The Other Side of Bonnie and Clyde (1968)
*** (out of 4)
Interesting documentary that was released a year after the Warren Beatty film became a hit. That film pretty much glamorized the couple but this documentary tries to tell people the real Bonnie and Clyde. That of course is the fact that they were cold-blooded murderers and killed many innocent people for no reason at all. Something the film left out of course.
Director Larry Buchanan is best known for some of his horrid horror movies like ZONTAR: THE THING FROM VENUS and CURSE OF THE SWAMP CREATURE but he actually does a decent job with this documentary. On the technical side, there's nothing overly ground-breaking here especially some of the re-enactments, which are a little silly at times. There's certainly nothing here that's going to stand out as great filmmaking but from a historical perspective I think this documentary offers quite a bit.
For starters, the documentary has some excellent real footage video and photos from the actual scenes of the crime including the aftermath of the duo's deaths. Another major bonus is that this here is told from the point of view of Frank Hamer, the man who brought the duo down. Not only do we get the information from his point of view but there's an interview with his widow and son. The son has some great moments as he shows us some weapons that were used by the duo and there's a terrific moment where the widow reads a note from a 12-year-old girl who had just seen the movie.
THE OTHER SIDE OF BONNIE AND CLYDE is mainly going to appeal to those history buffs who are fascinated by the true story. It's interesting to compare this documentary to the Beatty film simply because this film wants you to know Hollywood changes and glamorizes the truth. It's interesting to think how much that wonderful film did change.