Freedom in Set it Off and Thelma and Louise
How is the road as a symbol of freedom accessed?
In the film Thelma and Louise the road is a symbol of freedom in the way that the two women stayed on the road to escape from an abusive and trapped life with Thelma's husband and Louise's job. As Thelma says "she can't go back" after all they've been through. Both women have changed while being on the road. For Thelma and Louise, even when at the very end they are surrounded by the police officers, the road still continues for them and they continue going, achieving the freedom of the road and the freedom from their old lives. On the other hand in the film Set it Off, the road as a symbol of freedom is similar to Thelma and Louise as it represents an escape from their old lives, however, as the women never actually get on the road the symbol of the road is more or less a futile dream. These women never get to experience the freedom that Thelma and Louise experience. They still have to work at their old jobs and pretend that nothing has changed in their lives. They continue to be trapped in their old lives and cannot experience the freedom of the road. In Set if Off the women did not get to continue on the road but we saw them fall unlike in Thelma and Louise where the road helped them to freedom and did not hinder them.
How are the landscapes different?
The landscapes are very different in the two films. In Thelma and Louise the landscapes consist of wide-open spaces, dusty roads, bright colors, and a few road-side stops. In contrast, in Set it Off the landscapes consist of city roads, numerous tall buildings, with cramped spaces, and lots of traffic. In Thelma and Louise the landscape represents the women's freedom and follows the traditional road film like Easy Rider with the open roads and vast landscapes. But in Set it Off the landscape contributes to the women's feelings of being trapped within their lives and their situation. They cannot move up the social ladder or escape the city. The different landscapes within the films help the viewer to actually visualize how the women experience freedom in different ways.