You could be forgiven for thinking that, removed from the cultural context of its arrival in cinemas in 1991, Ridley Scott’s
Thelma And Louise has lost some of its resonance. On initial release, it was that rarest of things: a big hit movie, that didn’t sacrifice intelligence, which was headlined by two women. And that resonance? It’s still just as keen.
The film itself remains one of Scott’s best. Geena Davis’ Thelma and Susan Sarandon’s Louise break free of their lives, and go on the road trip of a lifetime, as they take the kind of decisions they’ve never taken before. Both actresses give exceptional performances, and were deservedly Oscar-nominated for their respective roles. Furthermore, look for an early appearance from a young Brad Pitt, who they encounter on their travels, and surrender no small amount of cash to.
The key benefit of the high definition upgrade afforded by the Blu-ray release is to make the most of the sumptuous photography. The journey of Thelma And Louise takes its characters across some stunning landscapes, that are brought to the screen in crisp, stunning detail. A good, high definition television will certainly justify its worth with the material here.
There’s no shortage of extra material, either. The highlight is the documentary that’s included, which spends the best part of an hour exploring the story of how the film came together. There’s also a lot of deleted material that’s on the disc, although it’s understandable why most of it was trimmed.
The film remains a compelling road movie, driven by Davis and Sarandon, and one that stands up strongly. --Jon Foster