In 1934, after two years of evading capture, infamous criminals Bonnie Parker (Emily Brobst) and Clyde Barrow (Edward Bossert) orchestrate a daring prison break at the Eastham Prison Farm in Texas. This bold act prompts Texas Department of Corrections Chief Lee Simmons (John Carroll Lynch) to persuade Governor "Ma" Ferguson (Kathy Bates) to hire former Texas Ranger Frank Hamer (Kevin Costner) to track down the notorious duo, independent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Initially hesitant due to his family commitments, Hamer agrees to take on the dangerous mission after learning of a violent shootout in Missouri involving Bonnie and Clyde. He is joined by his former partner, Benjamin Maney Gault (Woody Harrelson), who has been struggling to find work.
While the FBI has been wiretapping the families of Bonnie and Clyde, Hamer and Gault manage to access the files and deduce that the couple is likely heading toward Dallas. In the city, they witness a boy picking up a bottle thrown at Bonnie's mother's house, but he escapes before they can question him. The FBI, aware of Clyde's potential whereabouts in Brownsville, urges the Rangers to stay out of their investigation, but Hamer and Gault remain undeterred. They meet with Dallas Sheriff "Smoot" Schmid and Deputy Ted Hinton (Thomas Mann), who has personal ties to the criminals but hesitates to take lethal action against them.
Their investigation quickly takes a dark turn when they learn about a double police murder committed by Bonnie and Clyde near Grapevine. Appalled by the couple's brutality, Hamer emphasizes the severity of their crimes to Hinton, who expresses his doubts about engaging the pair. Clues lead the Rangers to Oklahoma, where they learn from a sympathetic gas station attendant that Bonnie and Clyde may be hiding in a nearby migrant camp. After searching the camp, they discover the criminals’ campsite but are thwarted by the FBI and local authorities who deny them access to another crime scene.
Frustrated but determined, the Rangers pursue leads to Coffeyville, Kansas, where they believe the gang will stop for supplies, especially for Bonnie's severe leg pain. In a brief encounter outside the town, they exchange gunfire with Bonnie and Clyde, but the criminals manage to slip away.
The next day, Hamer learns that Clyde had breakfast in Amarillo and returns to Dallas, where he finds that a white rabbit—a present for Bonnie—has been delivered to her family. Visiting Clyde's father, Henry Barrow (William Sadler), Hamer receives a poignant plea: end this for the family, knowing that Clyde would never surrender.
Hamer and Gault devise a plan involving a prisoner, Wade McNabb (Josh Caras), who is connected to the gang, hoping to draw them out. While interrogating McNabb in a bar, Gault fights off three thugs sent to protect the criminals. Later, while surveilling Bonnie's house, they see the same boy retrieving a bottle and give chase, but the pursuit leads to a message indicating the gang's next move. The Rangers then discover McNabb’s brutally beaten body, further fueling their determination to capture Bonnie and Clyde.
Despite feeling responsible for McNabb's death, Gault and Hamer reconcile and hypothesize that the criminals are likely heading to Louisiana, specifically to the home of gang member Henry Methvin’s father, Ivy (W. Earl Brown). They go to Ivy's house, where they find evidence that the gang had recently been there. Ivy agrees to cooperate with the Rangers, offering to help set up an ambush.
Joined by local law enforcement, including Deputy Hinton and Bob Alcorn (Dean Denton), Hamer and Gault prepare for the confrontation. That night, Gault shares a painful memory of accidentally shooting a young boy during a previous deployment, underscoring the stakes involved. The following day, the posse sets their trap, with Ivy pretending to have car trouble to lure Bonnie and Clyde into the ambush.
When the criminals arrive, they stop to assist Ivy. Hamer steps out and commands them to raise their hands. In a split second, as Bonnie and Clyde prepare to draw their weapons, the posse opens fire, gunning them down before they can escape.
The aftermath is chaotic. Bonnie and Clyde’s bullet-riddled car is towed to Arcadia, Louisiana, where it draws a frenzied crowd of onlookers. Despite a lucrative offer for an interview from the Associated Press, Hamer and Gault choose to drive home quietly, reflecting on the violent end of a notorious chapter in American crime. The funerals for Bonnie and Clyde are attended by thousands, showcasing the complex legacy of two figures who captivated the nation, both feared and idolized.
No comments:
Post a Comment