNIE
Don't go yet, Mama.
UNCLE'S VOICE
(cutting in)
C'mere, c'mere you little corn
roller.
Wide angle. As Uncle sweeps up the laughing little Tom.
Reaction--BONNIE. BONNIE turns with increased urgency to
her MOTHER, who, having been hefted to her feet by BONNIE's
sister, has turned to CLYDE, who gives her a big, boyish hug.
MOTHER
...you know, Clyde, I read about
y'all in the papers and I'm jes'
scared.
BONNIE
(to Clyde)
Sugar, make mama stay a while yet.
CLYDE
(ignoring Bonnie, as
does Mother,
ebulliently, even joshing)
Now Mrs. Parker, don't y'all
believe what you read in the papers!
That's the law talking there. They
want us to look big so's they'll
look big when they catch us.
He knows he's stumbled onto the wrong thing, but he bounces
right along--it's his style.
CLYDE
--and they can't do that. Why, I'm
even better at runnin' than robbin'
banks--aw shoot, if we done half
the stuff they said we did, we'd be
millionaires, wouldn't we, old
sugar.
(MORE)
82.
CLYDE (CONT'D)
(he turns to Bonnie
who continues to
stare at her Mother)
And I wouldn't risk Bonnie here
just to make money, uncertain as
times are. Why one time I knowed
of a job where we could of make
$2000 easy, but I saw the law
outside and I said to myself, why
Bonnie could get hurt here. So I
just drove right on and let that
money lay.
He waits for a response, as does BONNIE. BONNIE's MOTHER
smiles, a little abstractedly.
MOTHER
...Maybe you know the way with her,
then. I'm just an old woman and I
don't know nothin...
She trails off, looking nowhere in particular. CLYDE takes
her reaction to mean that he's overwhelming her with his
confidence, and continues to pour it on.
CLYDE
We'll be quittin' this just as soon
as the hard times is over, Mother
Parker, I can tell you that. Why
me and Bonnie were just talkin' the
other day and we talked about when
we'd settle down and get us a home,
and Bonnie said, "I couldn't bear
to live morn'n three miles from my
precious mother." Now how'd you
like that, Mother Parker?
BONNIE's MOTHER has undergone a funny sort of transformation
during CLYDE's speech--as if something had suddenly come
into focus before the old woman's eyes.
MOTHER
Don't believe I would. I surely
don't.
(to Bonnie)
You try to live three miles from me
and you won't live long, honey.
(to Clyde)
You'd best keep runnin' and you
know it, Clyde Barrow.
(matter of fact)
Bye, baby.
83.
She hugs BONNIE who can barely respond. We move in for a
closeup of BONNIE as her various relatives, young and old
come by to squeeze, kiss and hug her with a chirpy little
chorus of Bye, Bonnie! Bye, Bonnie, bye, bye, bye.
DISSOLVE:
Scene 28 - Motel Room Tension
- Overall: 8.0
- Concept: 7
- Plot: 7
- Characters: 9
- Dialogue: 7
Hold on the outside long enough to see the unusual
structures: two little motel cabins connected by two
identical garages, an entirely symmetrical structure.
INT. PLATTE CITY MOTEL BEDROOM. WITH BONNIE. DAY.
--as she tries, against heavy odds, to file and trim her
nails in a corner of the room. The odds are; CLYDE on a
uke, b.g., BUCK, and BLANCHE--gathered around C.W. who sits
in the only stuffed chair in the room. Their o.s.
raucousness is clearly shattering to BONNIE who, at a key
moment in the scene, ends up spearing her cuticle with a
file, spurting a little board and a lot of temper.
Other angle. CLYDE--BUCK--BLANCHE--C.W. Day. A naked
lightbulb (the lampshade has been removed) glares down on
C.W.'s chest--where a pair of bluebirds have been tattooed
with a rocco flourish. BUCK and BLANCHE are vastly amused--
rather BLANCHE takes delight in BUCK's delight.
BUCK
How long have ya had it?
C.W.
(like some docile
animal submitting to inspection)
--just got it.
BUCK
(to Blanche, who
stares fascinated as
one of C.W.'s pectoral
muscles contracts and
the wings flutter)
Touch it, honey! Go on!
BLANCHE squeals with amusement. BUCK takes BLANCHE's hand
and places it on the bluebirds.
BLANCHE
(titillated with delight)
Oh, no, Daddy! No!
Reaction BONNIE. Day--as the file digs into her cuticle on
BLANCHE's squeal. With barely controlled rage:
84.
BONNIE
What are you all doin'?
INT. MOTEL BEDROOM. GROUP SHOT. FAV. BONNIE. DAY.
C.W.
(insensitive to
Bonnie's stare)
Playin' with my tattoo, Bonnie.
BONNIE
Well, why don't you all go play
with it somewhere else?
New angle. Motel bedroom. Day.
BLANCHE
What's bothering her?
CLYDE
(sees something coming)
Not now, Blanche.
BUCK
(who doesn't want to
be victimized by
Bonnie's temperament)
What's bothering her, Clyde?
BONNIE
(exploding)
I said go somewhere else!
She picks up the first three objects she can find on the
dresser and hurls them--an ashtray, a Gideon Bible, and a
flower pot--at the little group. The pot goes shattering
into the wall. Everyone ducks.
CLYDE
(straightening up,
matter-of-fact)
Bonnie's hungry, C.W. I saw a
chicken place a few miles back.
Who all wants to go get some food?
INT. MOTEL BEDROOM. GROUP SHOT. DAY.
BLANCHE
(rising from her
chair, a little
shaken at Bonnie's outburst)
I sure do. I'm plenty tired of
sittin' around here anyway.
85.
BUCK
(not making a move to
get up)
You can't drive, honeylove.
C.W.
(reluctantly)
I'll go.
CLYDE makes a face to BONNIE pretending there's something
going on between C.W. and BLANCHE. BONNIE tries to keep
from being amused. C.W. moves out with BLANCHE. BUCK rises
to go next door.
C.W.
What's everybody want?
CLYDE
Just five chicken dinners, and get
somethin' for dessert.
BUCK
See if they got peach ice cream.
(he grins and pats
his stomach)
All finally exit, leaving BONNIE and CLYDE alone.
EXT. CAR AND STREET. DUSK.
C.W. and BLANCHE go out. We go with them. They get in the
car and drive off. BUCK enters his cabin.
Scene 29 - Intimate Moments
- Overall: 9.0
- Concept: 8
- Plot: 8
- Characters: 10
- Dialogue: 9
CLYDE reaches her, and for a moment both stare with fanatic
intensity at each other, BONNIE trying desperately to keep a
straight face. They are nose to nose, unblinking. CLYDE
gives her a big raspberry, waggling his fingers in his ears
like a kid. She laughs.
BONNIE
I hate you all.
CLYDE
I hate y'all, too.
BONNIE
no, I really hate you.
She turns away from him, wilts onto the bed.
86.
BONNIE
(eyes brimming)
Oh, baby, I've got the blues so
bad...
CLYDE moves behind her, begins to massage her back. There
is something very delicate about the way he touches her; it
suggests CLYDE's sensitivity to her mood rather than any
degree of physical intimacy.
CLYDE
Bonnie?...is it your mama, what
your mama said?
BONNIE
What mama?...she's just an old
woman now...I have no mama...
BONNIE rolls over on her back, stares up at CLYDE, tears
splaying across her face from the move.
BONNIE
(quietly)
...so funny...I thought when we
first went out, we were really
goin' somewhere...but this is it--
we're just goin', huh?
She has addressed this last directly to CLYDE, but there is
nothing rhetorical about it--it is a real question. CLYDE
doesn't answer for a moment. Then:
CLYDE
Do you care about where we're goin'?
BONNIE clearly finds this hard to say:
BONNIE
Not as long as you care about me.
CLYDE
(quite simply)
Why I love you, sugar.
It's the first time he's said it to her, and BONNIE is
overwhelmed. She wraps her arms around CLYDE's middle, and
snuggles into him, like a child. Neither we nor CLYDE can
see BONNIE's face now, and her voice is muffled by his chest.
BONNIE'S VOICE
--enough to die with me, baby?...
'cause I think that's where we're
goin'...I surely do.
87.
CLYDE is both touched and amused by the plea. He strokes
her head lightly. Really meaning it.
CLYDE
--wherever.
DISSOLVE:
INT. CAR.
BLANCHE, her tense and agitated self growing increasingly
more so lately, lights a fresh cigarette off the butt of the
one she has been smoking.
C.W.
(conversationally)
You sure smokin' all the time lately.
BLANCHE
(quick to take
offense, snaps)
So what?
C.W.
Nothin'.
BLANCHE, sick of it all, drops her head in her hand with a
sigh.
BLANCHE
Oh, God...
C.W. looks at her, finally decides to say something that
occurs to him.
C.W.
Whyn't you go back home to your papa?
BLANCHE
(it's been her dream)
Oh, if I could! If I could just do
that one thing! Oh, there's no
tellin' why this all happened. I
was a preacher's daughter.
C.W.
When church is your pa affiliated
with?
88.
BLANCHE
(much more interested
in talking about herself)
Baptist...oh, and he thought the
world of Buck, my daddy did, even
knowing that Buck was serving time
in jail. He forgave him for that
'cause he paid his debt to society.
C.W.
We were Disciples of Christ.
INT. FRIED CHICKEN CAFE.
The camera remains stationary in this scene, in this position.
A lunch counter sweeps down the center of the screen. We
are at one end of the counter. In the f.g., a DEPUTY sits
drinking coffee, absorbed in his cup. In the b.g., at the
other end of the counter, by the Exit door, BLANCHE and C.W.
are being handed their order by the counterman.
BLANCHE
Hey, C.W., I ain't got my money.
Give me some, will you?
The DEPUTY turns his head and looks over there. C.W. opens
his jacket to reach in his pocket for money. As he opens
his coat, his gun is clearly seen tucked in his pants.
Camera zooms in to tight close-up of gun.
Close shot. DEPUTY--his face tense. Sound of door closing
shut, as C.W. and BLANCHE leave.
DEPUTY
(to counterman)
Get Sheriff Smoot on the phone.
DISSOLVE TO:
Scene 30 - Into the Night
- Overall: 8.0
- Concept: 7
- Plot: 8
- Characters: 9
- Dialogue: 8
On C.W.'s moonlit chest and face, tattooed bluebirds heaving
and occasionally snoring in the night. Behind him the room
is dimly lit by flickering candles that are placed out of
sight on the floor. The shapes in the room--the bed is
gutted and only the box mattress remains--dresser, lamp
shades, etc., are grotesque in the flickering light. O.s.
sounds of BONNIE and CLYDE, BONNIE giggling and CLYDE
whispering something we can't quite hear.
