Oscars 1967: If We Picked The Winners (Best Picture)

3. Bonnie And Clyde Originally viewed as a "B" movie by the studio (and as such, was initially only shown in small theaters and drive-ins), Bonnie and Clyde soon received raved reviews from critics as well as a quickly growing fanbase among the youth of America. Before the studio knew it, Bonnie and Clyde was the surprise hit of the year. Frankly though, I can't blame the studio for looking at the movie as a "B" movie, because in a lot of ways, that's exactly what it is. Based loosely on the string of Depression-era bank robberies committed by Clyde Barrow (Warren Beatty), Bonnie Parker (Faye Dunaway) and their gang, the film is not really concerned with getting all the small details of Bonnie and Clyde's life correct and instead opts for a more romanticized tale of misfits against the world. The film moves pretty quickly from one scene to the next, giving you the jest of what they're going for, and then without much nuance, jumps into to the next broad-stroked tableau. The film's use of violence, which was extremely controversial at the time, also feels a bit exploitative, which is yet another element the film has in common with its less widely acclaimed "B" movie brethren. Finally, the film has a real sense of fun, which is usually the only saving grace of the better "B" movies. Of course, the film is quite a few steps ahead of the average "B" movie in many departments. For one, the acting in Bonnie and Clyde, headlined by great performances from the two leads, is much better than your typical performances in the average cheap films of the day. The direction from Arthur Penn and the film's script (written by David Newman and Robert Benton, along with some uncredited contributions from Robert Towne) is also a notch or two above what you would expect from a "drive-in" film. Finally, probably my favorite part of the film, and the thing that really gives it some tonal cohesion, is its excellent use of Bluegrass music, with a soundtrack almost exclusively made up of Flatt & Scruggs & the Foggy Mountain Boys. While I don't quite see it as the classic that some do, Bonnie and Clyde was certainly befitting of the times, and another reason why 1967 was such a great year for the movies.