Ridley Scott’s 1991 classic Thelma & Louise arrives on 4K UHD in a terrific collector’s edition from The Criterion Collection.
The Production: 4.5/5
The following is from Cameron Yee’s 2011 review of MGM’s 20th Anniversary Blu-ray release:
With an undeniable jerk for a husband, no one blames Thelma (Geena Davis) for wanting to get away for a couple days. Joining her best friend Louise (Susan Sarandon) on a two-day trip to the woods, the pair make a stop at a bar along the way, but can’t seem to avoid the worst the male gender has to offer. One local barfly almost rapes Thelma, and though Louise arrives in time to stop him, one step too far pushes her to shoot him in cold blood. Now on the run from the police – with Detective Hal Slocumb (Harvey Keitel) leading the chase – the pair really don’t have many options. They could surrender, but it’s unlikely they could claim self defense, and the further along they get – which includes adding armed robbery to their resumé – the less viable cooperating with the police becomes. Even though Slocumb seems to be sympathetic to their circumstances, ultimately the pair can only depend on each other and decide for themselves how their journey will end.
Well known for its feminist themes, Thelma & Louise would probably be offensive to men if not for its moments of humor and charm, and two ultimately compelling main characters. And let’s be honest, it was probably about time a movie turned the tables, making men the sex objects, fools and source of all bad luck for a change. Though some may still take issue with the film’s broad strokes of male depiction and sometimes didactic qualities, the truth behind the story remains – women aren’t treated as equals to men. Of course, no one should look to the film for any practical steps to female empowerment, but as a motivator, thought-provoking metaphor, and even a manifesto, it certainly doesn’t go wrong.
Video: 5/5
3D Rating: NA
Thelma & Louise was shot on 35mm film in the Panavision anamorphic aspect ratio of 2.39:1. For this Criterion Collection 4K release, the original camera negative was scanned in 4K, and from that this 2160p HEVC-encoded transfer was created with both Dolby Vision and HDR10 high dynamic range, all under the supervision of director Ridley Scott. The result is a very film-like image with a healthy but never really obtrusive layer of natural film grain. Detail and clarity are excellent, from beads of sweat on close-ups to intricate could designs in the many vista shots. Colors are vivid and natural, never appearing overly saturated and no evidence of color bleeding. Contrast is also excellent, lending some much-needed depth that was nearly missing on the 2011 MGM Blu-ray release, with stronger shadow details and deeper blacks. The included Blu-ray edition is sourced from this new 4K master (also available separately).
Audio: 4.5/5
Per the liner notes, this release includes a newly remastered 5.1 mix (in DTS-HD MA) sourced from “the original LCRS magnetic track” (4-track Left-Center-Right-Surround). Thelma & Louise was released theatrically with an optical Dolby Stereo track with matrixed surround (not included in this release). The track features a wide front soundstage with good separation. Surrounds engage where necessary, adding ambience and immersion to bar sequences and other atmospherics and allow Hans Zimmer’s score to fill the room. LFE is adequate, but the movie never had a discrete low frequency channel to begin with.
Special Features: 4.5/5
Criterion has ported much of what was included on previous releases, and added a few new ones as well. This is a 3-disc set with the movie on a UHD disc and Blu-ray, plus a Blu-ray of special features.
UHD Disc
Audio Commentary with Director Ridley Scott: This is the same commentary included on previous releases, originally recorded in 2001.
Audio Commentary with Writer Callie Khoury and Actors Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon: This is the same commentary included on previous releases, originally recorded in 2001.
Blu-ray Disc One (Movie)
Audio Commentary with Director Ridley Scott: This is the same commentary included on previous releases, originally recorded in 2001.
Audio Commentary with Writer Callie Khoury and Actors Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon: This is the same commentary included on previous releases, originally recorded in 2001.
**NEW** Ridley Scott: Beginnings (1080p; 22:23): Film critic Scott Foundas interviews director Ridley Scott. Topics include his beginnings as an artist and how they shaped his approach to filmmaking on various films.
**NEW** Boy and Bicycle (1080p; 27:50): Ridley Scott’s first short film from 1965.
**NEW** Ploughman (1080p; 0:33): A 1977 television ad for Guinness directed by Ridley Scott.
**NEW** Callie Khouri (1080p; 20:02): Thelma & Louise screenwriter looks back at the 30-year legacy of the film.
Blu-ray Disc Two
“Thelma & Louise”: The Last Journey (upscaled 1080i; 59:37): Retrospective documentary produced in 2002 by Charles Lauzirika is divided into three parts and covers the film’s concept and casting, production and performance experiences, and public and critical reception. Plentiful interviews with the cast and crew make the piece highly interesting and thorough.
Original Theatrical Featurette (upscaled 1080i; 5:23): Electronic press kit covers the film’s basic characters, plot and themes. Includes the option to turn off the (largely annoying) promotional voice over track.
Extended Scenes (upscaled 1080i; 33:17): Seven scenes are included – Extended Ending (with optional Director’s Commentary); First Motel; Talkin’ ‘bout Darryl; Hal on the Case; Second Motel; Thelma and J.D.; Looking for a Break.
Storyboards: The Final Chase (1080o; 5:50): A side-by-side comparison of the storyboards and the actual footage for the final chase. Also includes the option to view the storyboards independently.
Deleted Scenes (upscaled 1080i; 14:02): Ten scenes are included – Silver Bullet Getaway; An Important Clue; Police Sketches; Smitten with J.D.; Human Behavior; Hal at Home; Jimmy, J.D., and the Law; Fear of God; On the Road; Hot Pursuit.
Trailer and TV Spots: Includes the Original Theatrical Trailer (1080p; 2:02), Wanted TV Spot (upscaled 1080i; 1:02), Call of the Wild TV Spot (upscaled 1080i; 0:32), and TV Promo Spot (upscaled 1080i; 0:32).
Music Video Part of Me, Part of You (upscaled 1080i; 4:27): Glenn Frey’s end title song that was a radio staple at the time of the film’s release. The music video appears to have been sourced from a VHS tape and is presented in Dolby Digital 1.0.
34-page Booklet: Contains three essays, movie credits, and release credits.
Overall: 4.5/5
Criterion provides a nice 4K (and Blu-ray) upgrade with some nice new bonus features.
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