Release Date: 12 July 1991 (UK)
User Comments: 'Almost perfect road movie about two women on the run'
Producers: Mimi Polk, Callie Khouri (co-producer), Dean O'Brien (co-producer), Ridley Scott (producer)
Production Companies: MGM, Pathé Entertainment, Percy Main, Star Partners III Ltd. (in association with)Distributors: MGM, NBC, Alamode Film, Chapel Distribution, Columbus Film,Tobis Filmkunst, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, Argentina Video Home, Columbia Home Video, MGM Home Entertainment, MGM/UA Home Entertainment, United International Pictures, Warner Home Video
The first mise-en-scene is a cultural signifier. Country western music is played whilst the credits are running, which is also a cultural signifier to the audience.
Louise in her first mise-en-scene appears to be smart and hard working. This is shown through her clothes and the fact she's at work. Thelma, on the other hand, appears to be scatty and messy. This is shown through her floaty clothes and messy place she lives. Daryll (Thelma's husband) connotes vanity and it seems he's trying to appear rich, which by looking at his clothers and house, isn't true. Daryll is very controlling and demanding when talking to Thelma, which shows he's dominant and wants full control of his wife. Thelma shows she's inferior to Daryll by using words like 'hun' almost as if she's trying to sweeten him up.
There's a straight cut between the mise-en-scene with Thelma and Louise in the bar and Thelma in the car park. The car park is a generic convention of a thriller. Noir lighting is used in the car park, which creates a spooky atmosphere, indicating to the audience something is about to happen.
this whole film is about misogyny, hatred, of women and how they're percieved as 'sex objects'. Ridley Scott is representing the mid western males as misogyny. For example Daryll and Harlem (the rapest) make it seem that the womens role is to gratify/serve men. Thelmer is girly and vunrable this is represented through her white dress and her elegant posture. Louise, on the other hand, is masqueline and dominant and this is shown through her clothing, she's wearing a manly jacket and she's carrying a gun (which is seen to be a masquline rather than feminine).
The mise-en-scene of the car and the lorry uses generic thriller conventions. Such as, wet road, foggy, noir lighting. The road is narrow, which indicates their world is closing in on them. The Lorry is a male symbol dominating their little vunrable car. The foggy weather gives off a sense of disorientation.
The women are the main characters in this film, which is unusual for a thriller film.
A proficient analysis of some aspects of mise-en-scene. Your evaluation is more confident and your vocabulary are more developed suggesting you enjoyed watching the clip from the film and that your understanding of film language is becoming more fluent. Well done Laura I enjoyed reading this. Excellent points about Daryl, Thelma's husband and the misogyny imbedded in the culture.
ReplyDeleteNote spelling revisions. Thelma not Thelmer, and vulnerable.
Don't forget to scan your excellent mock exam essay onto your blog to include the assessment sheet. This is important in strengthening your grade for research.
ReplyDelete