32 years ago, Thelma and Louise offered us an ode to freedom with an emancipatory road trip crowned by an apotheosis finale, one of the most unforgettable in cinema, as heartbreaking and euphoric as it is.
Even though Ridley Scott’s film comes out this Wednesday, July 5, it’s hard to imagine that it was controversial when it was released in 1991. It is difficult to think that at that time the feature film received quite warm approval and became active. Controversy as she now enjoys cult and feminist icon status.
A complex genesis
As if disruption were necessary for any iconic artistic object, Thelma and Louise had a rocky start. Ridley Scott was the first to see the potential of Callie Hour’s screenplay in 1980.
Still only tied to the play, the director of the upcoming Blade Runner and other Gladiators is struggling to find a director and has faced numerous rejections from studios. And for good reason: the story of two outlaw women seeking freedom and above all emancipation from a dominant male figure is a hard sell.
Geena Davis, Susan Sarandon
Falling in love with this revolutionary duo, whose exploits he shares with reluctant interlocutors, Ridley Scott decides to direct the film himself.
Mixed reviews
If the press and the public did not reject the film as a whole when it was released – the reception was quite warm during its presentation at the end of the Cannes Film Festival – it nevertheless caused a lively controversy related to the violent nature of certain scenes.
“Clearly fascist“,”Heroines with reckless and aggressive actions“,”Perverting the Feminist Movement’s Values of Responsibility, Equality, Sensitivity, and Understanding“There are some criticisms that you can read in the newspapers of the time.
The film first of all broke a certain Hollywood vision of cinema
Suzanne Sarandon’s (Louise) dismayed reactions to the lack of such considerations regarding previously released films of similar violence (she cites Lethal Weapon in particular).
for Geena Davis (Thelma), The reason is obviousmovie “First of all, it disrupted a certain Hollywood vision of cinema that should primarily appeal to the heterosexual white male..”
A predictable controversy with no serious consequences since Kali Khoo was awarded the Oscar for Best Screenplay in 1991 and the film became a cult classic.
A feminist road movie
Thelma and Louise is not just a simple action movie based on a female best friend movie. It is an ode to freedom, a rejection of patriarchy and a hymn to independence, served by a powerful and symbolic sequence.
Among them, the sex scene between Thelma and Jade (Brad Pitt), exceptionally composed from the point of view of the female character, or the one in which Thelma lets her hair down in a frenzy of liberation from her husband’s oppression.
The film also contains its share of lines that still resonate today: “In the future, when a woman cries like this, it is not pleasant(In the future you will know that when a woman cries like that, it means she is not having fun). So many elements have been taken, studied, analyzed, chanted for more than thirty years.
in inheritance
In 2018, a pivotal year for the feminist cause, Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis took the stage at the Golden Globes to a standing ovation. Symbolic image If there was one, the two characters that they embodied became the emblem of the emancipation of women.
Two years earlier, they received the Women in Motion award at Cannes, a program that highlights the work of women in underrepresented settings.
In addition to the significant influence it has had in the field of cinema and series, the film has inspired academic writings (especially in gender studies), the creation of associations (Thelma & Louise Australia offers trips mainly for women, Thelma & Louise Expeditions.aims to empower women and raise funds for a worthy cause“) or even musical artists (Bridget’s duet performed as Thelma and Louise in the clip save my skinSusan Sarandon reprized the role of Louise in the music video fire of Justice)…
A major legacy that freedom-hungry Thelma and Louise would be proud of.
Source: Allocine
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
