100 Pictures from (Frank Wildhorn’s) Bonnie & Clyde → 18/100
MADE IN AMERICA - Were Bonnie and Clyde heroes or villans?
Gangsters are typically criminals and bad guys, right? When it comes to Bonnie and Clyde, there’s confusion and intrigue into the real story.
Over their four year crime spree, Bonnie and Clyde (specifically Clyde - Bonnie may have fired guns, but she never hit anyone) killed nine police officers and several civilians. They robbed banks and store, also stealing cars from anyone that had one parked in a convenient spot (especially beware if you had a Ford V8, that was a favorite of Clyde’s). By all normal standards, wouldn’t that make them criminals?
The song from the new (and sadly closed) musical Bonnie and Clyde “Made in America” describes the story of the duo quite well. Consider the time in which Bonnie and Clyde were tearing across the Southwest - The Great Depression. Both Parker and Barrow grew up under harsh conditions of the Depression. It was normal for young boys to steal, Clyde and his brother were not exceptions. Parker was not a thief but she was bored with the plain life she was expected to left. Clyde served his prison sentences and at one point, he was ready to live a clean life. He got job after job (which was not easy during the Depression), but each time, police, always suspicious of his activities, would not allow him to go free. Frustrated by the constant pestering, Clyde turned to crime for the rest of his short life.
Banks were the “bad guys” of the Depression. They took land and were profitable while regular folks were extremely impoverished. Clyde watched his own family suffer from the effects. In a way, it makes sense that he targeted banks. While mainly being a source of profit, could it be possible that it was also revenge? It’s also been said that Clyde didn’t like to kill and only did so out of necessity. That’s a point that can never be proven, but it’s a possibility for sure. It’s been proven that Bonnie never shot anyone and was merely considered an accomplice. One thing is for sure, she was VERY dedicated to Clyde. She went to jail for him and suffered a terrible injury due to his driving, but she wanted to be by his side, even if that meant dying with him.
Another aspect of the story is the publicity and the legend. Like movies, the stories of Bonnie and Clyde that people read in the newspaper created an escape from the misery of their real lives. To hear someone “breaking free” of the Depression, well, that was thrilling and exciting. It was truly a fantasy. Also consider what was left in the wake of their deaths; books, movies, music, anything you could dream of! Many of us now have Bonnie and Clyde to thank for inspiring such a fantastic musical :)
There is some empathy that can be given to Bonnie and Clyde, but the truth is that they did murder innocents and police officers. They stole, and unfortunately, it sometimes came from people who were just as poor as they were. Knowing the facts, you can make your own opinion about whether they were heroes of the Depression or plain and simply, criminals. Perhaps they’re something in between, victims of hard times who made bad choices. Whatever it may be, everyone can hold their own meaning for the infamous couple.
One thing is for sure, Bonnie and Clyde were created by the Great Depression, truly Made in America.
