Film Analysis
Dr. Permenter
June 25th, 2012
Thelma and Louise Quick Write.
The way that this movie was done shows how two paths crossing and two people meeting can completely change everything about a person. The parallel editing allowed us to view both of the women and how they were different from one another, which is critical to the development of the story. Thelma seemed to be less organized and less collected, not dressing as neatly and not being so particular about how she looked. Louise seemed very careful about her appearance. Progressively the characters changed to girls with wild hair and wild hearts, open and free as compared to the former selves.
The Mise en Scene of the movie really helped create the emotion of the story. The two characters both start off inside, somewhat trapped, Thelma especially by her controlling husband. The scene is dark and the colors that are present are pale and clearly unhappy. Louise starts off more organized at work. She is neat and pleasant looking, but is a little bit more wild and independent. These different personalities and the parallels of their lives create a particular feel for the characters that shows that they need to be free from their daily lives.
The first sign of rebellion is when Thelma doesn’t tell her husband that she is leaving and the first foreshadowing of the events that are going to unfold is the gun that Thelma gives to Louise when they first get into the car. The second act of freedom is when Thelma starts smoking, which is something that her husband doesn’t let her doing. At this point the characters are not limited by the constraints of their daily lives and the open shots allow us to see that freedom in more ways than one. Even as the movie starts, Louise seems a little reluctant to start living a little. When they are dancing, Thelma seems to be having a way better time than the conservative Louise, who seems to be very uncomfortable being so close to a stranger.
Everything starts to change when Louise stops the rape of Thelma and ends up shooting the guy. Their personalities start to change after the incident because they are forced to react specific ways that are way out of the comfort zones. The women started ripping apart at the seems because of the event and we can see Louise start to loose her tidiness and Thelma is more disorganized than when the movie began. By the time they arrive to a hotel, Thelma is in shambles and Louise still organized, but her hair is free and she is showing signs of becoming more free.
The camera seems to be set on the front and side of the car in some shots and seems to be on a dolly or crane shot in others, depending on what is required for the shot. The shots where the camera is mounted on the car the camera is focused on the girls emotions and reactions. The shots in the mirrors show a feeling of being trapped in a reflection, despite the open environment, which is extremely well thought out and orchestrated.
The differences between Thelma and Louise and the police is the lighting and the organization. The two women are well lit and in an open environment which shows that they have much freedom and can still make choices that will determine their future. The police are in a darker environment and usually viewed from the inside or in a way that is trapping or chasing to show their position and how they only have one thing that they are trying to do, catch Thelma and Louise.
The sound of the movie was also really well done. When Thelma and Louise are in the car, debating about going through Texas, the train in the background can be clearly hear as if we were by the tracks as well, but it didn’t interrupt the scene at all. The same goes for when the plane flew by, we could hear it before and after it was on screen.
The final scene is the ultimate act of rebellion. The police have them surrounded and nearly chased the two girls off a cliff. The helicopter is flying around them and dozens of cops blocked off their only escape. Being faced with the risk of imprisonment and their lives unraveling around them they take a leap of faith into the freedom of the sky. This shows how they only had one choice, but the choice that they made finally allowed them to be truly free.
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