Thelma and Louise - Review
Tom Zarnick “Big Tom,” Slippery Rock University Film Student Blogger, Monday, 1 July 2013 13:30 EST
Its Big Tom back for another review of a Hollywood Cinema realism style of film making in Ridley Scotts Thelma and Louise. This is another classic movie that Slippery Rock film students have the opportunity to view and respond to in this blog, writing some aspects of technical analysis that we have learned and that Ridley Scott choice for his filmmaking style for Thelma and Louise.
There were numerous camera angles that were used for mise-en-scene effect to convey visually to the audience the different moods, feelings and situations of each character. I am going to focus on the cross-cutting sequences. For example, in the opening scene of the film, the use of cross-cutting cinematography showed Louise calling Thelma on the phone, which introduces the audience to the characters, and allows them to see the two different locations and their lives, as well as what each of the two characters are doing at the same time. We see Louise in her work uniform which consists of a starched apron, a cap and a white dress. She looks like she’s confined showing she is caught in an unhappy life and wants to break out. This mise-en-scene conforms to the stereotypical image of a waitress, and identifies her as a blue-collar woman in a low status job and may imply a lack of confidence, self esteem, especially when you factor in her age. However her presence is flawless, spotless and shows her perfection and control in an environment that could be disorganized, and messy. Thelma is dressed in her robe and is the definition of an uninterested, unenthusiastic housewife, preparing her husband’s breakfast. She also appears stuck, but in a very different way.
The cross-cutting or parallel editing in the second sequence of the film, when the two women are packing shows that this is taking place at the same time but at different locations. This alteration of shots was used to show both Thelma and Louise packing for their departure for vacation and gives the audience further insight about their individual lives and personalities and meant that the audience saw two different lifestyles as well as two vastly differently personalities. Adrian Biddle, cinematographers’ use of cross-cutting/parallel editing sequence was naturally, but magically and effortlessly captured. This mise-en-scene hints to the audience the idea that there are differences between the two women. This cross-cutting/parallel editing allowed the audience to become aware at an early point in the film how vastly different Thelma and Louise’s personalities are. Thelma packed without concern and did not make a decision as to what she was packing. Louise packed neatly, organized and with concerns for keeping her items dry and neat. The audience immediately was able to compare the two characters because of the cross-cutting/parallel editing used in these scenes. Furthermore, the characters attire right away helps the audience identify with Thelma and Louise and gave the audience an insight in to each of their lives. This visually tells the audience about the character and their personality with the use of the cross-cutting or parallel editing. When Thelma and Louise are starting off on their weekend vacation, Thelma is wearing a pretty white dress. This shows her femininity, purity and innocence. Louise’s clothing is pristine and plain, but natural and her hair is up in a tightly fixed pony style. These cross cutting sequence and mise-en-scenes shows Thelma as carefree, cheerful, young and Louise as controlling, with a type A personality and older.
My favorite mise-en-scene in the film is of the inside Thelma’s house. The scene begins with an establishing shot of a bookshelf next to the doorway and then a close-up shot to cut to the objects on the bookshelf shelves. The shelves were filled with sports trophies. The low-key, soft lighting and dusty environment indicates that the setting is Thelma and Darryl’s house and we are about to see Darryl for the first time since Thelma left. The camera focus on the bookshelf filled with sports trophies symbolizing mise-en-scene that a man is in charge here as the trophies are given a place of importance. There is no indication on the bookshelf that a woman lives here. The dark color tone, low-key lighting and haze of dust suggest that this place is an unwelcoming environment.
The second mise-en-scene that I identified with was the choice of the close-up photo of Thelma and Louise taken by Louise at the beginning of their trip. This was taken in front of Thelma’s house, is used as an important mise-en-scene, and is significant in the film as it represents their long lasting relationship. It is taken before they leave for their weekend away, capturing their friendship and their feelings for each other their high spirits for the adventure they are embarking on together. The next time we see this photo, it is in the back of the Thunderbird as they drive off the cliff together. Visually, this form of mise-en-scene makes the audience emotional feel everything they have been through together, and how they both rediscover the strength of their friendship and the freedom they have acquired together. This intentional mise-en-scene formulates empathy with Thelma and Louise because the events that have transpired were all unfortunate accidents that placed them in the final scene.
