Examples Of Escapism In 'Thelma And Louise And Badlands'
Abigale Larson
Ryan Clancy
FILM 386
8 May 2023
Comparing liberation to escapism in Thelma and Louise (1991), and Badlands (1973).
The road is often seen as a vessel of freedom, for as long as travel has existed, so have roads. These roads have led to opportunities for a new life, new freedom, new discovery. But where one road ends, another begins. How does one define freedom within the road? How can a road act as both a metaphorical path and a physical one? Road movies deal with discovery in several forms. Liberation and escapism are often forms of symbolism that the road depicts in films. The two films, Thelma and Louise (1991), and Badlands (1973), show the differences in symbolism, despite the similarities of the characters on the road.
The film, Thelma and Louise, explores how the road can benefit the idea of liberation, while the two main protagonists are escaping a life of crime. Usually in this setting, the idea of criminals on the run wouldn’t mean liberation, however, Thelma and Louise take a unique lens at self-discovery on the road. We have the main character Thelma who is a stay-at-home wife, who arguably has constricted herself into a mold for her husband. Then we have Louise, who is more independent but still is missing some commitments in her life. The two women face their first altercation after Thelma is almost raped by an unapologetic man. The abuse of power is evident in the standoff before Louise kills the man by
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There is a lot of vastness to the road, and what it can mean to an individual. Though just because the road is open and free does not equate it to being a vessel of self-discovery and liberation for everyone, sometimes it can be used as a mode of escape. The film Badlands uses the road as a means to show it being used for an escape, while Thelma and Louise take a different approach and show the road as a means for self-discovery and acceptance of one’s true
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