Ridley Scott’s 1991 movie Thelma and Louise may at first appear to be a portrait of two females who only manage to mimic the patriarchal society that has been perpetrated on them their entire lives. But beneath the mimicry lies a feminist viewpoint hidden within Thelma and Louise’s new gun-toting personas. The final scene of the movie, 2:03 to 2:05:37, provides the basis for the argument of the representation of a type of feminist perspective which asserts a direct refusal to be constrained within a male driven society.
Both women realize on the cusp of the Grand Canyon that their spree of autonomy has come to an end and the point of no return has long since past. They either must face a society that will ultimately reject them or find their escape beyond the confines of the patriarchal culture. Thelma comments on the large group of law enforcement surrounding their car saying, “It looks like an army.” Then Louise responds, “All this for us?” Thelma and Louise realize just how dangerous their search for autonomy has become for the society they are fleeing. This conversation draws the audience’s attention towards the extreme reaction of the male focused culture to any threat, even if it just two women. When advising the two women to put their hands up the cop on the bullhorn says, “Any act of resistance will be seen as an act of aggression towards us.” The language categorizes Thelma and Louise’s behavior not just as taboo but also as aggressive and threatening.
Just as language help destroy the women’s connection to society, it also helps to force them between the two extremes of adult and child. The duality that Thelma and Louise maintain of innocent or child-like and capable or adult is reflected within the conversation of Hal and Max, the two lead officers on the case. Hal refers to Thelma and Louise as girls when stating, “Don’t let them shoot those girls.” To which Max responds, “These women are armed, Hal.” The patriarchal society places Thelma and Louise into two extremes which neither of them fit. Thelma and Louise are not little girls, nor are they simply women. They have grown throughout the movie into two actualized human beings which have obtained traits from both sexes that equal a complete individual. Thelma and Louise’s display of seemingly male characteristics does not place them in the group of imposters, but instead in the group of complete individuals.
The major evidence for Thelma and Louise’s lean towards being feminist figures instead of shadows of men is their final decision. The act of driving over the cliff of the Grand Canyon is used to promote the idea that Thelma and Louise strived for a world not contained within the patriarchal system which is overloaded with the male figure. The two women found their own space to be exactly whoever they wish to be outside of the confines of gender. By not going out in a blaze of gunfire Thelma and Louise choose to reject the judgment of the male dominated society and instead continue their journey.
I like your analysis of the final scene. I read some other blogs and they all tend to point to this scene. I do agree that this scene represents Thelma and Louise showing that they have turned their lives around. They started out at the bottom of the totem pole by having their men run their lives. Thelma was the miserable, house wife to the jerk of a boyfriend and Louise was the independent women who had a dark background. Now they are two women who do't have a care in the world for what men have to say to them. They would rather take their own lives then go back to what they used to be.
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