Thelma & Louise

Director: Ridley Scott
Writer: Callie Khouri
Released: 12 July 1991
Set in: Arkansas, redneck America

Car Park Scene – The murder of Harlem by Louise:
From inside the diner, the camera cuts outside to the car park where the lighting is much darker. The mise-en-scene is very dark and gloomy creating connotations of mystery and fear, because of the unknowingness of what could potentially be lurking within the shadows… Straight away from the beginning of this scene you can see a range of generic thriller signifiers, such as the very dark, mysterious mise-en-scene and deserted car park.

The camera at this stage uses a panning shot to establish the location (being the empty car park) showing numerous empty parked cars on camera. There is then continual usage of close-ups in order to emphasise the intensity of the crime being committed, and makes the audience themselves feel very nervous and vulnerable, having been put in the position of the characters as if they, the viewers, are in the film.

Props are used, such as the gun, because it again is a generic thriller signifier, but also as it shows the representation of gender. It is generally felt that the male is the more powerful of the two genders, but the power of the male is challenged in this scene as the female (Louise) is holding the gun in her hands up against the male, showing a sense of role reversal within the genders, as with the introduction of a weapon it makes her seem much more powerful in comparison to the male attacker. The introduction of this gun is very important in the action of this scene (where Louise forces the man to back down) because although she is far smaller in stature in comparison to the man, the gun makes her more powerful.

The costume also plays a vital part in the play-out of this scene. For example, Thelma’s costume (a frilly, white dress) is seen as a trap almost. Her white dress, high heels etc. makes her seem much more vulnerable as a typical female character in comparison to Louise, who is dressed in jeans and a jacket, which is seen to be far less feminine and less vulnerable.

It is very unusual for a woman to take control or have any kind of power in a classic thriller film. The duo learn that acting their usual feminine selves is getting them nowhere, so decide to take a very contrasting approach to their lives and take control (challenging gender stereotypes). Thelma and Louise are an extension of the usual femme-fatale character of a thriller film, who would generally connote very sleek and beautiful, yet always street-smart characteristics. Thelma and Louise meet these characteristics, and are represented as being deviant, manipulative and dangerous.