Written by Ben Murchison
During the 1930’s, in what was coined the Public Enemy era, many famous organized crime gangsters rose to fame, and perhaps none were more well known than Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow. In the Depression Era, life was hard – the public somewhat admired bank robbers like Bonnie and Clyde, until their image became tarnished due to the number of police and civilian lives that were lost during the duo’s six-year run. The classic 1967 film Bonnie and Clyde provided an almost romanticized account of their exploits using their own blend of fact and fabrication. The Highwaymen does the same but focused entirely on the men that hunted them down.
The film written by John Fusco, who also penned the Young Guns films, follows Frank Hamer (Kevin Costner) and Maney Gault (Woody Harrelson), retired Texas Rangers reluctantly called upon by Governor Ma Ferguson (Kathy Bates) to assist in tracking down the Barrow gang after they orchestrated a jailbreak that left one guard dead. Director John Lee Hancock makes it a point to rarely show Bonnie and Clyde, save for a few glimpses from a distance to portray some of their more polarizing acts of violence.
He delivers an interesting but different story than one might expect. It is very much Costner and Harrelson’s movie, and they deliver character performances for which they are best known. Costner portrays the determined hero that shies away from the limelight better than anyone, and Harrelson is a pleasure to watch as he brings some lighter moments to an otherwise melodramatic tale, while still having the ability to match Costner’s intensity. While role players serve their part, the only true co-star for the pair are the Southeast landscapes and inspired cinematography and editing captured by John Schwartzman and Robert Frazen.
As previously mentioned, The Highwaymen takes liberties with facts of the manhunt carried out by Hamer and Gault and the actions of Bonnie and Clyde themselves, most notably in the way they continuously portray Bonnie as a merciless killer. It’s actually odd how meticulous they are about including the duo’s interests, cigarette brands, and the fact that Clyde avoided drinking to keep sharp, yet changed more significant elements. This film wants you to view the outlaws with nothing but contempt and see Hamer and Gault as justified in whatever actions they deem necessary. The majority of the film’s more cinematic moments were created or embellished to make what would have been a long, painstaking and possibly boring series of near misses, seem more exciting, so if you are familiar with the true series of events, it may distract you from the movie. If you can push that aside, then you can enjoy how well Costner and Harrelson play off of each other and their intriguing pursuit.
To try and humanize Hamer and show why he feels vindicated for actions of the past, the film shows his sweet relationship with his wife Gladys (Kim Dickens), and then creates a conversation with Clyde’s father, to give a factual backstory of how he got into law enforcement. Later, a deposition from Gault during a poker game finally explains why he is so remorseful for his actions of the past. That story told by Gault pushes one of the central questions of film: when is killing justified? Gault is haunted by the story that made them famous, and consistently brings up ethical concerns, but Hamer appears steadfast in his methods used to protect innocent lives. The glorification of violence by the media and it leading to fame for either side of the law is also frequently discussed. Those dilemmas come to a head as the lawman set up their fateful ambush of the notorious outlaws, and it serves as the best payoff of the film.
The Highwaymen brings to life a much less known side of the story of Bonnie and Clyde during what was one of the most captivating times in American history, and along the way, it highlights some interesting moral questions. It does however fail to offer a neutral or even factual account of much of the proceedings, so perhaps that film will come along one day as well.
Overall Rating: 7 out of 10
