This terrible death became a symbol of the fighters

What film has been more rediscovered and praised for its modernity than Thelma and Louise? Thirty-two years later, Ridley Scott’s feature film with Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis is still cited as a reference, especially for its moving and stunning ending, which left its mark on all viewers.

What happens to the two heroes of Thelma and Louis?

Thelma lives a monotonous existence with her husband, Louis is bored with his lover. On a whim, the two decide to take a road trip to Arkansas. A pleasant trip takes a completely different turn when they stop at a bar and the man becomes overly enterprising…

Tlma and Louise give chase and find themselves cornered in the face of a grand canyon and a terrifying chasm. Pointed with many weapons, they end their lives in the pursuit of this fatal fall. The image freezes in mid-air, leaving the inconsolable viewer to imagine what will happen next.

A gruesome ending, but one that is not lacking in the context of the film and that goes beyond their deaths to escape trial.

Except that this 2nd question was not obvious to everyone at the time. As Susan Sarandon has said, reception for Thelma and Louise has been mixed THR The film’s 30th anniversary in 2021:

“Have you seen Butch Cassidy and the Kid? I thought it was about cowboys with women and trucks (…), Ridley, who is a great director and a funny script.

I totally didn’t appreciate that we were stepping on the toes of a heterosexual man. They were offended and accused us of glorifying murder, suicide and the like.

It wasn’t a big deal, but it was pretty unusual to meet a woman you wanted to be friends with. Usually, when there were two women in a movie, they hated each other for one reason or another… and it was hell!”

And Geena Davis adds that the film was outside the norm at the time:

It made me realize how rare it is for women to come out of a movie feeling empowered. Men feel it in every movie.

With an Oscar for Best Screenplay for its author Kali Khoury, Thelma & Louise is seen as a feminist film. He discusses rape and sexual assault culture, particularly with the following line: “You’ll know in the future that when a woman cries like that, she’s not having fun”.

The actress received the Women in Motion Award at Cannes in 2018, which honors the work of women in the film industry. The Thelma and Louise Australia Association offers trips mainly for women, targeting Thelma & Louise Expeditions “Empower women to have more autonomy and raise funds for a worthy cause”.

Thelma and Louise’s certainly tragic journey to freedom and emancipation, and the film now has the place it deserved since its 1991 release.