The representation of men in ‘Thelma and Louise’

Most films use stereotypical characters that give very narrow definitions and do not allow for variation, this is created by the representation of the character. When 'Thelma and Louise' was released in the early 1990's, it was criticised, as it was seen to stereotype men negatively, often as foolish and incompetent. This is an unusual film as the two main characters are both female. The film features a series of male characters, none of which are developed due to their stereotypical representation. The film has a predominantly female audience and is a classic 'chick flick.

'One of the male characters in 'Thelma and Louise' is Thelma's chauvinistic husband, Darryl. When we are first introduced to Darryl, we see him as a dominant husband who likes being in control. At one point, Darryl points his finger towards Thelma, which connotes his aggression, and control towards Thelma. After Darryl says 'Don't holler like that' he appears demanding and forceful. As Thelma helps Darryl attach his watch to his arm, the audience could view Darryl in two different ways. Darryl may be presented as a comic who is helpless, although he thinks he is dominant.

However, it could show that he is incapable of doing things for himself and that he sees Thelma as his slave. After Thelma has attached his watch, Darryl fiddles with his hair, immediately showing how he is involved in his own looks.When Darryl says 'I don't give a shit what we have for dinner,' he appears very offensive and dismissive towards his wife. In this scene, there is a suggestion that Darryl works late on a Friday night at a carpet store, which in turn suggests he is having an affair. The director of 'Thelma and Louise' intends on making Darryl look stupid and clumsy as he falls over trying to get into his car.

The sports car that he owns emphasises that he likes himself and is involved in his self-image. The audience is encouraged to laugh at Darryl when Thelma and Louise speak to one another about him on the phone.After the rapist is shot, there is a short scene, which shows a microwave and un-eaten food that Thelma has left for Darryl. This suggests that Darryl may be having an affair as the food is uneaten and no body is at home. It could also show that he is not committed in the relationship.

The fact that Thelma has left Darryl a meal, shows that he is dependant on her and is actually weak. The representation of Darryl's character is quite negative at this point in the scene, and the audience views him as an un-caring husband.Later on in the film, Darryl is shown watching sport on television, drinking alcohol. As the camera shows the trophies on the cabinet next to him, it is clear that there are no photographs of his wife Thelma. This camera shot is very important in the movie, as it symbolises the fact that Thelma is one of his trophies, who he treats like an object.

Evidence in the film that suggests this is when Darryl realises that Thelma is missing. He immediately seems concerned that she is not at home, not where she is, which clearly indicates his demanding and forceful manner.Further on in the film, Darryl gets antagonised greatly by JD, when he says 'I liked your wife.' Darryl responds by getting annoyed, which also suggests that he sees Thelma as his trophy.

Thelma says to her husband, 'Darryl you're my husband not my father' - this line in the film shows that Thelma feels that Darryl should be equal in the relationship, and not be telling her what to do. At the end of the conversation, Darryl gives Thelma an ultimatum, but fails to finish it. Throughout most of the film, Darryl is shown to disrespect Thelma greatly. An example of this is when he says 'how much will it cost me?' in response to a favour Thelma wants from her husband. He then goes on to call Thelma a 'nutcase.'There is a very short scene in the film, where Darryl is at home and the camera focuses on his face, close to tears.

The director, Ridley Scott, does this to show the audience a different side to Darryl. This scene shows how he may react if Thelma was gone for good and it also makes him realise his attachment to his wife. This scene is very significant in 'Thelma and Louise' as it ultimately provides another dimension to his character beyond his otherwise stereotypical definition.Another character in the movie that can be discussed is Harlan, the would-be rapist, who approaches Thelma and Louise while they have a drink at a bar.

His chat up line 'What are a couple of cute little dolls doing in a place like this?' appears corny, immediately making the audience stereotype him as having responses towards females. Harlan comes across as being very assured and confident, also it becomes clear that he is only after one thing. Evidence in 'Thelma and Louise' that shows Harlan is only after sex, is when a waitress that works at the same bar, comes over to their table and suggests that he bothers women all the time. Harlan strokes Thelma's leg and refers to them as 'pretty ladies.

