these generic plots (in the case of these directors, in the Western genre) to produce their own deeply crafted and often complex visions of American society.

Genres continually evolve. Alongside the repetition of familiar codes and conventions, variations on the genre are introduced, which give a new inflection, and often a new direction, to the genre.

Thus, for example, the Western was reinvented by Sam Peckinpah, who introduced bleaker and more extreme representations of violence, and again by a type of film known as Spaghetti Westerns (Westerns made by Italian film-makers and often shot in Spain-most notably the Sergio Leone-Clint Eastwood collaborations).

Another example of the ability of genres to mutate is the evolution of film noir- those complex and dark thrillers made in black and white in the 1 940s and 50s-which returned in colour in the 1970s, 80s, and 90s.

A genre can thus continually develop to encompass new elements and produce new meanings.

Lastly, Steven Neale suggests that some genres focus on a 'core problematic', an issue of social importance that the genre explores (Neale, p. 21). For example, the core problematic of the Western is the conflict between, on the one hand, law and order, and on the other, freedom beyond the law, a conflict that is a major issue for American society.
The Western was a space for working out all kinds of scenarios around this issue, and studying the Western provides a chance to see how this social issue has been, and still is being, dealt with.

Genre theory was established for popular cinema at a time when most films were easily placed in a few key genres.

How does Ridley Scott use a number of separate genres to make a contemporary feminist movie?

Anna Chapman

The film 'Thelma and Louise' is a hybrid of different genres, in that it incorporates elements of the Fugitive, the Road, the Buddy, the Tragicomedy and the modern Western movie. In order to embody a strong feminist message, regarding female empowerment and independence, the movie is centred around two female protagonists, Louise, a waitress in a cafe, who is bored by the monotony of her life, and her best friend, Thelma, a timid housewife who is controlled and repressed by her bullying husband.

The film opens with a title sequence, which shows a Western American landscape, and a lonely country road, stretching out into the horizon, which is, of course, synonymous with the traditional Western movie. This informs the viewer that, the majority of the film does not take place in the domestic surroundings of Thelma's home, or Louise's workplace, where the characters are first introduced to the audience.

At the start of the film, Louise is rushed off her feet at work, in a chaotically busy cafe. On her break, she telephones Thelma, to arrange a short fishing trip. Thelma admits that she has not yet asked her husband's 'permission' to go, and when the audience actually meets Thelma's husband, and witnesses his domineering behaviour towards his wife, they are not surprised. Thelma attempts to gather together the courage to ask her husband about the trip, but, afraid of inciting his anger, she decides instead to wait until he leaves for work, before setting out on her trip with Louise, behind her husband's back. This signifies Thelma's first rebellion against male repression.

The camera cuts between parallel scenes of Thelma and Louise packing, and the differences between the ways each character goes about this task, in order to highlight the contrast between them. Whereas Louise packs her suitcase carefully and neatly, taking with her only the items she needs, Thelma hurriedly and untidily tries to throw as many things as she can think of into a suitcases. This shows that Louise tends to be far more organised and practical than her friend, whose nature is more disorganised and impulsive.
The fact that Thelma is so anxious to pack as much as possible, suggests that she is seriously considering not returning home after the trip, and the audience is able to predict, with a strong degree of certainty, that Thelma will leave her husband for good. This is reinforced by Thelma's decision to take her husband's gun, which serves as a universal emblem of power, and signifies Thelma's attempt to reclaim the power and authority her husband holds over her. The gun is to become an important icon in the film, as it is in many fugitive movies, and the audience will observe how rapidly the women's attitude will change towards it, in the duration of the film. For example, when Thelma first decides to take the gun, she is evidently unaccustomed to handling firearms, and appears to be quite fearful of it, holding it between her thumb and forefinger, and away from her body.
However, later in the film, as the women grow more reliant on the gun to aid them in their escape from the law, Thelma proves herself to be a natural at shooting, when she and Louise decide to teach a crude and sexist lorry driver a lesson, by shooting at his vehicle, and causing it to explode in true Western style, while the chauvinist driver watches in dismay. In reference to her holding up a convenience store, and taking hostage a police officer, about to arrest Louise for speeding, Thelma comments, “I seem to have a knack for this sorta thing”, which illustrates to the viewer the extent of the change which Thelma's character has undergone .

