Bandits - or over-glamourized criminals

We've all heard of the best known bandits and outlaws in history, the legend of Robin Hood, the outlaws Jesse James, John Dillinger and Bonnie and Clyde.

All of these figures have been portrayed through film at some point, all of which glamourize the life and in some cases, the looks of some of them. Many reviews have criticised films such as 'Public Enemies' about John Dillinger and 'The Assassination of Jesse James,' one quote from a review of this film reads: "It's the beautiful bad man, knowing and doomed, awaiting his fate like some Greco-Hollywood hero, rather than the psychotic racist of historical record." For the full review see below:

http://movies.nytimes.com/2007/09/21/movies/21assa.html

I think it is also quite clear that Bonnie and Clyde did not look anything like the beautiful Faye Dunaway and charismatic Warren Beattie that we saw in the cinema, the image on the left shows their true identities. I understand that directors and producers want to make successful films that often need some tweaking from the real story to turn it into entertainment for the masses. But to glamourize these criminals to be something that they're not seems slightly unjustified.