American Roadtrip

Summer is cars. Summer is deep black asphalt and truckstops and the heat. Summer is Texas. Summer is Thelma & Louise (1991).

Ridley Scott's biggest follow-up after Blade Runner, Thelma & Louise regards the best friendship of the title characters, who set out on a two day getaway from their husband and boyfriend, respectively.

Here Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon are at the peak of their powers. It is difficult to tell them apart from real housewives and waitresses, not because they aren't beautiful but because that beauty is the work of maintenance.

Image source: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsBwdrjFgD55izvS50WVkbnHDtSZmfKdul_nU3_W_dleTB9bIRqSD_O8GufG85aUkwTpAhf3H5N2wVUO_Hi8_BM-REzQFvXz2OYrxCAW6qilROYEmhc0nPV2waiKtZOdc09HFix6fTGxHo/s1600/thelandlou1.jpg
1st Selfie.

In other words, their beauty is performative. Thelma's shown with curlers in her hair, Louise inspecting her makeup. Much like their domestic preparations--here Thelma is packing, here Louise is washing a dish--their appearances are broken down into a series of discrete steps.

This work makes them, in turn, more alike. In a movie devoted to the close up it can be difficult to tell them apart, never mind individuals within other groups of people: police officers in white collared shirts, women crowding together looking into a mirror. It's only when the rings and curlers come off that Thelma and Louise begin to seem unique.

Image source: http://www.phase-eight.co.uk/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/thelma-and-louise.jpg

And yet this scenery remains an integral part of the film. Here is a southwestern accent, here is a Texas line dance, here is the Grand Canyon. I've never been to the latter, but I recognize the former. As the movie progresses and Thelma and Louise transform from housewives to outlaws, it's true that the more you know about the context, the less likely it is you'll need subtitles.

Sit back, relax, but keep your hat on--it's going to be a wild ride.