The one movie Gene Hackman wanted to be remembered for: “I thought films would always be like that”
For anyone as accomplished as Gene Hackman, it would be hard to resist the urge to reflect on all you had achieved during your time on the silver screen, with a prolific career that spanned the beginnings of the New Hollywood movement and beyond.
Whether it be breathing new life into a beloved comic book character or playing the ultimate tortured soul, Hackman was a one-of-a-kind movie star due to his ability to portray the everyman in the cinema, opening up the medium to a more realistic side of life through his nuanced and naturalistic characters.
However, with a list of credits that boasts some of the most iconic characters of all time, you might assume that it would be hard for Hackman to pick his favourites, but the actor described one project that he looked back on most fondly.
The New Hollywood movement is regarded as one of the biggest creative revolutions within the pearly gates of Hollywood, with new and emerging directors pushing for an era of total freedom as they broke free of the filmmaking hierarchy and advocated for genuinely innovative stories. The movement paved the way for decades of daring films, with the likes of The Exorcist, Jaws and The Sting being born from this era and challenging the way that audiences perceived the medium as a whole.
But while many stars were made during this time, with actors like Jack Nicholson, Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway rising through the ranks, one of the leading success stories of the decade came in the form of Hackman and his supporting role in Bonnie and Clyde.
The film is now famous for its role in the movement, and a project that Hackman was especially proud to be a part of after it became his breakout role, leading to subsequent projects like The Conversation, Reds and Night Moves.
However, while cinephiles perhaps look back on the character of Buck Barrow as a firm favourite, so does Hackman, with the actor describing it still as the one film he wanted to be remembered for. When describing why, he said, “Bonnie and Clyde. It was a good time, it was a great time, because it was one of my first big films and it was a great cast and I thought films would always be like that. You know, just a small group of five people having a good time doing what they knew how to do. And we didn’t have a lot of technology getting in the way of the craft”.
Bonnie and Clyde forever remains a symbol of simpler times in the film industry, with Hackman inadvertently describing the changes that happened in Hollywood as the movement evolved into something much bigger. The birth of blockbuster cinema was just around the corner, with Hackman eventually going on to star in commercial pictures that were entirely opposite to the humble origins of his breakout role.
For a while, the film industry he knew and loved was alive and kicking, and the film remains a testament to this and the power of pure and simple storytelling.
