The lasting influence of the French New Wave ultimately resulted in the films of the New Hollywood era taking on a particular style that greatly contrasted the Classical Hollywood style present throughout the Golden Age. Instead of a studio institution collaborating as a collective auteur, this new era of filmmaking was instead characterised by a small group of young creative minds collaborating within the new landscape of Hollywood. It is important to observe each of the creative forces that contributed towards Bonnie and Clyde (Arthur Penn, 1967) to evaluate whom is responsible for how the final film looks and feels.
The two screenwriters that worked on Bonnie and Clyde were David Newman and Robert Benton. After meeting at Esquire magazine, this screenwriting duo often collaborated together from the late 1960s through to the early 1980s. Bonnie and Clyde was the duo’s first screenwriting effort, containing highly authentic and naturalistic dialogue – reminiscent of the French New Wave. This is representative of the young aspiring filmmakers, who were able to share their creative voices to the world within the landscape of New Hollywood.
The film’s director was Arthur Penn, known for directing critically acclaimed American films throughout the 1960s, such as The Chase (1966), Alice’s Restaurant (1969), and most notably – Bonnie and Clyde (1967). Collaborating alongside producer and actor Warren Beatty, Penn was strongly influenced by the French New Wave when creating Bonnie and Clyde, with the film itself only accentuating the creative influence that this new generation of filmmakers went on to be inspired by. Because of this, Arthur Penn cannot be considered an auteur, as he was not the sole creative mind behind the production of the film.
Bonnie and Clyde was edited by Dede Allen, a celebrated ‘auteur editor’ within Hollywood. She had an extended collaboration with Arthur Penn lasting nine years and during this time, she pioneered the use of auditory overlaps and emotional jump cuts. This stylistic manner of editing was heavily inspired by the French New Wave, meaning that Dede Allen played a crucial role in Bonnie and Clyde’s production.
Bonnie and Clyde was produced by Warren Beatty, who also stars as Clyde in the film. Beatty was responsible for assembling the aforementioned screenwriters – Benton and Newman – alongside most of the cast. Even Arthur Penn was specifically selected by Beatty to direct the film, with Beatty choosing to give Penn 10% of the film’s profits. Beatty was arguably the driving force behind the film, overseeing each element of production.
Otis Morley’s A-Level Film Studies Blog 