' After Harlan buys Thelma and Louise a drink, it is obvious that he perceives women to be objects.Thelma gets a little dizzy and Harlan takes her outside. It is obvious at this point, that Harlan is not going to leave without having sex with her. He also attempts to get a kiss from Thelma, but as soon as he gets it, he thinks he has sex. Harlan's 'kiss equals sex' mentality changes the opinion on his character, and makes Harlan appear as unpleasant as possible. The director does this by the offensive language he uses such as 'bitch' and his non-verbal communication, such as the stroking of Thelma's leg.

After Thelma refuses to go further with him, Harlan slaps Thelma, which makes him appear more of a negative stereotypical character. He states 'Calm down, we're just having a little fun.' This connotes that he sees his actions as a bit of fun, which makes Harlan seem even more unpleasant than before. After Louise shoots him, the audience is satisfied and they feel the murder is justified, however, morally, the murder is wrong.

Hal, the main detective, is another character in the film that can also be discussed. In some ways he is one of the most positive male characters in 'Thelma and Louise.' When he is first introduced, he appears polite and is amiable as he chats to the waitress. Hal is immediately stereotyped as the 'good cop' and throughout the film, tries to stop Thelma and Louise from getting out of control.

Hal in many ways phasilitates Thelma and Louise's escape, after he runs after the car in which they are in. Hal's character helps to suggest that there is some positive nature about men that the film has missed and therefore makes the film more accessible for a male audience. At the end of the movie, Thelma and Louise feel that the only escape is to kill themselves by driving off the top of a cliff face. They believe that if they let the men catch them, they would get dominance over them in the trial, the court etc. The end of the film shows an escape from further repression from men, which ultimately delivers a negative message.Another male character in 'Thelma and Louise' that is stereotyped is Louise's boyfriend, Jimmy.

Jimmy is represented as a caring character, who is more positive compared to Thelma's husband, Darryl. However, Jimmy still plays the boyfriend who does not meet the standard. When Louise asks 'Do you love me?' he pauses and then says 'Yes'. This connotes that although there is a degree of affection and caring, the audience wonders if Jimmy loves Louise or not.Later on in the film, Jimmy makes the effort to give Louise the money that she had requested. When they go back to their hotel room, he resorts the aggressive trashing of a part of the room, which shows that he has an aggressive side and cannot control his own emotions.

After his outburst, he proposes to Louise, as he thinks he is losing Louise, but she refuses.JD is the main love interest for Thelma in the movie. His name is taken from the movie star James Dean, which symbolically represents his importance. When we are first introduced to JD, played by Brad Pit, he seems ideal, young, attractive, polite, yet stereotyped as the young rebel. On one level, we see him sexually liberating for Thelma, but he then goes to steal from her. Although he did not rape Thelma, he persuades her with sex to steal her money.

The audience is left questioning if he is any better than Harlan at the end of the film. Although JD seems rather positive at the beginning of the play, he ends up being a very negative character.Max, another detective in the film, sums up the male attitude towards women. 'If she calls just be gentle' he says, 'women love that shit.' His language is connoting that women can be tricked and fooled. This is quite ironic, as Thelma and Louise cannot be tricked or fooled at all.

The truck driver can be discussed as he is represented as the stereotypical, sexist truck driver. He passes the women in his fuel truck and makes suggestive tongue movements at Thelma and Louise whilst they are driving past in their car. This immediately represents his character negatively. He also uses offensive sexual language and gestures towards them, which adds to his negative portrayal.

The truck driver shows his sexists attitude towards women, but Thelma and Louise get their vengeance after blowing up his truck later on in the film.The state trooper is another stereotypical character in 'Thelma and Louise.' He is a stereotypical police authority figure, which is involved in his own persona. His non-verbal communication connotes that he is confident, calm and controlled as he speaks to Thelma and Louise.

However, he seems to lack confidence when a gun is placed near his head and even cries as he is about to be locked in his car boot. The state trooper is represented as a very weak character in the film, especially immediately after Thelma and Louise has, on one level, degraded his character.In conclusion, the director, Ridley Scott, stereotypes the majority of male characters in 'Thelma and Louise' very negatively. This is achieved by the way in which a character is introduced, the way he dresses/acts towards the two females and the non-verbal communication the male uses. Although the film contains characters that are represented badly, the movie does contain a few that are presented more positively, in order to make the film more accessible for men.

At the end of the film, the audience is faced with the conclusion that Thelma and Louise have been driven to kill themselves, due to the negative way that the men in their lives have treated them. It shows an escape from further repression from men, which ultimately delivers a negative message to the audience.