Move across the room toward the gutted bed. Move giggling
from the floor beneath the box mattress--for a moment it
should appear as if something perversely sexual may be going
on between BONNIE and CLYDE.
89.
BONNIE'S VOICE
Ready?
CLYDE'S VOICE
(a little embarrassed)
Aw Bonnie--
BONNIE'S VOICE
(coaxing)
C'mon!
CLYDE's arm wielding a Tommy gun, clears the bed. With the
muzzle, CLYDE knocks the swivel mirror on the dresser
overhead, bringing BONNIE and CLYDE into view.
Closer angle mirror--BONNIE and CLYDE. Night. BONNIE lies
stiff as a statue on the white mattress, impeccably dressed
for her funeral. Candelabras made of empty beer bottles lie
at her head and feet. BONNIE's hands and face are powdered
and painted a waxen white. She wears a garish silk bow in
her hair which it, for this occasion, curled like a little
girl's.
CLYDE sits up, beer bottle in one hand, Tommy gun in the
other, derby hat cocked--and just a little unsure of the
whole thing. He takes a swig--BONNIE stops him, trying
terribly hard not to change her position.
BONNIE
Lie down now, honey.
CLYDE
I've done enough!
Angle on mirror--BONNIE and CLYDE. Night.
BONNIE
(with patience, to a child)
You have to lie down...it's the
only way we can tell what we'll
look kike together.
She giggles again, more than a little gassed herself. CLYDE
clamps a big cigar between his teeth and abruptly lies down
beside her. CLYDE is both amused and annoyed.
CLYDE
(staring up at
himself talking with
cigar clenched
between his teeth)
Whatta you think?
90.
BONNIE
(it suddenly strikes her)
That's not the right tie!
CLYDE
What?
BONNIE
(rising, weaving a little)
You can't wear polka-dots on an
occasion like this.
CLYDE
Well what--
BONNIE
Stripes. Don't go away now.
She weaves her way over to the dresser, takes a swig from a
bottle there herself, checks her makeup, and returns with
the tie. Holding against his chest to try it out she almost
falls into him. CLYDE steadies her.
BONNIE
Perfect.
She tries to tie it for him, and clearly has trouble with
the knot.
CLYDE
OK, o.k. If we're gonna do this,
at least I can tie it myself. Lie
down before you fall down.
INT. MOTEL BEDROOM--BONNIE AND CLYDE. NIGHT.
She does, with some play-acting, exaggerated obeisance to
CLYDE's command--reaching up at the last moment like a
zombie and snatching an artificial flower from BLANCHE's hat
which still lies on the dresser. CLYDE lies down now. They
look into the mirror again.
CLYDE
(grudgingly)
Better?
BONNIE
Much.
This tickles CLYDE despite himself and he laughs--BONNIE
begins to sing to him--performing for both CLYDe and her own
image in the mirror--like some hoydenish vaudevillian.
91.
During the course of the song she will rise and take CLYDE
with her who finally joins in when they tip-toe over and
begin to serenade C.W.
BONNIE & CLYDE
(to the lugubrious
strains of the Death March)
"Did you ever think when a hearse
went by,
That somebody you or I may die?
They'll wrap you up in a big white
sheet
and bury you down just about six
feet,
The worms crawl in, the worms crawl
out,
The worms play penuckle on your
snout.
Your eyes fall in, your teeth fall
out,
Your face turns green and the pus
runs out.
During this last they have been hovering over C.W.'s
twitching face, like a couple of tipsy ghouls, whisper-
singing into his ears. C.W. finally blinks, doesn't even
bother to look at them.
C.W.
I'm gonna die if I don't get some
sleep. Quit singing that.
Reaction--BONNIE and CLYDE. Night. They smile, go back and
lie down. Looking at their images:
BONNIE
All right, shut your eyes now.
CLYDE
(playing along with her)
No, you first.
BONNIE
One for the money.
CLYDE
Two for the show.
BONNIE
Three to get ready--
CLYDE & BONNIE
Four to Go.
92.
As they approach four we should feel that somehow when they
shut their eyes, they really will die. They shut them on
GO, and screen goes black.
EXT. PLATTE CITY MOTEL. NIGHT.
Ranged across the lawn are six police cars, loaded with
peace officers. Four men come out and, guns drawn, walk
cautiously over to the room on the right--BUCK and BLANCHE's.
Scene 31 - Escape
- Overall: 9.0
- Concept: 9
- Plot: 10
- Characters: 8
- Dialogue: 0
There is a knock on the door. They sit bolt upright in bed.
Before BUCK can say anything, BLANCHE puts her hand over his
mouth to shut him up.
BLANCHE
(calling out)
The men are on the other side.
EXT. PLATTE CITY MOTEL. NIGHT.
The four lawmen, among them the DEPUTY from the cafe, edge
their way across the lawn, past the first garage, past the
second. Before they reach the door of BONNIE and CLYDE's
cabin, the window smashes and there are blasts of gunfire.
One cop is hit and falls, the others run back to the cars
for cover. BONNIE and C.W. are at the window, firing
steadily.
CLYDE--running into the garage to get the car. They must
escape. All they can do is escape, and all they have is
that one car in the closed garage.
Outside. Two of the lawmen fall to the ground, shot. As
the remaining two run back for cover, we see a blinding
light rolling up in a space between the six cars. It is an
armored truck, with mounted guns and and spotlight, advancing
toward the cabin.
Inside the armored truck. Two men in the seat. Sounds of
gunshots coming from everywhere, piercing light. From
inside the truck, we suddenly see the windshield shattered
from bullets fired by BONNIE and C.W. The driver is hit,
and he slumps over the wheel. His body hits the horn, which
starts blasting and continues throughout the battle. The
other man, quickly, ducks under the dashboard for protection.
Inside the garage. CLYDE standing by the car. He holds the
Browning Automatic. The garage door is shaking from the
impact of bullets, shattering. His gun already firing
(automatic clip) before he gets there. CLYDE in a crouch
runs to the garage door, flings it up, and runs back inside
the car. Now the door is open and he can get the car out.
93.
One hand on the wheel, one hand shooting, he rolls the car
out onto the driveway. The battle is raging from all sides.
EXT. STREET.
The car stops. CLYDE keeps shooting. The door of the cabin
flies open and BONNIE and C.W. come charging out, guns
blazing away. C.W. fires the Thompson sub-machine gun,
BONNIE fires two pistols with automatic clips. They run in
a crouch, tryingto get inside the car in front of their door.
They make it.
Camera pans across the motel to the other door. It opens,
BUCK and BLANCHE come out, holding a double bed mattress in
front of them for protection. This makes their running
awkward--the mattress is heavy. BLANCHE carries the front
end, BUCK the back with one hand, the other firing his gun.
They get halfway to the car and then BUCK is hit, shot in
the head. He falls to the ground; BLANCHE and the mattress
fall too since she has lost balance. Both are under the
mattress.
CLYDE dashes out of the car and drags BUCK into the back
seat. BLANCHE follows, hysterical. All guns on all sides
are still firing. They fling themselves into the car and
from a standing start, the car starts out at 60 mph down the
driveway. One of the lawmen stands blocking the way with a
double-barrele rifle, but the car keeps coming, about to run
him down. He jumps out of the way and fires at the side.
The glass cracks and we see BLANCHE fling a hand to her
face, which is bloody. A piece of glass has lodged in her
eye. We hear her scream. The horn is still blasting.
INT. THE CAR SWERVING MADLY.
CLYDE manages to keep it on the road. They drive away.
EXT. STREET.
The police run back to their cars to give chase, calling out
to each other, unable to believe that the gang could possibly
have gotten away.
INT. CAR. NIGHT.
as it is speeding down the highway. Crazy, mad hillbilly
music on the soundtrack. Packed inside this car right now
is more sheer human misery and horror than could be believed.
It is hell in there, hell and suffering and pain. The car
is a complete mess. C.W. is sobbing. Everyone is hysterical.
BLANCHE is shrieking with pain and concern for BUCK. BUCK
is alternating between groaning and passing out completely.
BONNIE is yelling at everybody to shut up.
94.
Only CLYDE, driving with both hands clenched on the wheel,
is silent. The car is doing 90.
EXT. SUBURBAN STREET. NIGHT.
The car from the outside, a half hour later. They have
eluded the police. They are barreling down the road at top
speed on a nice suburban street with proper homes. It is
the middle of the night, utter silence. CLYDE stops the
car, points to ca car in a driveway--it is a beautiful,
shiny new and expensive automobile. C.W. runs out, runs up
the driveway, peers inside, gets in, quietly backs it down
the driveway and pulls behind the gang's bullet-riddled
getaway car. Suddenly they both zoom off down the road
together.
INT. OF THE NEW CAR. NIGHT.
C.W. driving alone. He is crying, mumbling, wiping his eyes
and nose with one hand while he controls the wheel with the
other.
Scene 32 - Ring of Fire
- Overall: 8.0
- Concept: 9
- Plot: 8
- Characters: 8
- Dialogue: 7
A wide field in the country. This is Dexter, Iowa. It is
quiet. We see, in a long shot that takes in everything,
that this is a meadow surrounded by a ring of trees, a dense
forest that circles them. The meadow, however, is large.
The two cars drive into the middle of the field, headlights
on. They stop and the Barrow gang gets out. They are in
horrible shape--we can finally have a look at them. Half-
dressed in their pajamas, bloody, dirty, in tatters. Those
that can stagger out do so, others are carried. A far shot
of all this.
Closer shot. Moving closer to them, we see CLYDE and C.W.
lay BUCK down on the ground. CLYDE begins to administer to
his wounds as best he can, mostly just wiping him off. BUCK
is semi-conscious. All are in a semi-daze. BLANCHE falls
to her knees, still clutching her eyes. She is totally
hysterical.
BLANCHE
Oh, God, please help us! Dear
Father in Heaven, get us out of
this and Buck will never do another
bad thing in his life!
(she continues
moaning, praying, sobbing)
BONNIE walks over to the group, looking at BUCK, C.W. goes
over to her. Two shot--BONNIE and C.W.
95.
C.W.
He ain't got a chance. Half his
head blown off.
Camera pulls back to take in BLANCHE.
BLANCHE
My eyes!
(she SCREAMS)
God, I think I'm blind.
(in the headlights)
...light hurts so bad...
BONNIE walks over to the car and comes back with the
sunglasses BUCK had given BLANCHE. Moving her out of the
glare, she helps BLANCHE put them on. BONNIE now has an arm
around BLANCHE, and BLANCHE shivers into BONNIE gracefully.
BONNIE is a little repelled by BLANCHE, but comforts her out
of genuine feeling for her.