This is also fairly reminiscent of some of the scenes from the 1960s movie, 'Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid', which helps to reinforce the perception of 'Thelma and Louise' as a Western and Buddy movie.

From the beginning of the film, Thelma appears to regard the trip as an opportunity to gain liberation for herself although she has yet to discover to what extent this will be true. For example, when the women arrive at a roadside saloon, (which, again, the viewer will associate with a Western movie) Thelma surprises Louise with her flirtatious behaviour, and by ordering drinks with high alcohol content, telling her “You said you 'n' me was gonna get out of town and for once just really let our hair down. Well darlin' look out 'cause my hair is comin' down!”
It is evident that Louise is far more worldly wise and cautious than the childlike and somewhat naive Thelma, and this is shown when the women are chatted up by a "stud” in the saloon. Thelma is quite flattered by the man's attention, but Louise recognises him for the predatory and insincere flirt he is, and behaves rudely towards him, to show that she is aware of his agenda, that is, to try to get Thelma into bed.

Thelma begins to feel nauseous, and so the man who has been flirting with her takes her outside, supposedly to take care of her. However, as the audience tends to trust the instincts of Louise, we are naturally suspicious of him. These suspicions are confirmed when the man tries to take advantage of Thelma's intoxicated condition, pressurising her to have sex with him. When Thelma rejects his advances, and even slaps the man to prove that she is not simply being a 'tease', he becomes violent, and tries to rape her. Fortunately, at this point, Louise, realising that her friend is no longer in the saloon, goes to look for her, and manages to prevent Thelma from being raped, by threatening to 'blow (the would be rapist's) brains

out.”
Although Louise does not initially intend to shoot the attempted rapist, he infuriates her through his obvious lack of remorse, responding, 'I should have gone ahead and fucked her”, after Louise has warned him, “In the future, when a woman's crying like that, she isn't having any fun.”
This scene marks a climax, and significant pivotal point in the plot, in that these two, previously ordinary women on a fishing trip, are instantaneously transformed into fugitives, on the run from the law. From this moment onwards, 'Thelma and Louise' becomes both a Road and Fugitive movie.
Louise's refusal to report the incident to the police is used to draw the viewer's attention to the injustices in the law, faced by women regarding rape, when Louise points out that, because there are witnesses to state that Thelma was dancing with the man, prior to the attempted rape, the police would protably be reluctant to believe the women's story, as it would probably be perceived that Thelma was guilty of “leading him on”. To further illustrate the ways in which women are oppressed and intimidated by men, the director, Ridley Scott has included a scene in which Louise and Thelma, speeding away from the scene of the crime, are narrowly missed by a gigantic lorry. A deep telephoto shot in this scene, makes the tiny T Bird driven by the women, appear much closer to the lorry than it actually is. This creates a stark contrast between the highly intimidating lorry, and the seemingly small and vulnerable T-Bird.

The lorry is personified to represent male oppression and brutality,, which the women have recently been subjected to. This point is further reinforced, as the male driver of the vehicle shouts obscenities at the women, in retaliation for the near collision.
Later in the film, there is a scene, in which Louise pulls over the car, and, as thc women discuss their intended destination, a train drives past alongside them. Again the T- bird is juxtaposed with a larger vehicle as a visual reminder to the audience of how the two women are at a disadvantage, this time, in that, unlike the train which has a clearly defined route to it's destination, Thelma and Louise are unsure of how they will reach theirs. Also, the train is another icon of the Western, and in particular, the fugitive movie, in that they are often either held up by the outlaw, or used by him as a means of escape.

It is interesting that the writer of the screen play, Callie Khouri chose to incorporate into the movie, genre which have previously been heavily dominated by men. However, by using this ploy, she has succeeded in enriching the film, by offering it a new dimension.

