Tracking down Bonnie & Clyde
Based on the real story, two renowned retired Texas Rangers (Kevin Costner & Woody Harrelson) are commissioned to track down and execute Bonnie & Clyde in 1934 after other authorities have failed.
“The Highwaymen” (1983) is a great counterbalance to the 1967 movie with Beatty & Dunaway, which painted the thugs more sympathetically, as well as the excellent “Bonnie & Clyde: The True Story” (1992).
The filmmakers shoot for realism rather than the thrills of, say, James Bond or Batman. And by "realism" I don't mean exact historical accuracy; movies never are for many reasons. For instance, Frank Hamer never approached Bonnie & Clyde from the front of their vehicle. Hamer & co. just blew them to smithereens as soon as it was determined it was the rogue couple.
The picture is a reverent period piece about life in the Great Depression and the pursuit & execution of the infamous duo by a couple of aged, but experienced men. The film has the confidence to take its time, unlike say "Aquaman,” which anxiously jumped to a wild action scene just when a dramatic part was getting interesting. If "The Highwaymen" is sometimes slow & boring it's because the actual pursuit was also slow and often boring. This is not a flick for people with ADHD who demand an explosion every 5-7 minutes. It's for people who favor period pieces like "The Whole Wide World," "Cross Creek," "Of Mice and Men," “The Cider House Rules,” "The Green Mile" and "Water for Elephants."
The movie runs 2 hours, 12 minutes.
GRADE: B+/A-