BLANCHE
(clinging)
Please, please get us to a doctor!
Tell Clyde to get us to a doctor.
We'll die here.
BONNIE
(helping with glasses)
--here, hon'.
BONNIE looks silently up to CLYDE. CLYDE is looking dumbly
down at his mangled brother.
BLANCHE
(going on)
Clyde, Clyde, please get us to a
doctor.
Though BLANCHE cannot see it, CLYDE has knelt down to the
side of BUCK, taking BUCK's hand and with his other hand has
begun smoothing BUCK's hair back, away from the wound.
BLANCHE
He's your brother!
BONNIE
(gently, knowing
CLYDE will not and
cannot answer BLANCHE)
Buck can't be moved, now, hon'.
BLANCHE's answer to this is hysterical sobbing, burying
herself into BONNIE, mumbling half-coherent, muffled prayers
between the sobs.
96.
With BUCK and CLYDE.
BUCK
(weakly)
Clyde?...Clyde?...
CLYDE
Right here, boy.
BUCK
I believe I lost my shoes...maybe
the dog hid 'em...
(he lapses into
unconsciousness again)
CLYDE has begun to cry a little, continues to smooth back
BUCK's hair with ritualistic regularity.
Wide angle. Night. Camera pulls away, way back to wide
shot of the entire field, showing the group in the center of
the darkness, lit by the headlights.
Match dissolve into early dawn, camera still on the wide
shot. The field is lighter, though the trees still loom
blackly around it. The two cars, one almost a shattered
wreck, the other bright and shiny and new, are parked in the
center. The sky is light, but the trees cast a dark shadow
on the field. The gang is just sitting around. BLANCHE
weeping next to BUCK, C.W. sitting on the running board of a
car, staring. BONNIE standing and smoking. CLYDE still
with BUCK.
All is quiet.
EXT. WOODS. DAY.
From the edge of the woods, a man in a white shirt emerges
from behind a tree. The camera swings abruptly to get him.
He calls out to the gang.
MAN
Surrender!
It is a total surprise. BONNIE, CLYDE and C.W. all grab
their guns and fire several shots; they are not firing the
big guns now, but the pistols. The man lingers there for a
moment--he looks strange, white, luminous, like an
apparition--and then he vanishes into the woods. Silence,
long enough to make you think it was perhaps an illusion.
Then there is a volley of gunfire--a noise so large as to be
almost an impossible sound--coming from the woods, all
around, everywhere.
97.
A ring of little white puffs of smoke emerge from the woods;
from every tree a puff of smoke. The camera pans in a
circle. Behind every tree is a man with a gun. There are
at least 150 people out there--peace officers, farmers with
hunting rifles, kids with squirrel guns, everyone who wanted
to come along and catch BONNIE and CLYDE. Their number is
so large because this time they want no possibility of the
gang making what seemed by them supernatural escapes.
From this point on, the sound of guns is unnaturally muffled
on the sound track. We hardly hear them at all..it is like
a dream.
Without a word, all of the gang including the half-dead BUCK
making his final effort, scramble for the nearest car. They
run, throughout this battle, crouched, like animals--their
only thought, to get away, to escape. To fight it out would
be ludicrous.
From the moment the Barrows start in motion, there is
shooting again from the edge of the woods. We see them
scrambling towards the car, in an extreme long shot,
surrounded by the ring of smoke.
CUT TO:
INT. OF THE CAR.
All of them inside. CLYDE is at the wheel.
CUT TO:
EXT. CAR.
Med. Long shot of the car moving. The sound track goes to
complete silence. We see the car looking for an avenue of
escape. It veers towards a tree, a man steps out from
behind the tree and fires, the car jerks and veers toward
another tree, again a man steps out and fires and so on.
The car performs its eccentric dance, all in utter silence
(no sound of the motor, nothing). The film should have the
feeling of slow motion, as the car swerves and loops along
the edge of the woods. Not once do any of the Barrows fire
back. Another man steps out and aims.
Scene 33 - The Last Stand
- Overall: 9.0
- Concept: 8
- Plot: 9
- Characters: 10
- Dialogue: 8
Close-up. CLYDE. At the wheel-shot in the arm. He grabs
his arm in pain, loses control of the wheel.
CUT TO:
98.
EXT. CAR.
--out of control (still silent). It smashes into a tree
stump. The picture stops, freezes for three beats. We hold
the image of the moment of crash, with pieces of metal
crumpling and flying into the air, suspended there by the
stop-film.
CUT TO:
INT. CAR.
Sound partly up again, but never at its realistic volume.
From inside the smashed car, we peer out the window across
the field and see the other car. The thought strikes the
audience at the same time it strikes the gang--they must get
to that car.
Med. shot of the second car, sitting in the field, shining
in the sun. The lawmen also realize what must be done--cut
off this escape. Though BONNIE, CLYDE and the others are
heading toward it, they suddenly train all their fire on the
car rather than the gang.
The car fills the frame of the screen. Bullets begin to hit
it. It starts to quiver under the impact. For the next
minute, we see the car die in front of our eyes. We see the
beautiful machine fall to pieces--windows smash, tires torn
apart, body riddled. The death of the car is as painful to
watch as the willful death of a human being. The execution
is paced deliberately to show the ritualistic tempo of the
destruction.
EXT. WOODS.
The camera pulls back, way back and slightly above everything
to reveal the entire field. On the left of the screen,
BONNIE, CLYDE and C.W. are scrambling toward the edge of the
woods. In the center BUCK and BLANCHE have taken cover
behind a fallen log. In the foreground, police begin to
emerge from the woods. The camera zooms rapidly in with
them toward BUCK. BLANCHE is screaming.
BLANCHE
Don't kill him! Don't kill him!
He's dying!
BUCK is making a last feeble attempt. The zoom continues
past BUCK until it comes tight on his hand, a lawman's foot
steps on his hand. BUCK falls over. He dies. BLANCHE
screams.
BLANCHE
Don't die, Daddy. Don't die!
99.
She goes berserk. Five men, one hardly a teen-ager, grab
her and hold her as she writhes and cries. She is still
wearing the sunglasses.
CUT TO:
EXT. WOODS AND STREAM. BONNIE, CLYDE, AND C.W. DAY.
They have reached the edge of the woods. Camera tracks with
them as they run. From all around come the sounds of the
posse. The three get in through the pines and come finally
to a deep stream. They jump in and start across, running
awkwardly in chest-deep water. They are half way across
when the police appear on the bank behind them, shooting.
Close-up. BONNIE. Day--as she is struggling through the
water. A bullet hits her in the shoulder. We must see this
bullet clearly, we must see it go in her flesh so that we
can feel it.
Tight close-up of BONNIE's face as she screams. It is the
first time she has been hurt, and the scream is pure animal
pain. She cries out.
EXT. STREAM AND CORNFIELD. DAY.
CLYDE, who has almost reached the other side, comes back and
gets her. He drags her out of the water and into a cornfield
that starts growing on the opposite bank, C.W. helping. He
half-carries half-runs with her into the cornfield, as the
field gets deeper and thicker.
They stop for a second.
CLYDE
(panting, to Bonnie)
Saw...saw a farm...up ahead...gotta
get...a car...
He starts to give over the wounded BONNIE to C.W.
BONNIE
Baby, no...
But CLYDE has not heard this last. Working on pure
adrenaline now, he struggles onward. Camera tilts up
slightly so we can see CLYDE as he essays his way toward a
farmhouse with a car in the distance. After a few moments
he disappears and we can hear only the cracking of the
stalks as that sound too diminishes,
Full shot. Cornfield. Day. Silence.
100.
Close. C.W. and BONNIE. Obviously some time later. They
both lie prostrate in the field, listening. C.W. licks his
lips.
C.W.
Maybe--
BONNIE
Shhh!
They wait for another long moment, picking up only the
tiniest sounds.
BONNIE
(finally)
Oh, no.
C.W.
(nervously)
What? What?
BONNIE
(as though it were
the most logical
thing in the world)
I can't die without Clyde. I just
can't.
C.W. looks at her as if she's gone crazy. After another
moment the corn begins to tremble, and we hear the o.s.
sound of an approaching car.
With C.W. Day--tentatively lifting his head up to clear the
corn stalks. With him we see the car looming larger,
bearing down on us, splitting the corn stalks. The car
finally comes to a stop a few feet in front of C.W. BONNIE
is on her feet, and CLYDE tumbles out of the car, practically
before it's stopped, sweeping BONNIE into him. For a moment
both are in their knees a few feet from the running board of
the car, simply holding onto each other and not moving.
C.W.
(tugging at both of
them frantically)
C'mon! C'mon! C'mon!
ABRUPT CUT:
INT. CAR. ABOUT A HALF HOUR LATER. DAY.
They have gotten away, but are still escaping. C.W. is
driving. He is bare-chested. CLYDE is beside him in front,
his arm bleeding. He falls in and out of consciousness.
BONNIE is stretched out in back.
101.
Her shoulder has been bandaged with C.W.'s shirt. She is
unconscious.
INT. CAR. LATE DAY.
CLYDE comes half-awake and looks over at C.W.
CLYDE
Head out, C.W.
C.W.
(determinedly)
I'm goin' home to my daddy's farm.
DISSOLVE TO:
Scene 34 - Seeking refuge with family
- Overall: 8.0
- Concept: 7
- Plot: 8
- Characters: 8
- Dialogue: 6
C.W. is driving down the road, hell for leather. Nearing a
campsite, where there are about six Okie cars and pick-up
trucks all loaded down, with a number of poor families
seated around a campfire, cooking. C.W. jams on the brakes.
He gets out, looking totally exhausted.
Reaction shot. The faces of the Okies, looking at this
sudden presence in their midst.
Back to C.W.
C.W.
(about to drop)
Can y'all spare me a little water?
EXT. CAMPSITE. FULL SHOT.
One man, the leader of the group, dips a cup of water and
approaches C.W. suspiciously. He comes close enough to make
C.W. reach out for the water, but withholds it from him.
MAN
Who are you, boy?
C.W.
Name's Moss.
This seems to be enough for the man, who gives him the water.
As C.W. gulps it down, the man begins to circle the car,
peering into it suspiciously. Suddenly he starts and his
eyes open wide.
MAN
(in really hushed and
reverent tones)
It's Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow.
102.
He stands there struck dumb, staring. Those of the others
who have heard him begin to come over. Without a word they
move quietly to the car and stare in.
INT. CAR.
BONNIE is out in the back seat; CLYDE is semi-conscious in
the front seat. He looks up through half-closed eyes.
EXT. CAR.
We see a woman pour a bowl of soup at the campfire and bring
it to C.W. He accepts it.
