Introduction to the Movie
‘Thelma and Louise’ is a fascinating story of two allies Louise and Thelma, who head for a vacation to escape their tribulations for a while. Thelma is a housewife married to a chauvinistic husband; Darryl. She does not have freedom considering her economic status. Louise works as a waitress. From the description, the two are stereotyped by the society. Thelma is a full time dependant to her husband while Louise’s profession is defined by her gender. From a social point of view, she falls under the profession meant for women in the society. Although they longed for the vacation, it becomes the cause of their untimely death. Their first stop is at the Roadhouse where they dance and get some refreshments. Harlan dances with Thelma and they head to the parking bay where he intends to rape her. However, Louise chips in and saves the situation with Thelma’s gun. When they leave, he hurls insults at them; thus, infuriating Louise, who kills him. The two escape for fear of prosecution for murder. The friends travel to Mexico where Louise loses all her life’s fortune to the fugitive, J.D, who had earlier confessed to be a criminal. The encounter marks the ladies’ entry into crime until their death through suicide.
The Woman as a Vigilante in the Movie: Thelma and Louise
Thelma and Louise presents the protagonists as social vigilantes. They make major decisions without conforming to the laws of the land. Similarly, their decisions go against the social expectations. The two friends believe that the society is to blame for their misfortunes. Both of them admit to having lived unfulfilled lives. Thelma is particularly dissatisfied with her partner, Darryl. The feel suffocated by the social structure of the American society and their journey is a search for freedom. They believe that the vacation will grant them a breathtaking experience which will give them a break from their boring lifestyles.
‘Thelma and Louise’ is a controversial movie that illuminates on the rise on feminist ideologies. The two women challenge the dominant patriarchal system in the American society through breaking away from the social expectations and engaging in erotic activities. They represent self-assertion when they engage in activities not meant for women such as handling guns. Essentially, the society does not expect a woman to own a gun. However, Thelma, the housewife owns one. Similarly, it is against the social expectations for a woman to go for a vacation without notifying her partner. However, the two friends leave for a holiday without notifying their spouses.
The film warns over the severity of female violence. The two friends become violent later in the movie. Thelma becomes a violent robber when she breaks into the store and steals. Similarly, Louise kills Harlan and engages in a chain of socially unacceptable activities in the movie. It is important to note that their activities amount to serious crimes that attract a judicial prosecution. The filmmaker criticizes the ladies ‘involvement in violence and how they handle crime. For instance, Louise responds to an attempted rape case through threatening to shoot the perpetrator. Additionally, she responds to Harlan’s insults by murder. Throughout the movie, the two women engage in a series of crimes. They become used to guns and commit violent robberies. Additionally, they explode the truck; thus, suffocating the driver.
The averted rape case explains women’s freedom from sexual exploitation in the patriarchal society. Although the movie emphasizes too much on feminine crime, it serves as enlightenment to the society on women’s progress in self-defense. The two women break away from their partners. Louise rejects her boyfriend while Thelma enjoys her freedom through engaging into extra-marital sex encounter with J.D at the motel. Louise’s behavior in sexual relationship may be attributed to her experience in Texas.
The movie represents women as being marginalized. Similarly, it explores their journey to freedom. Thelma, who is married off to a very authoritative husband decides that enough is enough. She leaves for vacation with her friend Thelma to take a break from her husband’s authority. Although the movie depicts them as being violent, it aims at exploring the path of liberation for the female folks who have had to cope with male chauvinism for decades. Therefore, it symbolizes the new female dominion over patriarchy. Their actions depict the underlying emotional baggage. For instance, Louise hated Texas so much that she could not pass through it while travelling to Mexico.
The film is feministic because it highlights much on the activities of the two friends; Thelma and Louise. The protagonists abandon their dull lives and embrace an adventure that symbolizes their freedom as women. However, it is unfortunate that their momentum to freedom involves use of violence and crime. They commit murder and violent robberies. From a cultural perspective, the protagonists violate the cultural expectation when they engage in the use of guns, robbery and suicide. The film opens up with Louise and Thelma being maidens who live unfulfilled lives. The movie gives them stereotyped functions in the beginning. Thelma is particularly unhappy with her marriage. However, being a housewife, she has to cope with her husband’s authority.
The movie portrays Thelma and Louise as true friends who portray the gender stereotypes in the American society. Through them, the movie reflects the severity of gender stereotypes prevalent in the American society. It is unfortunate that the two protagonists meet their untimely death through suicide. Although the movie is a comprehensive analysis of the rise against gender stereotypes, it is sad that the protagonists gain freedom through violence. Similarly, the movie does not exalt the role of women in the society. It does not empower them to become agents of change in the community. On the contrary, it portrays the two protagonists as rebels.
Conclusion
The movie draws a sharp contrast between men and women. It portrays them as being distinct entities. However, men stand in the way of freedom for women. The protagonists’ freedom is curtailed by characters such as Darryl, Harlan, truck driver and J.D. Therefore, the movie examines social conflict between the two genders. The protagonists’ journey turns out to be a search for freedom they had never known in the patriarchal American society. The two friends hoped to get relief from their duties, problems and gender stereotypes. Their rejection of responsibility for their activities makes them commit suicide to evade the long arm of the law. Throughout the movie, the two friends committed a chain of crimes. The movie has received positive criticism from viewers. However, some feel that it should have lifted women through making them pioneers of social change but from an affirmative point of view.