I finally watched this film in 2022, and have mixed feelings about it.
The acting is generally excellent, and conveys the feelings of these two women trapped in empty unfulfilling lives, in a society that marginalises them.
But my empathy was marred by how unredeemingly stupid Thelma is. Without her poor judgement, the plot simply would not happen.
Having said that, the world portrayed here is of a barren, sparsely populated America. There are no big cities and crowds, just mostly empty highways and big expanses of countryside, with motels, diners and trucker bars. This cleverly adds to the sense of isolation.
The only true ray of light in the women's lives is Harvey Keitel, who is fighting from inside a system designed not to provide justice. Every other male character is pretty much human garbage.
The message here is about taking control of your lives, personal freedom and fulfilment. I fully endorse that message, but I cannot endorse a film that suggests you need a gun and to commit crimes to achieve this.
The acting is generally excellent, and conveys the feelings of these two women trapped in empty unfulfilling lives, in a society that marginalises them.
But my empathy was marred by how unredeemingly stupid Thelma is. Without her poor judgement, the plot simply would not happen.
Having said that, the world portrayed here is of a barren, sparsely populated America. There are no big cities and crowds, just mostly empty highways and big expanses of countryside, with motels, diners and trucker bars. This cleverly adds to the sense of isolation.
The only true ray of light in the women's lives is Harvey Keitel, who is fighting from inside a system designed not to provide justice. Every other male character is pretty much human garbage.
The message here is about taking control of your lives, personal freedom and fulfilment. I fully endorse that message, but I cannot endorse a film that suggests you need a gun and to commit crimes to achieve this.