This movie was very well done and thankfully stuck to the historical truth of what happened when two old Texas Rangers were called out of retirement to help capture Bonnie and Clyde. Kevin Costner and Woody Harrelson are cast as the lead characters whose increasing age cause them to question their ability to do what was needed to crack a case in the 1930’s- drive the ‘highways’ for months in search of clues, talking to folks and working out how to finally nab these outlaws.
In contrast to the 1969 Bonnie and Clyde with Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway, this movie showed what their crime spree was actually like. They were treated like celebrities in the original 1969 movie (which the populace believed them to be at the time) and their story was shown from their point of view. This new version is from the police and detectives perspective (ostensibly the truth of the case) which is 180 degrees from that public perception.
Overall it is well worth watching, Costner and Harrelson put on great performances and give the audience a feel for the country at that time. Most roads were dirt roads, most people lived in very small towns, most were simply eking out a living. No wonder two young lovers keeping out of the reach of law enforcement for over two years was an exciting story to be romanticized. Possibly due to the simple fact that this was a story of what actually happened, it does not appear that Hollywood was able to slip in any of it’s agenda.