A man rolls a cigarette and lights it. Then, very gingerly,
as if afraid to really touch him, he reaches through the
window and places it in CLYDE's lips. It hangs there, CLYDE
unable to drag on it or remove it.
Children peer through the back window.
C.W. finishes his cup of soup. He hands it and the cup of
water back to a woman in the crowd.
Quietly, moving together, the Okies step back. C.W. walks
to the driver's seat, gets in and shuts the door. He starts
up the car.
The people push a bit closer for a last look. CLYDE, unable
to do more, nods his head in a barely perceptive gesture by
way of saying "thank you" t ot the people. The cigarette is
still dangling from his lips.
The car moves off. A YOUNG BOY pulls on his FATHER's shirt.
BOY
Who was they, Pa?
MAN
That was Bonnie and Clyde, the bank
robbers.
A woman, nearby, smiles sweetly.
DISSOLVE TO:
EXT. MOSS FARM. MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT.
The car pulls up outside the slightly ramshackle farm of
MALCOLM MOSS, C.W.'s father, in Arcadia, Louisiana. It
sits, for a moment, in the dark. Then C.W. honks the horn.
A few seconds pass, and the porch light comes on. OLD MAN
MOSS comes out in his pajamas and peers into the darkness.
He is a fat man with gray hair.
103.
MALCOLM
Who's there?
C.W.
(calling back)
Daddy?
MALCOLM
Who's there? Who is it?
C.W.
It's C.W. It's Clarence.
MALCOLM
Clarence!
He runs down the steps, down the path to his son. They
greet each other, hugging for a second, looking each other
over.
MALCOLM
God, it's good to see you, boy!
He holds C.W. at arm's length to study him, and suddenly he
scowls at something he sees by the light of the porch.
MALCOLM
What's that on your chest?
C.W.
(puzzled)
Huh?
(realizing what he means)
It's a tattoo...I'm in trouble.
I'll tell you about it later. My
friends are hurt. Help me get 'em
in.
MALCOLM goes to car and looks inside for a moment. He walks
back to C.W.
MALCOLM
Jesus, what happened to them? You
in trouble, son?
C.W.
Yeah. That's Clyde Barrow and
Bonnie Parker.
(reaction from Malcolm)
We been shot. Help me get 'em
inside. We gotta help 'em.
They go to the car and drag the unconscious BONNIE out and
begin carrying her up to the house.
104.
MALCOLM
Why'd you get yourself marked up?
A tattoo! What in hell made you do
a damn fool thing like that?
They reach the house.
C.W.
C'mon, Pa, open the door.
Scene 35 - Last Stand
- Overall: 8.0
- Concept: 7
- Plot: 8
- Characters: 9
- Dialogue: 6
Although the scene begins with a full-screen close-up of a
newspaper clipping with a photo, it is just a blurry-gray,
crowded scene of BLANCHE's capture. Really impossible to
make anybody out in the crowd. Camera stays on photo as we
hear voice over of two men talking: a sheriff and his deputy.
BILLY
I was in the bunch that took 'er.
See here? Can you make me out?
Here I am, see here, right behind
Joe Boyd here.
PETE
Sure enough, Billy, is that your
head there?
Camera pulls away, BILLY, a young deputy--cold, intense,
humorless and square, carefully folds up the clipping and
puts it in his wallet.
BILLY
Still can't figure how we let them
other two get away.
PETE
(an older, more
genial type)
Yeah, seems as how nobody can get
'em somehow.
BILLY
(sullen)
Yeah...well, maybe this boy'll be
the one to do it, this Hamer guy.
Boy if he can't do it, Sheriff,
ain't nobody but the whole U.S.
Army can do it.
105.
PETE
(with a new note of
enthusiasm, gets up
and walks to the
window--turning to Billy)
You hear he quit the Rangers on
account of Texas got that woman
governor. Said he wouldn't work
under no woman.
BILLY
(respectfully)
Yeah, that's somethin' all right.
Say, how many they say he shot
anyway in his day?
PETE
Sixty-five they say.
BILLY
Son of a sea-cook!
The door opens. We see, full shot and then fast close-up
FRANK HAMER. It should be a complete shock to the audience--
this is the man kidnapped by the gang earlier and partially
destroyed by BONNIE.
HAMER is dressed in his Ranger outfit and hat, and again he
has that quality of sinister frenzy beneath his calm manner.
His attitude toward these lawmen is sheer condescension,
friendly only out of convention, really superior and
contemptuous of lesser workers in his field.
HAMER
(with politeness
arising from condescension)
Excuse me, am I in the right place?
Is this Sheriff Smoot?
PETE and BILLY jump up from the chairs and walk over to
HAMER, hands extended. They are quite impressed by meeting
in the flesh.
PETE
(mispronouncing his name)
Frank Hammer. I sure am pleased to
meet you!
(shakes his hand)
HAMER
Hamer.
106.
Scene 36 - Seeking Refuge and Recovery at Moss Farm
- Overall: 8.0
- Concept: 7
- Plot: 8
- Characters: 8
- Dialogue: 8
A coil of rope snaps into and through the paper, splitting
it and revealing C.W.'s startled face. CLYDE strides the
porch angrily, snapping the rope.
BONNIE and MALCOLM are seated along with C.W. Through
BONNIE has her arm supported by a sling and CLYDE has his
shoulder bandagedm it is evident by CLYDE's heady indignation
and BONNIE's attentiveness that both are well on the way to
recovery.
CLYDE
(still snapping rope)
FLED? What do they mean, fled?
How in the nama God could I leave
my brother to die when he was
already dead when I left him?
(livid)
He was shot in too many pieces to
pick off the ground! Fled...what
do they know, the papers or the
police?...
Suddenly he moves upon MALCOLM with enormous intent, as if
by pounding the point home to the one relative stranger
among them, he will justify it all. MALCOLM momentarily
flinches, then listens with intense deference.
CLYDE
Why, while we were all lyin' around
here, near dead, they had us
holdin' up the Grand Prairie
National Bank! They hung that one
on us just for luck, I guess.
CLYDE shakes his head, still thinking this over. Abruptly,
to BONNIE, with deadly seriousness:
CLYDE
Tell you what. Soon's we get well,
we're gonna take that bank!
He breaks into a wicked grin, but then reels, catching
himself on the porch railing. He's obviously dizzy from
exertion and anger. BONNIE starts--then sees CLYDE is in
control.
CLYDE
(remarking on his own dizziness)
Whooooooo, boy...
(kneeling, to Bonnie)
They don't know nothin'--do they,
sugar?
107.
BONNIE
(assuring him)
You did all you could, hon'.
Nobody coulda done more.
C.W. has been studying hard on the torn paper, b.g. Suddenly:
C.W.
Hey. How come I'm always called
the "Un-identified sus-spect?"
Group shot. Porch. C.W. has trouble with this last phrase.
BONNIE laughs. This picks up CLYDE's spirits once more.
CLYDE
(to C.W.)
You can just thank your lucky stars
that's all you are. So long's they
don't have your last name, you're
home safe.
MALCOLM
(toadying to Clyde,
talking to Clarence)
Mr. Barrow's lookin' out for your
interests, boy.
C.W.
(impressed)
Oh...Hey, Pa, how you like havin' a
coupla big deals stayin' with you?
MALCOLM
(friendly as can be)
Ain't that somethin' for me?
CLYDE
(back in good mood, expansive)
Well now, you been real nice to us,
and I tell you what, let us pay you
forty dollars for your hospitality,
what do you say?
MALCOLM
(protesting vehemently)
No, no, no. I don't want your
money. I'm just pleased to have
your company. Any friend of my
boy's...
C.W.
(abruptly)
Hey, Pa, let's have supper. I'm
hungry.
108.
MALCOLM
(smiling)
Yeah...okay, Clarence...
(to Clyde)
You're welcome here, now you know
that.
INT. MOSS HOUSE.
They go into the house. Camera goes with them. As soon as
they are out of earshot from BONNIE and CLYDE, MALCOLM turns
on C.W. displaying an entirely different demeanor from the
one he presented outside.
MALCOLM
(indicating tatto
which flutters
through C.W.'s open shirt)
You look like trash, boy, marked up
like that. Cheap trash.
C.W.
(protesting)
Bonnie says it looks good.
MALCOLM
Bonnie, what does she know. She's
just cheap trash herself. Look
what they do to you, and you don't
even get your name in the paper--
just pictures put on your skin, by
"Bonnie and Clyde"--
(more to himself)
--why they're a coupla kids.
C.W.
But, Daddy--
MALCOLM
I'm just glad your ma ain't alive
to see that thing.
C.W. peeks at it, peering down at his chest, trying to bring
the bluebirds into focus, puzzled.
C.W.
I don't see what's so bad about it...
Scene 37 - Blanche's Interrogation
- Overall: 8.0
- Concept: 7
- Plot: 8
- Characters: 9
- Dialogue: 8
Seated in a soft chair, looking directly at us, is BLANCHE
BARROW. Her eyes are completely covered with a white
bandage. She wears a hospital gown. The room is white and
bright.
109.
Med. shot. HAMER in the doorway. The nurse leaves. He
reaches in his pocket and pulls out a white handkerchief.
He puts it over his mouth to disguise his voice, afraid she
will remember it from the kidnap. Quietly, almost on
tiptoes, HAMER walks over to BLANCHE. He gets inches away
from her face. She still doesn't know he is there.
HAMER
(quietly, but
suddenly, his voice
muffled by the handkerchief)
Blanche Barrow.
She starts to her feet, then adjusts to his presence. She
is a bit panicked. BLANCHE is now a defeated human being.
Her voice and manner bespeak great weariness, sorrow and
still a touch of her old high-strung hysteria. But most of
that is gone now, like everything else that was really vital
in her life.
BLANCHE
What? What? Who is it?
HAMER
(in a monotone, a
relentless questioner)
You know your husband's dead.
BLANCHE
(her voice flat and expressionless)
I know.
HAMER
You're going to prison.
BLANCHE
I know it.
HAMER
Where's the rest of 'em?
BLANCHE
I don't know.
HAMER
Where's the rest of 'em?
BLANCHE
I just don't know. I don't know.
HAMER
How'd you get in with them?
110.
BLANCHE
(starting slow, but
warming up to the
subject, she begins
to talk and talk for
the sake of airing
her troubles)
I didn't mean to. I didn't. Buck
said we was just goin' to visit, we
wouldn't be doin' no robbin' and
stealin', and then we went to
Joplin and all of a sudden they
started shootin'.
(hysteria begins to
creep into her voice
as she relives it all)
And we run off, God, I was scared.
And then it was run all the time,
and I wanted to go, I begged to go,
but Clyde and Bonnie and C.W.--
HAMER
(seizing on it)
C.W. C.W. who?
