By Anonymous
This summer, theaters were hit with two motion pictures released on the same date, Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer and Greta Gerwig’s Barbie. However, this article is about the latter, the more colorful of the two films. Starring Margot Robbie as the titular character, Barbie opened to $155 million in the domestic box office. Barbie has taken more than just the movie world by storm, with the song I’m Just Ken performed by Ryan Gosling, hitting 70 on the Billboard Global 200.
Barbie tells the story of a “Stereotypical Barbie”, who traverses into the real world when she begins to malfunction. To fix her malfunction, she must find and help the little girl who plays with her, whom she believes to be a young girl named Sasha, played by Ariana Greenblatt. Believing that the best way to fix her malfunction is to show Sasha and her mother Gloria, played by America Ferrara, how great Barbieland is, she brings the pair back with her. However, upon her arrival, she discovers that Ken, who had discovered patriarchy in the real world, has taken over. With Gloria’s help, Barbie frees Barbieland and all of the Barbies who had been subjugated by the Ken’s.
While an ostensibly light-hearted and feel-good film, Gerwig subtly takes Barbie in a very subversive direction. In the form of the traditional family film, Gerwig manages to convey the complexity of gender dynamics within the binary of men and women. Barbieland is a world in which gender expectations are reversed from that of the real world, in which Barbies dominate and run their city and the Kens are underappreciated and taken advantage of. In doing so, she highlights the absurdity of a world with such rigid gender expectations by creating another in which our world is contrasted.
As Barbie enters the real world, she starts to discover the complexity of girlhood and being a woman, finding out the truth about Barbie’s impact and representation. While Ken’s perspective presents the unreasonable reality of authority and power; being presented with information like patriotism and creating the assumption that men are allowed access to anything they wish. The film adeptly manages to balance the darker tones of the movie, with an expert mixture of comedic, action-packed, and emotional moments; each moment leaving the audience to interpret the meanings of the message to their knowledge and understanding.
Overall, Barbie is a solid film. Striking a balance between the message, which was beautifully played out by Robbie’s strong performance, and the humor, propelled by Gosling’s potent portrayal of Ken and outstanding vocals in the hit song I’m Just Ken. With the beautiful impact at the end of the film with Billie Eilish’s performance of What Was I Made For?. A good 8/10.