As a film student I have to comment on the 180 degree rule which was kept intact when the police where watching TV at Thelma and Darrel's house. The visual mise-en-scene with Darrel in the back against the wall and the police and detectives sitting in his chairs, watching a chick flick on TV and the implications of Darrel using the remote to turn the TV to a baseball game was very effective.
There was a lot of outdoor lighting used, during the day and at night, which creates a naturalistic feel. The lighting in this film creates a naturalistic feel as a lot of sunlight was used in the day, and little artificial lighting was used for the night scenes.
Throughout the film as we see Thelma rediscover herself, her strength, as she begins to wear a black t-shirt with the sleeves cut off. The mise-en-scene connotations of the black clothing could be to imply her independence and to show her strength as a person, as she finally stands up to her controlling husband, and chooses her life with Louise over her life with Darrel. The mise-en-scene further symbolizes danger, as Thelma robs a shop, and holds a police officer at gunpoint, before robbing him too and locking him in the trunk of his police car.
This is another of my favorite mise-en-scene shots of the film. Thelma’s torn off shirt sleeves that Louise used these to wash her face off, mise-en-scene perhaps being washing the guilt and her past away. These strips of sleeve are now tied around Louise’s neck showing their bond and commitment towards each other.
The scene where Thelma and Louise are on the road is an incredible shot where the camera is positioned on the hood of the Thunderbird. The use of the camera for the traveling-tracking shots of the Thunderbird is used to emphasize the environment around them which is a merciless, unforgiving dusty desert and this was brilliantly photographed. The use of close-up and extreme-close up shots and the stationary camera shots during the car journey so that the character's faces were not jarred about. Biddle's cinematography provides an infinite, Arizona landscape with bold use of sun and reflections surrounding Louise's striking Thunderbird. The traveling extreme long shots and the point of view shots that were chosen and edited for this movie, screening much of America that we seldom get the chance to see. The viewer is on vacation with Thelma and Louise. The montage editing that is used to rotate between Thelma and Louise suggesting the lapsing of time and the passing of events, perhaps their lives. The scenes in the car when driving at night were possibly visually showing the events of their lives passing in the night. These scenes were expertly accomplished with the chosen cinematography.
The minutes that led up to the final scenes which are decidedly solemn after an exhilarating chase sequence, project the opposite image from those final moments. The pan across the scene to show all of the police cars at the end of the film showed the audience the profound extent of misfortune Thelma and Louise were in and how even with this overpowering presence of police, reinforcing their dilemma, they were they still felt like they had the freedom and therefore freedom of choice. The camera pans across the police cars, and shows a high angle shot of them all. It emphasizes the situation and suggests there is no way out for them. Harvey Keitel, police detective who seems genuinely sympathetic is there but his presence is dwarfed by the chaos. This mise-en-scene makes the audience feel empathy for the characters as well because they know it was all an accident.
The choice of close-up shot used when the girls are talking just before they drive off the edge was exceptional. It then shows an extreme-close-up of their faces which allow the audience to see their expressions and reactions. The blue sky in full focus and the dust calm and settled, the women kiss in triumphant exasperation, and from a high angle shot we see Louise floor it for the Grand Canyon cliff ahead. Slow motion kicks in, that inspirational score begins to overtake our emotions as Louise guns the car for the edge of the Grand Canyon we see the Harvey, dutiful police detective running after them.
As the Thelma and Louise continued to drive off the Grand Canyon at the end of the film, the screen flashed to white into the ending credits, but…. the audience never really sees what happens to them, and this allows the viewer to decide how it ends.
The ending of the movie was incredible and an enormous surprise. I sat and watched the credits, which I have learned to do as a film student and also out of shock because of how this film ended. What I saw surprised me even more. There was a montage of Thelma and Louise in multiple shots dissolves into the credits. They were jovial, on cloud nine shots that reminded me as a viewer of how happy they were on this road trip because they each found their freedom and because they found it together, they were content to end their live together, still being free of their former lives but independent. The montage pictures reminded me of a eulogy that was given by a very close family member or friend or perhaps it was Thelma’s eulogy to Louise and Louise’s eulogy to Thelma. I would like to see it that way.
Giannetti, Louis. Understanding Movies. Upper Saddle River: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2011. Print.
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