BLANCHE
C.W. Moss.
FADE OUT:
FADE IN:
EXT. CAR ON THE MOSS FARM. A DIRT PATH NEAR THE BARN. DAY.
It is pouring rain, middle of the afternoon, BONNIE and
CLYDE are inside the car, sitting. They have lived so much
in cars that they tend to still spend much of their time in
it rather than in a room. There they are themselves.
Scene 38 - "The Story of Bonnie and Clyde"
- Overall: 8.0
- Concept: 8
- Plot: 8
- Characters: 8
- Dialogue: 7
BONNIE is in the back seat, her legs wrapped in a plaid
blanket, writing poetry. She looks like Elizabeth Barrett
Browning. With one essential difference--her arm is in a
sling and she is wearing bandages on the shoulder. CLYDE is
in the front seat, reading a newspaper. He is also partially
bandaged. On the dashboard is a box of ginger-snaps which
he eats while he reads. They look domestic.
CLYDE
Want a ginger-snap, Bonnie?
111.
BONNIE
(busy, absorbed)
No, hum-umm.
(then she realizes
his nice gesture and
smiles warmly at him)
But thanks anyway, Clyde.
(she takes it all in,
her situation, and
looks content and cozy)
It's real nice here, just the two
of us like this.
CLYDE
(more interested in
his paper)
Uh-huh.
(something in the
paper catches his interest)
Look here, honey, remember this?
He holds up the paper; there is one of the photos from the
motel, the one showing BONNIE smoking. She looks up at it
with mild interest.
BONNIE
Yeah, at the motel.
CLYDE
(studying the picture)
You sure don't resemble that no more.
Close-up BONNIE. She doesn't. She has become totally
fragile, the essence of herself. She is writing on a pad.
CLYDE and BONNIE.
CLYDE
What you writin' this time?
BONNIE
(intensely)
I'm writing a poem about us. I'm
writing our story.
CLYDE
(this appeals to his ego)
Oh, are you? Let's hear it. If
it's good, I'll mail it in to the
Law and it'll be printed in all the
papers again.
BONNIE
Just let me finish this line.
112.
She does so. CLYDE munches a cookie.
BONNIE
(continuing)
Okay, here it is.
Close-up. BONNIE--as she reads intensely. At the beginning
of this montage, the camera remains on her face. Behind her
we see the rain on the window.
BONNIE
(reading)
"The Story of Bonnie and Clyde"
You've heard the story of Jesse
James--
Of how he lived and died:
If you're still in need
Of something to read
Here's the story of Bonnie and
Clyde.
Now Bonnie and Clyde are the Barrow
Gang
I'm sure you all have read
How they rob and steal
And those who squeal
Are usually found dying or dead.
They call them cold-hearted killers;
They say they are heartless and
mean;
But I say this with pride,
That I once knew Clyde
When he was honest and upright and
clean.
But the laws fooled around,
Kept taking him down
And locking him in a cell,
Till he said to me,
"I'll never be free
So I'll meet a few of them in
hell."
The road was so dimly lighted;
There were no highway signs to
guide;
But they made up their minds
If all roads were blind,
They wouldn't give up till they died.
CUT TO:
113.
INT. POLICE STATION. DAY.
The manuscript is lying on the police blotter. HAMER picks
it up and continues reading it. He reads it in a halting
way:
HAMER
The road gets dimmer and dimmer;
Sometimes you can hardly see;
But it's fight man to man,
And do all you can,
For they know they can never be
free.
From heartbreak some people have
suffered;
From weariness some people have
died;
But take it all in all,
Our troubles are small,
Till we get like Bonnie and Clyde.
Close-up of a newspaper page. The poem is printed all the
way down the length of one column. On the sound track,
BONNIE's voice picks up the recitation:
BONNIE'S VOICE (O.S.)
If a policeman is killed in Dallas,
And they have no clue or guide;
If they can't find a fiend,
They just wipe their slate clean
And hang it on Bonnie and Clyde.
Scene 39 - The Poem of Bonnie and Clyde
- Overall: 9.0
- Concept: 9
- Plot: 8
- Characters: 10
- Dialogue: 10
The day is sunny and we see it through the car window. She
continues reading, but now she reads it directly from the
newspaper:
BONNIE
If they try to act like citizens
And rent them a nice little flat
About the third night
They're invited to fight
By a sub-gun's rat-tat-tat.
Some day they'll go down together;
They'll bury them side by side;
To few it'll be grief--
To the law a relief--
But it's death for Bonnie and Clyde.
114.
BONNIE finishes the poem, as camera pulls back slightly to
show that it is a different day, different clothes and the
bandages are gone. As she stops, she has an expectant and
somewhat self-satisfied look.
Close-up of CLYDE. His eyes are wide, his mouth open, his
face shows surprise and delight and he is on the verge of a
giant laugh.
CLYDE
(in gleeful wonder)
Damn! That's me!
A great laugh comes bursting from him. Camera widens to
take in BONNIE. She is both startled and delighted by his
response.
CLYDE
(continuing)
In that poem!
BONNIE giggles.
CLYDE
(continuing; it is
all starting to come
out now--his
realization that he
has made it, that he
is the stuff of
legend, that he is an
important figure)
A sub-gun's rat-tat-tat!
(he begins to laugh loudly)
Right in the paper!
Close-up BONNIE. Now laughing too, with a great feeling of
joy.
Two shot. BONNIE and CLYDE.
CLYDE
Jesse James! You hear 'bout old
Jesse, now you goin' to hear 'bout
Clyde!
He puffs up with air and explodes like a steam valve.
CLYDE
(continuing)
Pshhhhhh!
He grabs BONNIE and chuckles delightedly.
115.
CLYDE
(continuing)
Damn, Bonnie! You musta been one
hell of a waitress!
Close-up. BONNIE--laughing, her eyes filled with tears.
CLYDE's hand wipes them away.
Two shot.
CLYDE
(shaking his head
back and forth like a
puppy, just so much
glee in him that he
can't hold it)
Oooooh, that Clyde! That's my boy,
that Clyde!
He looks at her with love and delight, hugs her tightly.
CLYDE
Bonnie...
(she hugs him back)
The Poem of Bonnie and Clyde!
BONNIE
(laughing at the
mistake, happy)
The Story.
CLYDE
The Story of Bonnie and Clyde! Oh,
child, you really did tell that
story!
He pulls her to him, his face inches away from hers, about
to kiss her. She is waiting, expecting... Suddenly, he lets
out one wild laugh almost into her mouth.
He kisses her. She kisses back. They are chuckling,
giggling. They grow more ardent; they pull back and laugh
again. They begin to make love.
Scene 40 - The Afterglow
- Overall: 8.0
- Concept: 8
- Plot: 7
- Characters: 8
- Dialogue: 8
Bright afternoon. Camera across the street from an ice
cream parlor. Sign about it: "EVA'S HAND-PACKED ICE CREAM."
A large plate glass window fronts the store, and through it
we can see the people inside seated at tables and booths.
Prominent in our vision is MALCOLM MOSS, seated, facing
camera. He is seated across from another man, but we see
him from the back.
116.
MALCOLM is obviously doing a lot of talking and then some
hard listening; gesticulating and looking disturbed. After
a bit of this, he rises from the table and begins walking
toward the door. The other man rises and turns. We now see
that it is FRANK HAMER.
MALCOLM and HAMER come out onto the sidewalk, squinting in
the sunlight. MALCOLM mimes some social pleasantries by way
of saying "goodbye," but HAMER's face shows no emotion of
recognition of the gesture. He turns and walks away,
walking out of the frame.
MALCOLM stands where he is, in front of the ice cream parlor.
By the expression on his face, we can see that he is rather
disturbed by what he has heard and that he is still grappling
with the problem.
DISSOLVE TO:
BONNIE and CLYDE. They lie where they were with one
difference--they are now wrapped in the blanket. CLYDE's
pants are wadded up and tangled with his shoes at the base
of the blanket.
CLYDE
(chuckling, apparently
quite pleased)
Damn!...damn...damn!
He casts a sidelong glance to BONNIE, wanting some sort of
overt reaction from her. She's just smiling slightly.
CLYDE's underlying anxiety begins to surface.
CLYDE
(not looking at her)
Hey, listen, Bonnie, how do you feel?
BONNIE
(watching him
steadily, her slight
smile growing)
Fine.
CLYDE
I mean you feel like you're s'posed
to feel after you've uh...
BONNIE
Just.
117.
CLYDE
(doesn't know what
the fuck to say,
desperately wants her approval)
Well, that's good, ain't it.
Reason I ask is, I uh... Well, I
figger it's a good idea to ask. I
mean how else do I tell if I did it
the way...
BONNIE
(stopping him, with
great warmth)
Hey. You done just perfect.
CLYDE looks at her for the first time, tremendously relieved.
He can see she means it. Now his buoyancy, utterly,
unchained breaks through:
CLYDE
I did, didn't I? I mean I did, I
really did. I did it, I did, I
mean this was my first time and it
was just like rollin' off a log
when it comes right down to it, it
was easy, I mean I didn't even have
to try...
Lovingly, laughing, altogether overwhelmed with himself,
CLYDE pulls BONNIE into him. He kisses her, wants to make
love again, but then pulls back and keeps chattering at
sixty miles a minute. He's waited twenty-three years to
talk about this, and he's got the perfect audience.
DISSOLVE TO:
Scene 41 - The Deal
- Overall: 7.0
- Concept: 7
- Plot: 7
- Characters: 7
- Dialogue: 6
After dinner. There are four empty plates, but only C.W.
and MALCOLM in the kitchen. C.W. is scraping the bottom of
a wilted "EVA'S HAND-PACKED ICE CREAM" carton. MALCOLM
studies his son's quiet intensity in this direction for a
moment, then moves very close, whispers when he speaks.
MALCOLM
(whispering)
Boy, they expect you to go downtown
with 'em tomorrow?
C.W.
(out loud, licking
his ice cream)
Who?
118.
MALCOLM
(raising his own
voice, infuriated by
his son's obtuseness)
Bonnie and Clyde!...
(he slaps the carton
out of C.W.'s hands;
whispering again)
Bonnie and Clyde.
C.W.
Sure, I always go with them.
MALCOLM thinks hard about this.
MALCOLM
...better go then, you better go,
better go...
(forcing C.W. to sit
at table)
--but when they get back in the car
to come on home, don't get in with
them.
C.W.
(genuinely puzzled)
Why, Daddy?
MALCOLM
You just listen to your Pa fer once!
Cain't you do that? I'm yore
Daddy, I'm your kin, not Clyde.
C.W.
(still confused)
Well, what should I tell 'em? "I
can't get back in the car with you?"