Although feminism is a key theme in 'Thelma and Louise', the fact that it also incorporates Western, Road and Fugitive overtones, means that this film is accessible to both genders, in that it provides the audience with

excitement, and is able to successfully
capture their attention, whilst at the same time, generating important messages, and directing the viewers attention to vital issues, without appearing to be too 'preachy', or alienating the male audience. This and the fact that the movie is also a 'TragiComedy' means that the film is able to evoke in it's viewers, a number of ambivalent emotional responses.

The Road and fugitive elements of this movie are complementary to it's feminist theme, in that the road stands to serve as a powerful metaphor for the emotional journey undertaken by Thelma and Louise, as they are able to win back their liberation, and discover aspects about themselves which had been concealed previously in the repression and monotony of their lives.

This journey allows for the opportunity of excellent and rapid character development, as the women, are forced to become reliant on themselves and each other in order to keep one step ahead of the law.
Louise and Thelma quickly discover that the men in their lives are unable to rescue them from their predicament, and when the women are betrayed by J. D (a handsome hitch- hiker who quickly engages the affections of Thelma, before taking off with Louse's savings) they are forced to accept that they must not become too trusting or reliant on anybody, but each other, and so must learn to protect themselves.
This realisation is expressed by Louise when she reprimands Thelma for her naivity in trusting J.D with information regarding their intended destination; “We're fugitives now. Let's start acting like fugitives.

The law, is also represented in the film as being male dominated, in that when the fugitives are being chased by a swarm of police cars, the camera allows the audience to observe that all but one of the drivers are men. For this reason, the Fugitive theme of the film is also useful in highlighting the feminist issues, especially as the fact that the women are on the run from the law is the reason why they are on this journey, and also the reason why they are being so closely pursued.
The score of the movie has been composed with a Western- style sound which, as in all films, is used to help create a mood for a particular scene. For example, the Country and Western music played in the saloon, prior to the attempted rape of Thelma, is fun and relaxing, and designed for people to dance to, whereas the scenes in which the women are trying to escape from the police are accompanied by fast 'action' music, which creates a mood of tension, excitement and panic. The music played in the scene in which Thelma and Louise drive over the edge of the Grande Canyon is very melancholy, and yet quite inspiring, which echoes the emotions felt by the viewer as they watch in horror, sadness, and strangely enough, admiration, as the heroines drive to their death.

Although 'Thelma and Louise' tackles some very important issues such as rape and male oppression of women, it alsok contains a comedy element, which helps to relieve some of the tension, and increases the level of enjoyment received by the audience.
Even in some of the more serious scenes of the movie, Louise and Thelma are able to entertain the viewer with witticisms, such as when Louise is on the telephone to the police, who are trying to persuade her to give herself up, she dryly tells the detective, “Certain words keep drifting through my mind, things like, incarceration, cavity search, death by eletrocution, life in prison, shit like that, know what I'm sayin'., so do I want to come out alive...
The audience is particularly amused by the scene in which Thelma takes hostage a policeman, who is about to arrest Louise for speeding. Thelma is ironically polite and apologetic to the policeman, as she points the gun at his head, and orders him to climb into the boot of his car. When the policeman pitifully pleads with the women not to hurt him for the sake of his wife and children, Thelma replies, “You be sweet to them, especially your wife. My husband wasn't sweet to me and look how I turned out.”

One of the greatest comedy scenes in 'Thelma and Louise' is the scene in which the women destroy the lorry of the sexist driver in revenge for his lack of respect towards them, while the moronic driver yells abuse at them. The women provide further amusement for the viewer when Louise asks her companion, “Where did you learn to shoot like that?” and Thelma responds, “Off the TV” which is a reference to and a rebuttal of the theory that television influences can cause real life violence.
The blend of tragedy and comedy works very well in that the comedy helps to alleviate tension, and yet, at the same time, heightens the tragedy of the movie. One of the reasons why the audience warms to Thelma and Louise so much, is because the dry humour of these characters and their outrageous antics provide the viewer with amusement. This means that the ending of the film which sees the two friends plunging over the edge of the Grande Canyon, as they courageously choose death over imprisonment, is made even more heart rending.