One of the most anticipated films of the year opens at the same time as another most anticipated film of the year. #Barbenheimer became a meme. Now the time has come and with BARBIE , Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach finally answer the question of whether the comedy satire with a feminist tinge can live up to the high expectations.
OT: Barbie (USA 2023)
That’s what it’s about
Barbieland – this is THE ideal world in which Barbie and her friends spend their happy pink lives. Questions about the “meaning of life”, worries, grief… none of this has any place here between the huge plastic villas and the white sandy beach with perfect waves at all times. But one day the “stereotypical Barbie” (Margot Robbie) suddenly thinks about dying, her shower is ice cold and the first traces of cellulite appear on her thighs. Something must be out of balance in Barbieland . And so Barbie unexpectedly sets off into the real world with her constant companion Ken (Ryan Gosling) to restore the perfect Barbie order…
criticism
Can a film that is based on a product and at the same time is financially supported by the very company that holds the rights to it even be a critical examination of the product? While pure, blatantly exploiting “toy films” such as “Paw Patrol” or “Transformers” obviously do not intend to engage critically with the brand, it was clear in the run-up to the “Barbie” film adaptation based solely on the choice of director and screenwriter: This film probably wo n’t be onePromotional event for the doll, which revolutionized the toy world in 1965, with supposed (but not viable) standards of beauty. “Lady Bird” director Greta Gerwig is not only known for her empathy with complex (female) characters, but also an avowed feminist. Her partner and screenwriter Noah Baumbach made a name for himself with complex character studies, directing films such as “Frances Ha”, “Gefühlt Mitte Twenzig” and most recently “Weißes Rauschen”. And yet in the opening credits of the “Barbie” film you can find the world-famous logo of Mattel, the toy company that made billions with Barbie and of course wants to continue to do so in the future. So how far would self-criticism go? And where would Mattel be just camouflage self-congratulation?
Everything is perfect in Barbieland – until Barbie (Margot Robbie) suddenly thinks about dying…
The fact that a large proportion of the dolls and products featured in “Barbie” are available for purchase naturally suggests that “Barbie”, no matter how critically Gerwig and Baumbach end up dealing with the brand and its history, ultimately represents Mattel’s undoubtedly capitalist ideas should fulfill. For example, replicas of the film characters themselves came onto the market just in time for the film’s release – for which Mattel, by the way, quoted a price that was twice as high as is usual for Barbie dolls today. There’s no question about it: Mattel will make millions from “Barbie,” no matter how harshly their product is treated. This can be more or less bothersome. After all, the creatives throw in side swipes early on, However, they largely concentrate on the most obvious points of attack; and that Mattel simply no longer denies after so many yearscan without making yourself completely unbelievable. The men and women at Mattel simply know that the Barbie doll cannot/could not be understood as a symbol of female self-determination and a healthy body image. And also that by Margot Robbie (“Babylon”)The fact that the Barbie protagonist is consistently referred to as a “stereotypical Barbie” is strange when you consider that for a long time the “Barbie” range consisted exclusively of the “stereotypical Barbies” and a slim, blonde, long-legged one – therefore in the external perception “perfect” woman – was not an exception, but the rule. A lot of time had to pass before the range was expanded to include additional skin colors, hair lengths, body shapes or physically handicapped Barbies. To this day, when you think of Barbie, you think of a blonde, normally beautiful woman…
“Of course, just in time for the film’s release, replicas of the film characters themselves came onto the market – and were immediately priced twice as high as normal Barbies today.”