MALCOLM is ready to kill--his son's obtuseness and his fear
of CLYDE is whipping him into a quiet frenzy.
MALCOLM
(squeezing C.W.'s arm)
No, you tell them nothin', hear?
(hesitates, then)
I made a deal and got you off with
a coupla years!
C.W.
(a piercing treble)
Made a deal with who, Daddy?
119.
MALCOLM hauls off and whacks C.W. across the top of his head
with the flat of his hand, then momentarily holds his hand
over C.W's mouth.
MALCOLM
(we can see his own fear)
...the law. Just don't get back in
that car.
(eyeball to eyeball)
And whatever you do, don't let onto
them, hear?
C.W. suddenly smiles, as if he knew something.
C.W.
(expletive)
Whew!... You think them laws are
gonna catch Bonnie and Clyde in town?
C.W. returns to the ice cream carton--MALCOLM lets him,
figuring he better find out what he can.
MALCOLM
What do you think, Clarence?
C.W.
(matter of fact)
They ain't gonna catch 'em. Don't
matter whether I let on or not.
MALCOLM
(playing along)
Mebbe. Just you be off'n the
streets of that town when they go
to get in their car.
C.W.
(looking directly at Malcolm)
Nobody catches Clyde. Clyde's got
a sense, don't you know that, Daddy?
Nobody catches Clyde.
MALCOLM knows better, but for just a moment he stares at his
son, fearing that maybe C.W., for all his limitations, has a
sense about CLYDE's sense. C.W. has finished with the
carton and crumples it, licking the last remnants of cream
off his fingers.
Scene 42 - Proposal and Dreams
- Overall: 7.0
- Concept: 7
- Plot: 6
- Characters: 8
- Dialogue: 8
BONNIE and CLYDE's bedroom, the middle of that night. Both
are wide awake, lying on opposite sides of the double bed.
Both are staring into the night, disquiet.
120.
CLYDE
(suddenly)
Bonnie? Bonnie, will you marry me?
There is a silent gasp from BONNIE, a barely perceptible
stiffening. Then she talks in a voice falsely formal, still
staring up at the ceiling.
BONNIE
How could I do that, Clyde? You
know it's impossible. We'd have to
go to a Justice of the Peace and
the Justice of the Peace is a
lawman. We couldn't even take out
a license.
CLYDE
(with a chuckle)
Hey now, you sound like you been
givin' it some thought on your own.
BONNIE
(with a grim irony,
her voice getting
more and more emotional)
Oh no, I never gave it thought. I
haven't thought about it at least
ten times a day, I haven't thought
about it every minute of my life
since I met you.
(suddenly her voice
cracks into tears)
She flings herself violently across the bed and buries
herself into CLYDE's chest, her knees drawn up, her head
tucked down into him, her body shaking with sobs.
CLYDE
(a bit startled by
this, attempting to
hold her, awkwardly,
and placate her. He
puts his arm around her)
Bonnie...are you crying, honey?
BONNIE nods yes and slowly gets control over her tears.
BONNIE
(her face still
buried in CLYDE's
chest, she whispers)
Clyde, why do you want to marry me?
121.
CLYDE thinks a minute and then grins.
CLYDE
(in an attempt to be humorous)
To make an honest woman out of you.
BONNIE is silent.
BONNIE
(finally, in a voice
charged with
anticipation and dream)
Clyde...what would you do, what
would you do it some miracle
happened and we could walk out
tomorrow morning and start all over
again, clean, with no record, with
nobody after us?
CLYDE thinks about it a minute.
CLYDE
Well...I guess I'd do it all
different. First off, I wouldn't
live in the same state where we
pull our jobs. We'd live in one
state and stay clean there, and
when we wanted to take a bank, we'd
go to another state...and...
Suddenly he realizes that he has said the worst thing he
could have, that it was not the answer BONNIE wanted to hear.
He looks down at her, his voice anxious.
CLYDE
(continuing)
Bonnie?
She is silent.
CLYDE
Hey, Bonnie?
But she does not answer.
EXT. ROADSIDE. EARLY MORNING.
We see MALCOLM jacking up the back wheel of his pickup truck
which is parked on the side of the road in a wooded area.
CUT TO:
122.
EXT. ARCADIA STREET. MID-MORNING.
A street in Arcadia. The car is parked. BONNIE and CLYDE
walks toward the car carrying big bags of groceries and
supplies and put them inside.
CLYDE
(looking around)
What happened to C.W.?
BONNIE
He stopped off in that hardware
store to get light bulbs for his
daddy.
CLYDE opens the door of the driver's seat and sits down.
Scene 43 - The Escape
- Overall: 10.0
- Concept: 9
- Plot: 8
- Characters: 10
- Dialogue: 9
CLYDE
Boy, my feet are sweatin'.
He takes off his shoes.
BONNIE
(kidding around)
You plannin' to drive with your
shoes off?
CLYDE
Sure, why not?
He reaches in his shirt pocket and takes out his sunglasses.
As he goes to put them on, one of the lenses falls out.
CLYDE
Damn!
He puts them on.
BONNIE
(laughing)
You gonna wear 'em?
CLYDE
Sure, drive with one eye shut.
BONNIE gets in the car, rummages around in one of the bags
and pulls out something wrapped in tissue paper. She
unwraps it and puts it up on the dashboard, displaying it.
It is a little porcelain shepherdess holding a crook in her
hand, worth about thirty cents.
123.
BONNIE
(admiring it)
Isn't that the prettiest thing, hon?
Just look here, you can see every
little fingernail on her hands.
She shows him.
CLYDE
It is a pretty thing, honey.
CLYDE turns on the radio and gets some hillbilly music.
They are singing "Little Church in the Valley." He beats
time on the steering wheel, getting a little impatient.
BONNIE puts her shepherdess away and begins looking in the
grocery sack.
BONNIE
We got any peaches? I sure could
go for a peach right now.
She burrows in the bag and comes out with a peach. She
takes a big bite. The juice drips down the side of her
mouth. She looks beautiful.
CLYDE
(he stops drumming
his fingers, suddenly
has an idea)
Whyn't we do it tomorrow?
BONNIE
Do what?
CLYDE
Tomorrow's Sunday, ain't it? We
could drive all night and be on
that golf course tomorrow morning!
BONNIE
You sure you feel up to it?
CLYDE
(enthused)
Yeah, why not?
(now feeling anxious
and excited, he is
impatient to move)
Where is that boy? He's gone too
long.
124.
BONNIE
(humming to the radio)
He'll be here.
(holding the peach to him)
You take a bite, hon.
CLYDE
(getting worried)
No, it's takin' too long. What if
something happened?
BONNIE
Nothin' happened.
CLYDE
(more urgently)
Go take a look, see what's keepin'
him.
Not too delighted with the chore, BONNIE goes off. We
remain with CLYDE, getting anxious. The music plays on.
BONNIE comes back, hurriedly, now anxious herself.
BONNIE
He ain't there.
CLYDE jumps into action, slams his door.
CLYDE
C'mon, let's go.
BONNIE gets in. They drive off.
INT. STORE. CLOSE-UP C.W. DAY.
--hiding inside a store, peering out through a curtained
window at them driving away. His expression is disturbed;
his face half in shadow.
EXT. ROAD. DAY.
BONNIE and CLYDE's car coming down the road. Camera sees
from CLYDE's P.O.V. MALCOLM standing in the road, waving
him down. The pickup truck, its back jacked up, is parked
beside him on a shoulder of the road.
INT. CAR. DAY.
BONNIE
What's wrong?
CLYDE
I don't know.
125.
Scene 44 - The Ambush
- Overall: 7.0
- Concept: 7
- Plot: 8
- Characters: 6
- Dialogue: 2
CLYDE reaches the spot, pulls off the road and stops the car.
He gets out. Camera pulls back. CLYDE talks to the old
man, BONNIE stays in the car. Cut to a shut down the trench
of the law, tense.
Suddenly, a truck loaded with chickens comes riding down the
road from the opposite direction. HAMER sees it from a long
way away and realizes that he cannot afford to let anything
pass between him and his quarry. He decides the time is now.
He leaps up from the trench and yells at CLYDE.
HAMER
Barrow!
The OLD MAN dives under his truck to hide. The shooting
starts.
We see the chicken truck. Two men in the front seat. They
see ahead of them an incredible shooting match and, in
terror, they jam on the brakes and leap out of the truck.
They run as fast as they can into the meadow, away from the
trouble.
The gun fight takes just seconds during which law fires
eight-seven shots at BONNIE and CLYDE, giving them absolutely
no chance. The sound is rapid, deafening.
At no point in the gun fight do we see BONNIE and CLYDE in
motion. We see, instead, two still photographs cut into the
sequence: one of Clyde, half out of the car, taking careful
dead aim with his gun, just as he did in the teaching scene:
one of BONNIE, in terror, a pack of cigarettes in her hand
clutched tight, looking as fragile and beautiful as she can
be.
The noise stops at once. Utter silence. It has been a
massacre. BONNIE and CLYDE never had a chance to return the
gunfire. We see the car, a complete shambles. We never see
BONNIE and CLYDE dead, though for a moment we discern their
bodies slumped in the car.
The camera pulls above the car until it is on a level with
the opposite side of the road. Then, slowly, the six lawmen
stand up in the trench. On the faces of the five deputies,
horror and shock at what they have just done. HAMER,
however, registers no emotion. His face is a blank. He
lights a cigarette. Slowly, slowly, the five men begin to
edge closer to the car to see the result. Music, the wild
country breakdown music, begins on the sound track.
126.
Before they reach the car, the camera swings away from them,
past them, and zooms out and above into the meadow where the
two truck drivers are standing--tiny, distant figures.
The truck drivers begin to walk toward the camera, coming
back to the road to see what happened. They get closer and
closer to the camera until they have reached a middle
distance and, as they continue to walk at us, it is--
THE END
CUT TO BLACK.
