Thelma and Louise
Thelma and Louise ‘Thelma and Louise’ is the story of two women in their mid-thirty’s who go away on a weekend trip together in rural America to get away from their everyday routine lives. Louise an unhappy waitress, and Thelma an unloved housewife. What the two best friends anticipate to be an enjoyable excursion, when Thelma’s naïve and trusting character leads to an unfortunate incident causing them to choose crucial decisions affecting their futures. The duo end up at the edge of the Grand Canyon in Thelma’s convertible, cornered by armed police where the finale results in them taking the most courageous and vital decision yet Analyse the opening sequence of the film. ... Ridley Scott establishes the characters of the two women from the very beginning of the film; Louise an independent, organized trim waitress and Thelma a naïve dizzy, dependent housewife who is not committed when it comes to making up her mind about things. ... The first shot is of Louise, working in a typical roadside café. ... Louise looks well groomed and very smart, with her hair slicked back and perfect makeup. This already tells the audience of Louise’s character. Then the shot cuts to Thelma still in her nightgown, at home making breakfast, with the television providing background noise although it being morning the lighting is very dim; she then calls her husband down for the breakfast she has prepared. This immediately shows to the audience that Thelma is fairly disorganized and quite domesticated. The shot once again cuts to Louise who phones Thelma wanting to discuss the trip they have planned. Thelma still hasn’t asked her husband, Darryl, if she can go with Louise. As the discussion progresses Louise results in explaining to Thelma that she is not a baby anymore. This shows what type of character Thelma’s husband is and that Thelma is afraid of him to a certain extent, also that Louise often is the one who makes decisions, and encourages and supports Thelma through things. Thelma is then shown taking a chocolate bar, taking a bite, and then placing it back in the fridge. ... This represents how indecisive Thelma is with a bar of chocolate, making the audience think what she would do with something more important. Thelma says she’ll call Louise back, due to her husband Daryl coming into the scene. After seeing off Daryl Thelma calls Louise back, having not even attempting to mention to Daryl about the trip, this showing that Daryl is dominant in controlling what Thelma does.