"Thelma and Louise"
Directed by Ridley Scott - (1991)
Thelma and Louise, uses various techniques to make it fit into the genre conventions of a thriller film. Directed by Ridley Scott, the film uses various techniques and a well written plot to give the idea that the two women live in a world where men control everything. Scott however uses his skills as a director to change this view throughout the film, allowing the two women to take control of their own lives and go against the stereotypical view that it is men only who can have control.
Here is a prime example of the way, Ridley Scott suggests that the world Thelma and Louise live in is a male orientated one. Scott uses massive manly looking veichles in the form of lorrys to act as threatening objects, to the women who are driving their stereotypical female car. The use of lorrys in this metaphorical way, suggests that Scott wants to show that the women are trying to escape from their male run lives, allowing them to be free, however the lorrys are effectively trying to block them from doing so.
Again this image shows us how Scott uses manly objects as threatening ones. The oncomming lory looms over the small car as it steams forward, the dark background is set alight by the floodlights on the lorry, suggesting it see's itself as important and threatening. Arguably just like a stereotypical man. Furthermore the enclosed space of the bridge, adds a feeling of tension and claustrophobia, giving the whole event various elements of excitement and suspense.
Directed by Ridley Scott - (1991)
Thelma and Louise, uses various techniques to make it fit into the genre conventions of a thriller film. Directed by Ridley Scott, the film uses various techniques and a well written plot to give the idea that the two women live in a world where men control everything. Scott however uses his skills as a director to change this view throughout the film, allowing the two women to take control of their own lives and go against the stereotypical view that it is men only who can have control.
Here is a prime example of the way, Ridley Scott suggests that the world Thelma and Louise live in is a male orientated one. Scott uses massive manly looking veichles in the form of lorrys to act as threatening objects, to the women who are driving their stereotypical female car. The use of lorrys in this metaphorical way, suggests that Scott wants to show that the women are trying to escape from their male run lives, allowing them to be free, however the lorrys are effectively trying to block them from doing so.
Again this image shows us how Scott uses manly objects as threatening ones. The oncomming lory looms over the small car as it steams forward, the dark background is set alight by the floodlights on the lorry, suggesting it see's itself as important and threatening. Arguably just like a stereotypical man. Furthermore the enclosed space of the bridge, adds a feeling of tension and claustrophobia, giving the whole event various elements of excitement and suspense.
Well done for identifying the lorries (note spelling!) are masculine signifiers, or in film language phallic symbols. The mise-en-scene indeed is a visual narrative of the misogynist world of the film.
ReplyDeleteTo strengthen try to improve language: i.e. male signifiers, misogyny.
Your analysis needs to reference other clips from the film, for example the lorries are the personification of Daryl (Louise's husband) and Harlem the rapist because they treat women as objects to gratify their pleasure.
Regarding lighting, note the noir tone, this is a generic convention of noir thrillers, thus you could make an intertextual reference to the splendid use of noir lighting in the shots of war torn Vienna in "The Third Man" and the purpose of this convention is in "The Third Man" and in "Thelma and Louise". You may also wish to reference other thriller films which utilise this lighting convention.