Characters in the screenplay, and their arcs:
| Character | Arc | Critique | Suggestions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bonnie Parker | As Bonnie becomes increasingly involved in criminal activity and passionate about her relationship with Clyde, she begins to question the morality and consequences of their actions. She becomes more self-aware and starts to think about the impact their actions have on her family and the people affected by their crimes. Ultimately, after being betrayed by a former ally, Bonnie reaches a breaking point where she realizes the dangers and harm caused by their lifestyle. Through this realization, she ultimately meets her tragic end. | The character arc for Bonnie is well-developed, but it could benefit from more exploration into her personal motivations and desires beyond her relationship with Clyde. Additionally, her characterization could be improved by showing more vulnerability and depth to her insecurities. | To improve the character arc for Bonnie, more emphasis could be placed on her personal aspirations and goals outside of her relationship with Clyde. This could add more complexity to her character and make her motivations more compelling. Additionally, showing more vulnerability and depth to her insecurities could make her character more relatable to audiences. |
| Clyde Barrow | At the beginning of the movie, Clyde is a confident criminal who is always looking for ways to advance his criminal career. He is the leader of the Bonnie and Clyde duo and is driven by the thrill of power and the rejection of authority. As the movie progresses, Clyde's violent tendencies become more apparent, and he becomes more impulsive in his actions. This ultimately leads to the downfall of the group, as they are unable to stay ahead of the law. In the final scene, Clyde is semi-conscious in the front seat of the car and unable to move or communicate. | The character arc for Clyde Barrow is well done, but it would be helpful to see more of his internal struggle as he becomes more violent and impulsive. Additionally, it would be interesting to see more of his motivations for his criminal behavior. | To improve the character arc, consider adding scenes that show Clyde struggling with his violent tendencies and exploring his motivations for his criminal behavior. Additionally, add scenes that show the emotional toll that the life of a criminal takes on Clyde and his relationships with those around him. |
| Bonnie | Bonnie's character arc is one of self-discovery and maturity. At first, she is drawn to Clyde's dangerous lifestyle and thrives on the thrill of their criminal activities. As their crimes escalate, she becomes increasingly conflicted about their actions and the consequences they face. She yearns for a deeper connection with Clyde, but recognizes that their lifestyle is dangerous and unsustainable. As the story progresses, Bonnie becomes more introspective and reflective, and is haunted by the violent nature of their lives. She ultimately meets a tragic end, but her love for Clyde remains steadfast until the end. | Overall, Bonnie's character arc is well-developed and believable. However, there are moments where her impulsive nature and lack of foresight can be frustrating for the audience, such as when she lashes out at Clyde or fails to consider the consequences of their actions. Additionally, there could be more emphasis on Bonnie's internal struggle and her desire for a deeper connection with Clyde throughout the film. | To improve Bonnie's character arc, consider adding more scenes that emphasize her internal struggles and desires. This could be done through more reflective moments or conversations with other characters where she expresses her fears and doubts about their lifestyle and her relationship with Clyde. Additionally, consider adding more moments where Bonnie takes a more proactive role in the planning and execution of their crimes, to showcase her intelligence and cunning. Finally, it may be helpful to provide more context for Bonnie's background and motivations, such as her family life or past experiences, to help the audience better understand her character. |
| Clyde | Clyde's character arc centers around his desire for excitement and adventure, which leads him down a criminal path with Bonnie. Throughout the movie, he becomes increasingly violent and ruthless in his determination to achieve his goals and impress Bonnie. However, as the consequences of his actions begin to catch up with him, he becomes more desperate and paranoid. In the end, he is willing to risk everything to protect Bonnie, but also grapples with guilt and the consequences of his choices. | Overall, Clyde's character arc is well-developed and believable. However, there is a tendency for his violent tendencies to become exaggerated and caricatured at times, which detracts from his complexity as a character. Additionally, his emotional vulnerability is not always fully explored, and could benefit from more depth in certain scenes. | To improve Clyde's character arc, it would be beneficial to focus more on his emotional inner conflict and the psychological toll of his criminal activities, rather than just his external actions. It would also be helpful to flesh out his relationships with other characters, such as Buck or the other members of the gang, to give his actions more context and nuance. Additionally, the portrayal of his violence could be toned down slightly to avoid turning him into a flat villainous stereotype. |
| C.W. | C.W. starts as a timid mechanic who is easily pressured into joining Bonnie and Clyde's gang. As he becomes more involved, he proves his worth by helping them escape from the police and becomes a loyal member of the gang. However, as he witnesses the dangerous and unpredictable nature of the criminal lifestyle, he struggles with his inner conflict and feelings of uncertainty. Eventually, he realizes that he needs to break away from the gang and seek a different path in life, ultimately turning against Bonnie and Clyde and helping to bring them to justice. | The character arc for C.W. is well-developed and shows a clear progression from a naive and timid individual to someone who realizes the danger of his actions and takes responsibility for them. However, there could be more emphasis on his internal struggles and how they affect his relationships with the other characters. Additionally, the transition from a loyal gang member to someone who betrays the gang could be more gradual and nuanced, with more emphasis on the conflicts that drive him to make that decision. | To improve the character arc, it would be helpful to show more of C.W.'s internal struggles and how they affect his relationships with the other characters, particularly Bonnie and Clyde. This could also involve delving more into his past and what motivates him to become involved with the gang in the first place. Additionally, the transition from a loyal gang member to someone who betrays the gang could be more gradual and nuanced, with more emphasis on the conflicts that drive him to make that decision. Overall, this would help to create a more complex and dynamic character that viewers can truly connect with. |
| Buck | Throughout the movie, Buck's loyalty to his family and friends remains unwavering. However, as the danger and violence escalate, Buck becomes increasingly aware of the consequences of his actions. He becomes more cautious and serious, realizing that the gang's actions have real-world consequences beyond the thrill of the moment. When he is badly injured and unable to help his loved ones, he experiences a moment of regret for his role in their predicament. This realization ultimately leads him to make a selfless sacrifice, using his last bit of strength to help Bonnie and Clyde escape. | While Buck's arc is well-developed, it could benefit from more exploration of his moral compass. The audience sees glimpses of it throughout the movie, but it is never fully fleshed out. In addition, the moment of regret and self-sacrifice seems sudden and unearned, as it is not adequately foreshadowed. Lastly, Buck's relationship with Blanche feels underdeveloped and could be further explored to add more depth to his character. | To improve Buck's arc, the movie could include more scenes that highlight his moral compass and internal struggles. This could help to better establish the moment of regret and self-sacrifice, making it more impactful. Additionally, more attention could be given to Buck's relationship with Blanche, allowing for more emotional resonance in his character arc. Finally, the movie could foreshadow Buck's self-sacrifice more clearly, perhaps by having him make smaller sacrifices earlier in the film. |
| Blanche | Blanche begins as a weak and easily manipulated woman who lacks confidence in herself. She tries to fit in with the criminal group by flirting with C.W. and demanding her fair share of the loot. However, as the danger and violence escalate, Blanche becomes more and more overwhelmed and hysterical. She realizes that this lifestyle is not for her and that she cannot handle the pressure. In the end, Blanche is killed during a shootout, sacrificing herself to save Buck. Her character arc showcases the dangers of trying to fit in and be something you're not, as well as the consequences of getting involved in criminal activity. | Blanche's character arc is predictable and doesn't add anything unique or interesting to the story. She is a one-dimensional trope of the weak and easily manipulated woman who gets in over her head. Additionally, her death feels like a cheap plot device used to advance Buck's character rather than an organic and meaningful character arc for herself. | To improve Blanche's character arc, consider adding more depth and complexity to her character. What motivates her to stay with Buck, even though she hates the criminal lifestyle? Is there anything she would be willing to fight for or sacrifice herself for, besides her husband? Additionally, her death could be made more meaningful by giving her agency and a choice in the matter, rather than simply being a sacrificial lamb. |
Top Correlations and patterns found in the scenes:
| Pattern | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Tone vs. Emotional Impact | There is generally a positive correlation between tone and emotional impact in this screenplay. For example, when the tone is described as 'intense' or 'tense', the emotional impact tends to score higher. However, there are exceptions where a lighter tone is accompanied by a high emotional impact score. |
| Conflict vs. High stakes | There is a moderate positive correlation between conflict and high stakes in this screenplay. When there is more conflict, there tends to be higher stakes involved in the story. |
| Move Story Forward vs. Emotional Impact | There is a positive correlation between moving the story forward and emotional impact. This suggests that as the story progresses and develops, emotions tend to become more intense and impactful. |
| Tone vs. Plot | There does not appear to be a strong correlation between tone and plot in this screenplay. While certain tones, such as 'tense' or 'intense', tend to correspond with higher plot scores, there are also many instances where the plot is strong despite a less intense tone. |
| Tone vs. Dialogue | There is a moderate positive correlation between tone and dialogue in this screenplay. A more playful or light-hearted tone tends to be associated with higher dialogue scores, while a tense or serious tone tends to correspond with lower dialogue scores. |
| Character Changes vs. Emotional Impact | There is a strong positive correlation between character changes and emotional impact in this screenplay. As characters go through significant transformations, emotions tend to become more impactful and intense. |
| Tone vs. Character Changes | There does not appear to be a strong correlation between tone and character changes in this screenplay. The tone often shifts throughout the story regardless of whether or not there are significant character changes. |
| Tone vs. Overall Grade | There appears to be some correlation between tone and overall grade in this screenplay. A more intense or playful tone tends to be associated with higher overall grades, while a more serious or reflective tone tends to correspond with lower overall grades. |
Stories Similar to this one
| Story | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Thelma and Louise | Similar in terms of two co-conspirators on the run from the law with a flirtatious dynamic. |
| Natural Born Killers | Similar in terms of two dangerous individuals going on a crime spree with an underlying sexuality and violence. |
| Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid | Similar in terms of outlaws on the run, using humor and wit to evade the law. |
| Badlands | Similar in terms of a young couple engaging in a killing spree and being pursued by law enforcement. |
| True Romance | Similar in terms of a passionate and violent romance between two criminals on the run. |
| Pulp Fiction | Similar in terms of a non-linear narrative, with tongue-in-cheek violence and an eclectic cast of characters. |
| The Godfather | Similar in terms of a criminal organization and power struggle between characters. |
| Scarface | Similar in terms of a rise to power in the criminal underworld, with violence and danger around every corner. |
