Film Analysis

Almarzuqi1

Samer Almarzuqi

Peter Nagy

ENG 180, Women Go to the Movies

12/12/2017

Film Analysis

Thelma & Louise- Freedom & Confinement

Thelma & Louise is an interesting crime film about two friends who set out on an adventure. Thelma, an overly submissive housewife joins Louise, her friend who works at a diner as a waitress, on a fishing trip. Their trip, however, becomes a run away from the law when shoots and a man at a bar who attempts to rape Thelma. Louise then reaches a decision of fleeing to Mexico, after where Thelma joins her. While on their way to Mexico, Thelma develops a strong positive affection for a sexy young thief, J.D. whereas a sympathetic dDetective, Slocumb attempts to convince Thelma and Louise to surrender before completely sealing their fate. In this paper, I will argue that freedom and confinement can strive at altering individual’s perception towards attaining the power to act, speak or think without externally imposed restraints. Following this overview, the context will focus on a specific theme of freedom and confinement in order to unify the idea that is a recurrent element in the film. Comment by Peter Nagy: Who shoots who? Comment by Peter Nagy: Freedom and confinement? Who’s being confined in the film? The women? Who’s confining them? Be specific. Comment by Peter Nagy: Comment by Peter Nagy: Try to be more specific. Act on what? Speak about what? Think about what in particular?

The facets of freedom and confinement are held together in understanding motif behind the two friends. The two facets can be compared to the opposite subject poles of Thelma and Louise from another point of view. The girls are under compulsion and restraint, not quite "free" within their lives right from the beginning of the film. Thelma is obligated to her husband as a housewife, while Louise is strung along by Jimmy, an absentee boyfriend and who has had a lousy job. Contrastingly, the crime Louise commits following a rape attempt forces them into some sort of freedom, as they absolutely have nothing else to lose apart from their literal freedom. When they are bound to a new kind of confinement, they are left to decide on how important freedom means to them. Comment by Peter Nagy: Forces them to run from the law, which liberates them? Again, be as specific as possible. What does liberation look like in this film? Is it freedom from men? From certain kinds of men? Freedom to behave in certain ways?

In essence, Thelma and Louise's trip follows an attempt of the girls to be free“free”. Free from relationships, Free from work, free from responsibilities, free from upsets, concerns, and largely, free from their own mind-numbing lives. They assay at escaping these troubles experience something different. In the first scene, Thelma has to request permission from Darryl, her husband, so as to embark on the trip. She is so frightened of her husband’s reaction and cannot make herself ask. Each time Thelma calls out "honey", Darryl barks "what?" and she has to nonchalantly change the topics and instead ask something else (Waldo 23). Being too scared to ask Darryl straight up on going on a trip for the weekend, Thelma leaves a note after packing and casting a handgun in her bag supposedly for a good measure. As such, marriage life turned out to be a prison to Thelma and having Darryl as the warden. Comment by Peter Nagy: ?

On their trip, the two adventurous duos decide to stop at “the Silver Bullet,” a roadside bar on their way. While in the bar, Thelma meets Harlan, a guy who charms her, drinks together and ultimately assault her in the parking lot. Louise finds Harlan who is driven crazy and Thelma all beaten up in the parking lot. She points out a gun at Harlan and drags Thelma to safety and after an aggressive exchange; Louise shoots the Harlan in the chest. Thelma and Louise eventually hit the road and an insecurely shaky manner try to puzzle out what they are going to do. They reach a decision of not reporting to the police, as Louise points out that the police would not believe their story.

As ascertained, following Harlan’s murder, Louise finally becomes a criminal bound to murder whereas another charge of freedom is brought about. Now, Thelma and Louise have to be “free” from the guilt at the Silver Bullet, or at the least free from incarceration. With this integral overview, freedom thereafter becomes a primary goal for the two for the rest of the movie. Comment by Peter Nagy: The tavern? Provide context.

Midway from extremes of the movie, it can also be ascertained that when Thelma makes a phone call to Darryl, Darryl treats her condescendingly, and she is perceived finishing the awful conversation with "go fuck yourself." In the midst of the movie, a meek Thelma extremely achieves freedom she was bound on her marriage when she slept with JD. On the other hand, Louise, who is in the next-door room, turns down her boyfriend's marriage proposal, eventually rejecting her commitment. Louise is ravaged since more than ever seems, as she will be subjected with only the option to surrender. Having no money, Thelma and Louise have no other choices however, Thelma seems stimulated to action seems by the experience and takes charge ordering Louise to pick her belongings and they both leave the hotel.

In the meantime, detective Hal Slocumb made a visit to Louise's apartment feels the two might run away out of the state, and the FBI is summoned. Hal together with several FBI agents made a surveillance at Darryl's house and taps the phone in an expectation that Thelma will call home. JD is apprehended and brought in for questioning where Hal privately speaks with him. In spite of the fact that Hal knows Louise and Thelma are fugitive from justice, he becomes furious with JD for having interfered with their security when he took their money. Apparently, JD cracks and tells Hal what he knows.

Shortly after departing the hotel, Louise and Thelma pull up at a small gas station that has a convenience market. Grasping that Louise is still shaken over their previous setback, Thelma takes her sunglasses robbed the gas station and making with an indeterminate amount of cash. To her surprise, Louise is shocked, wondering how Thelma managed to do it. At a later time in the movie when talking to detective Hal, Louise explains, "Certain words and phrases just keep drifting through my mind, things like, incarceration, cavity search, death by electrocution, life in prison, shit like that, know what I'm sayin', so do I want to come out alive... “(Dunne 82). The tendency of being adrift attended on how the two were shocked and lacking sensation.

Initially, the two best friends began on an adventure that sooner turned out to be a terrifying escape from the American police while they escape from the offenses they committed. However, when Thelma and Louise are cornered by the FBI and the police on the edge of a cliff, supposedly the Grand Canyon, the two make an intentionally conceived option of driving off the cliff where the motivation of freedom overwhelms that of common sense and eventually cutting the lives of the two friends short. Comment by Peter Nagy: In terms of the mechanics and organization, this paper is fine. I would suggest focusing on your analysis, as you tend to get caught up summarizing the plot of the film. Your goal, here, should be to talk about what freedom for women is in the film—how the film defines and portrays this notion—through particular scenes. What are the key scenes in the film in which we see women—Thelma and Louise—being free? Where does it occurs? What’s happening on screen?

Works Cited

Waldo, Thea. Celebrities and Their Culinary Creations: Autographed Photos, Biographies, Trivia, & Recipes. New York: iUniverse, 2006. Print.

Dunne, Michael. Intertextual Encounters in American Fiction, Film, and Popular Culture. Bowling Green, OH: Bowling Green State University Popular Press, 2001. Print.