The alternative of that era

The film’s name in film history is derived from its reputation as an anti-genre film. Director Arthur Payne did a very mixed job. He put together a set of elements that the general audience would like to hear, and then gave the big bad guys a handsome and beautiful appearance. After killing and robbery, he would talk about love, rob the rich and help the poor. , So there is this exciting and novel look. The essence, narrative structure and typical character settings of American genre films were carried forward through noir films and thriller crime films in the 1930s and 1940s, and then they were learned by Truffo and Godard, creating a new wave. When American films could not find a way out in the 1970s, they wanted to learn from the new wave of classics and bring back the old style. "The Male and Female Thief" is just like this example. Its shell is the routines of crime films, road films, and even western films, while the content and techniques are derived from the smart editing and plain use of mirrors in the new wave, plus the reverse The traditional moral angle is indeed refreshing in the American movies of that era.

From another perspective, "The Male and Female Thief" also has a feminist meaning. Bonnie is a very self-conscious female character. She chooses her own life path, chooses male friends, and acts in accordance with her own values. She holds a cigar in her mouth, and raises her leg in front of the car to take a photo with a gun in hand. In this picture, she seems to be the only protagonist, a rare female figure with active status. As a male role, Clyde has become a foil. The inaction in sex strengthened Bonnie's independence. Only after finally getting rid of the chaotic situation and temporarily stabilizing, did he get a short-term recovery of male function. The ability to emphasize women's sense of autonomy in this way creates a female image that is completely different from a virtuous wife and a mother, and a vase foiled by scratching her head. This makes the film's cultural significance lead the times. And with the background of the Great Depression in the 1930s, telling about a yearning for complete personal freedom, doubts about the capital-monopoly society, and using extreme violence to discourage violence, it also has strong social implications in the post-Kennedy era America. of.

The film's narration is very concise, direct and powerful, and its response to the violent scenes is not shy about it. The expression technique of creating the difference between real time and movie time and emphasizing action has become a model. The scene where the last two died is indeed worthy of careful analysis. The scenes are constantly switching in the sights of all the parties. The flying birds, close-ups, and rapid cuts of the ambush create a perfect atmosphere, accompanied by Clyde and Bonnie’s finals. The emotional close-up, staged the final cruel scene. He was extremely calm and didn't miss the feelings of each character, the whistleblower, the hopelessness of the murdered, and the last stare of the lover were fully expressed. The part of Bonnie's dream of returning to her hometown inserted in the middle of the movie is very fantastic, with a taste of Alan Raynay's paradoxical narrative.

In that era, the appearance of "The Male and Female Thief" was really eye-catching. But now we are used to such scenes, and the technique of inverting good and evil is no longer new. The past rebellion seems to have become the current trend. Maybe go back to that perfect cliché, but it can be more attractive. Popularity is always reincarnation. Who knows what will happen next?

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