| Boardwalk Empire | Similar in terms of a criminal gang operating during the Prohibition era, with power struggles and political corruption. |
| The Sopranos | Similar in terms of a criminal organization and family dynamics, with complex and flawed characters. |
| Breaking Bad | Similar in terms of the descent into criminal activity and moral ambiguity. |
| Heat | Similar in terms of a heist gone wrong, with complex characters on both sides of the law. |
| The Town | Similar in terms of a group of skilled criminals robbing banks and being pursued by the law. |
| Baby Driver | Similar in terms of a skilled getaway driver becoming involved in a life of crime while dealing with personal relationships. |
| Logan Lucky | Similar in terms of a heist involving unlikely criminals and lighthearted humor. |
| Ozark | Similar in terms of a family being forced into criminal activity and navigating dangerous situations. |
| Breaking In | Similar in terms of a woman fighting back against criminal intruders in her home. |
| Money Heist | Similar in terms of a group of criminals planning and executing a heist on a major scale. |
| The Departed | Similar in terms of a criminal infiltrating law enforcement while a police officer tries to bring down organized crime. |
Here are different Tropes found in the screenplay
| Trope | Trope Details | Trope Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Meet Cute | Bonnie catches Clyde trying to steal her mother's car and they become co-conspirators in a heist; banter and flirtation between Bonnie and Clyde, with an undercurrent of potential danger. | A Meet Cute is a scene in which the two main characters of a story meet in a way that is cute, charming, or amusing. An example of this can be seen in the movie 'When Harry Met Sally' where the two main characters meet on a road trip when they share a car. |
| Road Trip Plot | Bonnie and Clyde rob a small grocery store in Texas, running to their getaway car and having a wild driving scene fueled by Bonnie's passionate feelings; eventually pulling over under some trees. | The Road Trip Plot is a story in which a group of characters travel together to various locations, often encountering obstacles and adventures along the way. An example of this can be seen in the movie 'Little Miss Sunshine' where a dysfunctional family embarks on a road trip to get their daughter to a beauty pageant. |
| Love at First Sight | Bonnie and Clyde flirt and tease each other, culminating in a steamy encounter when Clyde reveals his true intentions, convincing her to join him in a life of crime and adventure. | Love at First Sight is a trope in which two characters fall in love at the moment they first meet. An example of this can be seen in the movie 'Titanic' where Jack and Rose fall in love at first sight aboard the ship. |
| Criminal Protagonists | Bonnie and Clyde engage in a game of mind reading, moving from a roadside cafe to an abandoned farm house, where Clyde reveals his true motives, convincing Bonnie to join him in a life of crime. Bonnie and Clyde meet Otis Harrison and Davis, two farmers kicked out of their home by the bank, and engage in playful target practice while revealing that they are bank robbers. Clyde shoots a giant butcher multiple times and beats him with his gun in a grocery store struggle. Bonnie and Clyde argue with C.W. Moss and try to recruit him as their driver by testing his ability to commit crimes; C.W. proves himself by stealing money from the gas station cash drawer and joins them. Bonnie and Clyde plan their bank heist with C.W. in a café and rob the bank, causing pandemonium on the street and escaping to a movie theater. | Criminal Protagonists is a trope in which the main characters of a story are criminals who engage in illegal activities. An example of this can be seen in the movie 'Pulp Fiction' where several characters are involved in criminal activities throughout the film. |
| Shootout | The Barrow gang engages in a violent gunfight with law enforcement, manages to escape but not before some injuries. The scene follows the gang fleeing from the police with tensions running high and ends with a final confrontation. In a separate scene, the law sets up an ambush, leading to a tense shootout with Bonnie and Clyde never standing a chance. The scene is chaotic with gunshots and still shots of the couple. | A Shootout is a trope in which characters engage in a violent exchange of gunfire. An example of this can be seen in the movie 'Heat' where the characters engage in a shootout with police in downtown Los Angeles. |
| Final Showdown | In a separate scene, the law sets up an ambush, leading to a tense shootout with Bonnie and Clyde never standing a chance. The scene is chaotic with gunshots and still shots of the couple. The aftermath shows lawmen and truck drivers arriving, with Hamer, the lead detective, showing no emotion. The scene ends with the camera zooming out as the truck drivers walk towards it. | The Final Showdown is a trope in which the main characters of a story engage in a final confrontation that brings resolution to the story. An example of this can be seen in the movie 'The Good, the Bad and the Ugly' where the three main characters engage in a final showdown in a cemetery to determine who will claim a cache of gold. |
| Trapped | The Barrow gang seeks refuge at a farm while law enforcement is closing in, leading to tense moments with the family until help is granted. The gang seeks to escape in a desperate situation while surrounded by law enforcement and civilians. | The Trapped trope is a plot device in which the main characters of a story are physically or mentally trapped and must find a way out. An example of this can be seen in the movie 'Saw' where several characters are trapped in a room and must complete puzzles to escape. |
| Theme | Theme Details | Themee Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Crime and Adventure | Bonnie and Clyde's life of crime and adventure | This is the main theme of the screenplay, as the story follows the criminal exploits of Bonnie and Clyde, from their initial heist to their final shootout with law enforcement. The theme explores their thrill-seeking lifestyle, and the excitement and danger that comes with being outlaws. |
| Love and Intimacy | The romantic relationship between Bonnie and Clyde | This theme is present throughout the screenplay, as Bonnie and Clyde's relationship develops from flirtation to intimacy. Their love for each other is a driving force in their decision to stay together and continue their life of crime together, even in the face of danger and violence. |
| Tension and Conflict | The tension and conflict between the characters | This theme is present throughout the screenplay, as the characters face conflict and tension with each other and with law enforcement. The tension and conflict adds to the drama and suspense of the story and heightens the stakes for the characters. |
| Morality and Ethical Dilemmas | The moral and ethical dilemmas faced by the characters | This theme is present throughout the screenplay, as the characters must grapple with the consequences of their actions and the morality of their criminal lifestyle. The theme explores the ethical and moral boundaries of their choices and the impact of their actions on themselves and others. |
| Betrayal and Loyalty | The theme of betrayal and loyalty among the characters | This theme is present throughout the screenplay, as the characters must navigate the loyalty and betrayal among themselves. The theme explores the trust and loyalty between the characters, as well as the consequences of betrayal and the impact it has on relationships. |
Screenwriting Resources on Themes
Articles
| Site | Description |
|---|---|
| Studio Binder | Movie Themes: Examples of Common Themes for Screenwriters |
| Coverfly | Improving your Screenplay's theme |
| John August | Writing from Theme |
YouTube Videos
| Title | Description |
|---|---|
| Story, Plot, Genre, Theme - Screenwriting Basics | Screenwriting basics - beginner video |
| What is theme | Discussion on ways to layer theme into a screenplay. |
| Thematic Mistakes You're Making in Your Script | Common Theme mistakes and Philosophical Conflicts |
Engine: Gemini
Screenplay Rating:
Recommend
Executive Summary
Bonnie and Clyde is a powerful and engaging screenplay with exceptional character development, sharp dialogue, and masterful pacing. While some secondary characters and the ending could benefit from further development, the script's strengths far outweigh its weaknesses. The unique blend of action, drama, and romance, coupled with its exploration of complex themes, make it a compelling and highly recommendable piece of storytelling.
Strengths
- Vivid and compelling character portrayals, particularly Bonnie and Clyde, whose complexities and motivations are deeply explored. high
- Masterful use of dialogue that is both sharp and witty, effectively revealing character personalities and driving the narrative forward. high
- Skilful pacing that balances moments of intense action and suspense with quieter, character-driven scenes. high ( Scene 1 Scene 4 Scene 10 Scene 17 Scene 22 Scene 34 )
- Effective use of setting and atmosphere to evoke the Depression-era South and the desperation that fuels Bonnie and Clyde's actions. medium
- Exploration of complex themes such as love, loyalty, and the allure of rebellion against societal norms. medium ( Scene 3 Scene 17 Scene 34 )
Areas of Improvement
- The ending, while impactful, could be further developed to explore the emotional aftermath of Bonnie and Clyde's demise on the surviving characters, particularly C.W. Moss. medium
- Some secondary characters, like Blanche and Buck, could benefit from additional depth and exploration of their motivations. medium
- Certain scenes involving comedic relief, particularly with C.W. Moss, occasionally disrupt the overall tone and pacing of the narrative. low ( Scene 2 Scene 5 Scene 24 Scene 25 )
MissingElements
- The screenplay could benefit from a deeper exploration of the societal and economic factors that contributed to the rise of outlaws like Bonnie and Clyde during the Depression era. medium
NotablePoints
- The inclusion of Bonnie's poetry adds a unique layer to her character and provides insight into her romanticized view of their life of crime. high ( Scene 17 Scene 39 )
- The symbolic destruction of the car in the final shootout serves as a powerful visual representation of the gang's demise and the end of their era. high ( Scene 33 )
Engine: Claude
Screenplay Rating:
Recommend
Executive Summary
The screenplay for 'Bonnie and Clyde' is a well-crafted, character-driven drama that effectively captures the iconic outlaws' rise to infamy and their ultimately tragic demise. The screenplay excels at establishing the complex and nuanced relationship between the two protagonists, as well as delivering a series of engaging action sequences and visually striking set pieces. While the pacing could be tightened in certain scenes, and the emotional connections between characters could be further explored, the screenplay is a recommend-worthy work that would likely appeal to a wide audience interested in this legendary American crime story.
Strengths
- The screenplay excels at establishing the relationship and dynamic between Bonnie and Clyde through their witty, playful, and at times, sexually charged dialogue. These scenes capture their chemistry and the developing intimacy between the two protagonists. high ( Scene 2 (EXT. STREET. MOVING SHOT. DAY.) Scene 4 (INT. CAR. BONNIE AND CLYDE. DAY.) Scene 11 (INT. CHEAP MOTEL BATHROOM. CLOSE-UP BONNIE. DAY.) )
- The screenplay features several well-crafted action sequences, notably the bank robbery and the suburban car chase, which are both suspenseful and visually engaging. high ( Scene 20 (INT. BANK.) Scene 23 (EXT. SUBURBAN STREET.) )
- The screenplay effectively uses Bonnie's poem and its publication to explore the growing legend and notoriety of Bonnie and Clyde, providing insight into their mindsets and the way they view their own story. medium ( Scene 38 (INT. CAR.) Scene 39 (INT. POLICE STATION. DAY.) )
Areas of Improvement
- Some of the dialogue and character interactions, particularly in the more intimate moments, could be further developed to deepen the emotional connection and subtext between the characters. medium ( Scene 16 (INT. BEDROOM.) )
- The pacing in certain scenes, such as the motel room sequence, could be tightened to maintain a stronger narrative drive and avoid any lulls in the overall story progression. medium ( Scene 28 (INT. MOTEL BEDROOM. BONNIE AND CLYDE. DAY.) )
MissingElements
- While the screenplay effectively depicts the family reunion, there could be an opportunity to further explore the dynamic between Bonnie and her mother, and the impact of their relationship on Bonnie's choices and character arc. medium ( Scene 27 (EXT. SIDE OF A ROAD. VERY LONG SHOT. DAY.) )
NotablePoints
- The scene featuring the Okies' encounter with the wounded Bonnie and Clyde is a standout, highlighting the human connection and empathy between the characters, as well as the growing legend and mythic status of the protagonists. high ( Scene 30 (EXT. ROAD WITH CAMPSITE. THE SAME EVENING.) )
- The introduction of the Texas Ranger, Frank Hamer, as the primary antagonist, and the culmination of the story in the final ambush sequence, provide a compelling cat-and-mouse dynamic and a powerful, cinematic climax to the narrative. high ( Scene 35 (INT. SHERIFF'S OFFICE IN DEXTER. DAY.) Scene 44 (EXT. ROAD.) )