CINEMA CLASSICS SEMINAR: BONNIE AND CLYDE

$30 for BMFI members, $40 for non-members Thursday, November 5, 2026, 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm Instructor: Amy Corbin, Ph.D., Muhlenberg College Bonnie and Clyde (1967) defied low expectations to become a landmark of “New Hollywood.” The characters are romanticized revolutionaries: their longing to break out of their simple lives evolves into an anti-establishment critique; Bonnie’s sexual assertiveness combines with Clyde’s disinterest in sex to upend traditional gender roles. The film also examines modern mythmaking, depicting media sensationalism and the formation of a public image. In addition to the film’s cultural significance, this seminar will also trace the cinematic path from the French New Wave to “New Hollywood.” French filmmakers of the ’60s experimented with dramatic tonal shifts that could unsettle audiences and defamiliarize the familiar. With such inspiration, Bonnie and Clyde pairs upbeat banjo music with startling violence; it embeds glamorous close-ups and fashionable bodies into a dusty setting—creative choices suggesting multiple realities. A final, fascinating angle is the way that Bonnie and Clyde confounded establishment film critics, best exemplified by the famous Time magazine cover story that retracted its initial negative review in an extensive essay on the film’s significance. Watching Bonnie and Clyde together in 2026 will give us a chance to explore its many layers of meaning for audiences old and new.