…who in “Barbie” is at least allowed to quarrel with her appearance, which narrator Helen Mirren comments on with a smug comment on Robbie’s casting decision, which is ultimately the completely wrong choice for a story about optical self-doubt. This scene is representative of those moments in which the self-criticism mentioned at the beginning does not have the necessary bite to attest Mattel to something like courage. Because just because you say grievances out loud, you don’t automatically deal with them. Admitting mistakes is not necessarily followed by a promise to do better in the future. Because Mattel has already had this in its own perception for a long time; And the “Barbie” film points this out more than once. Nowadays, Barbie is no longer just sold in a ball gown or beach outfit, but also with a judge’s robe, as an astronaut, marine biologist or footballer. There is even a separate “You can be Anything” series and so-called “Curvy” models in which the doll no longer has to have a 99-46-84 in order to be a bestseller (the figures from the “You “can be anything” series still correspond to the “stereotypical” Barbie). In its satirical sights, “Barbie” once again primarily targets easy targets, at least with regard to questionable product designs: For example, a teenage Barbie whose breasts grow when you lift her arm. Or a Barbie with a screen on her back. Or a “Sugar Daddy” Ken, who of course was only called that because he had a little dog named Sugar with him… Today you can only shake your head at that. as an astronaut, marine biologist or soccer player. There is even a separate “You can be Anything” series and so-called “Curvy” models in which the doll no longer has to have a 99-46-84 in order to be a bestseller (the figures from the “You “can be anything” series still correspond to the “stereotypical” Barbie). In its satirical sights, “Barbie” once again primarily targets easy targets, at least with regard to questionable product designs: For example, a teenage Barbie whose breasts grow when you lift her arm. Or a Barbie with a screen on her back. Or a “Sugar Daddy” Ken, who of course was only called that because he had a little dog named Sugar with him… Today you can only shake your head at that. as an astronaut, marine biologist or soccer player. There is even a separate “You can be Anything” series and so-called “Curvy” models in which the doll no longer has to have a 99-46-84 in order to be a bestseller (the figures from the “You “can be anything” series still correspond to the “stereotypical” Barbie). In its satirical sights, “Barbie” once again primarily targets easy targets, at least with regard to questionable product designs: For example, a teenage Barbie whose breasts grow when you lift her arm. Or a Barbie with a screen on her back. Or a “Sugar Daddy” Ken, who of course was only called that because he had a little dog named Sugar with him… Today you can only shake your head at that. There is even a separate “You can be Anything” series and so-called “Curvy” models in which the doll no longer has to have a 99-46-84 in order to be a bestseller (the figures from the “You “can be anything” series still correspond to the “stereotypical” Barbie). In its satirical sights, “Barbie” once again primarily targets easy targets, at least with regard to questionable product designs: For example, a teenage Barbie whose breasts grow when you lift her arm. Or a Barbie with a screen on her back. Or a “Sugar Daddy” Ken, who of course was only called that because he had a little dog named Sugar with him… Today you can only shake your head at that. There is even a separate “You can be Anything” series and so-called “Curvy” models in which the doll no longer has to have a 99-46-84 in order to be a bestseller (the figures from the “You “can be anything” series still correspond to the “stereotypical” Barbie). In its satirical sights, “Barbie” once again primarily targets easy targets, at least with regard to questionable product designs: For example, a teenage Barbie whose breasts grow when you lift her arm. Or a Barbie with a screen on her back. Or a “Sugar Daddy” Ken, who of course was only called that because he had a little dog named Sugar with him… Today you can only shake your head at that. to be a bestseller (by the way, the figures in the “You can be Anything” series still correspond to the “stereotypical” Barbie). In its satirical sights, “Barbie” once again primarily targets easy targets, at least with regard to questionable product designs: For example, a teenage Barbie whose breasts grow when you lift her arm. Or a Barbie with a screen on her back. Or a “Sugar Daddy” Ken, who of course was only called that because he had a little dog named Sugar with him… Today you can only shake your head at that. to be a bestseller (by the way, the figures in the “You can be Anything” series still correspond to the “stereotypical” Barbie). In its satirical sights, “Barbie” once again primarily targets easy targets, at least with regard to questionable product designs: For example, a teenage Barbie whose breasts grow when you lift her arm. Or a Barbie with a screen on her back. Or a “Sugar Daddy” Ken, who of course was only called that because he had a little dog named Sugar with him… Today you can only shake your head at that. For example, a teenage Barbie whose breasts grow when you lift her arm. Or a Barbie with a screen on her back. Or a “Sugar Daddy” Ken, who of course was only called that because he had a little dog named Sugar with him… Today you can only shake your head at that. For example, a teenage Barbie whose breasts grow when you lift her arm. Or a Barbie with a screen on her back. Or a “Sugar Daddy” Ken, who of course was only called that because he had a little dog named Sugar with him… Today you can only shake your head at that.
Accompanies Barbie on her journey into the real world: Ken (Ryan Gosling)
But enough about Mattel. Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach send Barbie and Ken from the spectacularly equipped Barbieland into the real world not only because a fish out of water story like this has often proven to be a rewarding scenario. The primary project: to examine the “Barbie world” and the image of the “stereotypical Barbie” to see how unrealistic it really is compared to reality. At the heart of this are two things: Firstly, the current “You can be anything” image of women exemplified by the “Barbie world” and how it stands or should stand in stark contrast to the possibilities of women in the here and now. On the other hand, Ken as the male equivalent of the Damsel in Distress, because in the perception of the film, the real world is simply the exact opposite of the “Barbie world”. A matriarchy in which women call the shots and men are nothing more than pretty appendages is contrasted with a patriarchy in which men these days “just camouflage better than they used to,” as a businessman reveals to Ken in one scene. Ken , who is no different from Barbieland , suddenly sees the opportunity in reality to no longer just be the surfer dude reduced to his appearance and uses books about the patriarchy to attack the gender restructuring in Barbieland. Meanwhile, Barbie tries to figure out how to avert thoughts of death and approaching cellulite by finding out who or what has unbalanced the bond between her and her player.
