Thelma and louise image analysis-( Ridley Scott, 1991)

Characters:

This shot clearly shows a woman holding a gun to a man’s head; this challenges typical thriller conventions as the male is usually domination the woman. The woman is holding a gun which also challenges stereotypes because the gun is a symbol of masculinity and power, something which is not conventionally associated with a woman and she is seen as a ‘femme fatale’ The facial expressions make it clear that something has happened to aggravate Louise and she is dominating and getting her revenge. The man looks slightly worried yet it seems as if he takes her as a joke, he doesn’t think she will shoot him and this portrays most men’s views on women. Thelma is in the background of the shot which connotes weakness and shows she is the victim in the situation; you cannot see her expression but from the way she is standing it is clear that she is distressed.

Camera angle:

The shot is a medium close up so the action is easy to see, this also makes the characters expressions clearer so the audience can see their emotions. Through this angle we can see from the characters body language that Louise is domination the shot which shows that she is domination the situation, it also shows that the character at the back of the shot (Thelma) is vulnerable within the situation yet still important as she is still in the shot; she is seen clearly yet seems insignificant to the action.

Lighting:

This is shot in non-ambient lighting which can seem threatening to the audience as it is focused to draw attention to certain aspects of the mise-en-scene. The barrel of the gun is the brightest part of the scene which draws attention to the main prop and the left side of the man’s face is lit up to draw focus to his emotions. The background of the shot is not as bright so Thelma seems to blend into her surroundings.

Props:

The gun is the most symbolic prop within the mise-en-scene as it represents power and conformity. People sometimes use guns as a warning and a way to change others into either being a better person or into being more of a threat, this gun symbolises the man’s life being out of his own hands and him suddenly being dominated and manipulated by someone else. The man’s costume is very simple and his shirt leaves him slightly exposed which could reflect the vulnerable position he is in within the shot.

Location:

This scene is shot in a car park which is a generic thriller location, they are surrounded by cars yet the car park seems to be empty yet this is not clear in the shot. The emptiness of the car park can make the characters feel alone and isolated from the public, the dark lighting also adds to this effect as the characters are not able to see around them.