Thelma and Louise vs. Set It Off
The endings in Thelma and Louise and Set It Off both end in death for the women (except for Stoney in Set It Off). Personally, the ending in Thelma and Louise was more emotionally pleasing for me as I could feel as though the women had found freedom and did so on their own choice. The four women in Set If Off choose to split up and run, however they are not able to make it to the road. Ironically, the only woman to make it out of the hood is Stoney, a black woman who has some "white" physical features and is seen adapting to white culture with ease. However, in some way Set It Off does end with a sort of peaceful image of the spectator looking at stoney driving a car on the road going past a big body of beautiful water. This is an image of freedom and is the first hint that she might have escaped her previous life.
Set If Off is a road movie because the road is the women’s ultimate destination, although they may not entirely reach it. The only one to reach it is Stoney who leaves the country. However, she is unable to live the life she once hoped for. She has to cut her hair off, and has lost everyone around her including 3 friends, her brother, and both her parents. She also lost Blair who was her one way out of the hood. This brings up the question as to how much a black woman has to loose of her life in order to gain freedom (although, the spectator does not know exactly what type of freedom she may find in Mexico).