Enchanting, just simply enchanting. That is all I have to say about ‘Thelma & Louise’ (1991). This early 1990’s classic takes us on the road with two wild ones who want to break free and live life to its fullest. Of course there are going to be bumps along the way, and life lesions are learned that way, but oh man does this all happen in style. This movie just mesmerized me while I was watching it, and I already knew a good deal of the story. This is more of an experience than it is a movie, and sure it might be out of place for Ridley Scott to make, but by god did he do a great job behind the camera. If you’ve never seen the classic ‘Thelma & Louise’ (1991), I promise you, you’re missing out on some quality cinema right here. 

This is a rock star movie, where the pacing is quick, and the motions are always in play, but when the movie takes its time to slow down and show the romantic side of this world, it just almost takes my breath away. Now I’m not just talking about the love scenes between Geena Davis and Brad Pitt, or even Susan Sarandon and Michael Madsen. I mean the romance of Davis and Sarandon on the road. There is an unspoken love for one another, that is deeper than works can a-test to. There is moments of just shear enchantment, and it always comes back to the leads. 

Susan Sarandon and Gena Davis had already made a name for themselves by this pint by acting out almost everyone in Hollywood. Both actors held their own in every movie, and then they finally got to do the real deal headline. Sarandon and Davis clearly have a chemistry together that is hard to fake. It seems almost obvious that the two leads had their own friendship on the outside of the film, because they were dynamite together. Their connection to one another helps carry the entire film, considering we have to spend the whole time with them in a car. The support and care one another gives makes this movie just roll over any competition, and helps cement this as one of the most iconic duos in movies. 

The 1990’s were chock full of buddy road trip movies that surrounded themselves with crime. ‘True Romance’ (1993), ‘Natural Born Killers’ (1994), ‘Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas’ (1998), and some others as well. The desert was a classic location for these Hollywood films, mostly because it was cheap and easy to make movies out in the Nevada wasteland. ‘Thelma & Louise’ (1991) is seemingly no different. Much of the film takes place on long stretches of desert road with nothing in sight. The fact that this was such a big genre in the 1990’s is crazy. It just went to show how creative all of these new generation filmmakers really got. 

Now it’s obvious to say when talking about ‘Thelma & Louise’ (1991) you can’t skip past the female view in cinema. This being like a ‘Bonnie & Clyde’ (1967) type movie, you would imagine opposite Sarandon would be a dirty man who loves her all the same, but instead, there was no need for it. This is a movie written by a woman, starring women, and made for women. The whole movie takes men’s perspectives out of it (even though it was directed by a man). The movie follows two female leads, and it doesn’t even need to fight to make its stay. ‘Thelma & Louise’ (1991) fights to make the crucial point of women being taken seriously. There was a need for them to be heard, and a film like this helped to push that. It’s a shame it took this long to get a movie like this going, but breaking into the 1990’s with it might have been a great time to do so. 

God do I love Ridley Scott. As I finish running through a lot of his films, I realized I how impactful his movies have been on me over the years. His style and technique of storytelling is unique to him, even if it doesn’t land. His filmmaking is one of a kind. He can go from massive scale midevil battle sequences, to an intimate car ride between two friends. There is a level of understanding he has to bring, and his love for emotions in his body helps bring out this side of him. Scott is always working and he is always developing his next films, which excites me to no end when I hear the news of what he has. This is definitely one of his better films, though it is very different. ‘Thelma & Louise’ (1991) shows yet another side of the British director that we never knew we needed. 

Once again, I just found myself falling in love with Ridley Scott’s work. This is perhaps one of his most critically acclaimed films he has ever made, and even to this day, it still holds up very well. There is so much to enjoy, from the two leads to all the side characters, to the intense yet heartfelt story line. This movie is full of passion, and creates a feeling for the viewer that very few films can. Now I’m not saying I’m changed by watching this film, but I will say, I’m kicking myself for not having seen it sooner. This is a classic for a reason, so don’t miss out on ‘Thelma & Louise’ (1991)