Movie diary: Thelma and Louise

A hero can be defined as the main character in a story, and as the following film elements discussed induce one to think – not to mention the movie’s title- , that Thelma and Louise are the two main characters of this story. Courage and noble acts are other characteristics that will also be taken in account in order to better support the argument that these two women are indeed the heroes of this story.
Many of the first film elements that can be found in this movie work as an introduction to the two main characters of the story. These elements are meant to force the spectator- even one who had never heard speak of, or seen the two Hollywood stars shown on screen- to focus their attention on them.
In the very first shot, the camera starts following and keeping the focus on a specific waitress as she is working in a busy restaurant. The spectator can hear music playing and the noise of the customers talking in the restaurant, but this waitress’ words are the most intelligible ones, and the music volume seems to go down as she speaks. The customers in the two tables she serves are all women and most of the other figurants too. Her set is well lit and one can see big glass windows that let a lot of sunlight get in and the other waitresses like her are wearing a bright white uniform, but she is the only one wearing a flower. All these elements – sound design, mise-en-scène, lightning, costume and edition- create a happy, bright, spacious, and –what can be called- a women friendly environment, where Louise is the main character.
The other main character in this movie, Thelma, is shown entrapped surrounded by the wall and cabinets of a small kitchen as she talks with Louise over the phone. She wears a big robe with a floral pattern tha...

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...lywood movies especially when one looks at the film form elements used on what may be called D.J.`s fetishization scenes. He is seeing throughout the movie like a traditional movie’s -usually female-beauty: his hair is always perfect, his white shirt and hat are spotless in spite of the fact that he is hitchhiking in the middle of a sunny and hot desert. From the first scenes he is shown, Louise is the one actively looking at him. Subjective shots like the one where she looks at him through the rear mirror, force the spectator of no matter what sexuality to look at D.J. through Thelma’s eyes in a very sexual way. Lightning was used in all possible ways to enhance D.J.’s muscles sex appeal as Thelma’s skin was much less seen during their sex scene, and, in a lot of shots, only parts of his body – fetishisized parts- where exposed to the audience’s gaze and pleasure.