Film+Talk: Thelma & Louise

With International Women's Day on 8 March, this month we are putting the spotlight on the first feminist road movie: Thelma & Louise. Did this film pave the way for better representation of real women in film, or was it just a feeble attempt by male director Ridley Scott, who subsequently excelled mainly in films with predominantly male leads? 

Sanne Koevoets will tell us more during a short lecture before the film. She is affiliated with Erasmus University College in the Humanities department, where she focuses on the male vs female gaze in media, art and culture.

About the film:

Louise works as a waitress in a diner and has problems with her boyfriend Jimmy, who is always on the road as a musician. Thelma is married to Darryl, who prefers his wife to stay quietly in the kitchen so he can watch football on TV. One day, they decide to leave their normal lives behind, get in the car and hit the road. However, their trip turns into a flight when Louise kills a man who threatens Thelma and tries to rape her. They decide to go to Mexico but soon find themselves being hunted by the American police.

Director: Ridley Scott 
Cast a.o.: Susan Sarandon, Geena Davis, Harvey Keitel, Michael Madsen, Brad Pitt  
Country: USA
Year: 1991
Length: 130 minutes
Language: English spoken and subtitled