“Gerwig’s view of the current importance of pop culture consumption as a pillar of the consumer ego is particularly successful.”
Both storylines have comedic highlights, rely on subtle observations of social structures… and yet noticeably move away from criticism of the Barbie doll itself. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it does underline Mattel’s influence on the end result. However, the Gerwig-Baumbach combo consistently succeeds in this shift in content, although “Barbie” is anything but stringent in its narrative, but rather a series of sometimes more, sometimes less successful individual scenes. In which an important character, who played a significant role in determining the dynamics of the film, simply disappears for almost half an hour. In particular, Gerwig’s look at the current importance of pop culture consumption as a pillar of the consumer ego (the targets here include “The Godfather” and the “Justice League” Snyder Cut) is excellent. Otherwise, her feminist approach lacks a focus on the current zeitgeist. This is mainly because their depiction of the real world is too exaggerated to actually function as a reflection of today’s reality. The statement that men are camouflage the patriarchy these days remains pure assertion, while Emerald Fennell and Edgar Wright have shown with “Promising Young Woman” and “Last Night in Soho” how exactly this can be done. Meanwhile, in “Barbie,” Margot Robbie is slapped on the ass so blatantly that there can be no question of “camouflage.” But “Barbie” doesn’t necessarily have to present its feminist approach subtly. Greta Gerwig’s intention was simply completely different than Fennell’s or Wright’s – and completely legitimate. Nevertheless, this makes “Barbie” seem more like a film from twenty years ago; Nevertheless, a feminist all-round approach generally remains timeless.
Kate McKinnon is Weird Barbie – she was just played a little too hard…
What is particularly smart, however, is reversing the familiar roles. In “Barbie” it is Ken who desperately tries to achieve (now male) self-determination by undergoing a hardcore emancipation in a fast-track process and with the help of his male Ken colleagues – with a mercilessly good self-pity musical number as the absolute highlight! However, the fact that the Kens’ plans can only be implemented by brainwashing the Barbies who have previously held power can hardly be transferred 1:1 to the mechanisms of the real world. In this respect, “Barbie” is reminiscent of, of all things, the animated hit “Zoomania,” whose allegory of racism could not always be read specifically as a commentary on the human world, but rather showed coherent similarities in terms of content. Many things can also be done in “Barbie”: 1 transferred to the grievances of the real world, some things are satirically exaggerated and some things only work in the film world as a piece of the puzzle that serves the story. And the script actually does a surprisingly good job of balancing all these different elements.
The Kens launch an attack on the matriarchy
The fact that it is not possible to generalize whether subtlety or boldness is the key to presenting a cinematic message appropriately is shown by “Barbie” in the fact that both the hit and miss rates of both approaches are balanced. A monologue about the contradictions of the demands placed on women today contains nothing that has not already been pointed out many times elsewhere. Nevertheless, Noah Baumbach finds such strong formulations that actress America Ferrera (“Superstore”)The words delivered in a matter-of-fact and passionate manner hit straight to the heart. Her character as mother Gloria, who credibly doubts herself and her own expectations, stands in direct contrast to the dazzling performances of her co-stars, but the emotional punch that “Barbie” develops in its best moments comes primarily from her. Kate McKinnon (“Bombshell”) as Weird Barbie – someone who was played just a tad too intensely – also leaves a strong impression, even though her role is actually quite thankless. As the one who was the only Barbie in Barbieland who saw through what Barbieland wasis real and what influence the people playing with the dolls have on the balance of this world, it is a necessary explanation, which, however, fails because its multiple references to the virtually non-existent logic of the whole thing seem like an excuse. In “Tenet,” the basic idea of “feeling rather than understanding” genuinely worked; Ultimately, the narrative concept of the Christopher Nolan film could be unraveled coherently, even if it took several attempts. In “Barbie,” however, it cannot be explained; And Weird Barbie ‘s reference to this is more like the famous “Don’t think about a pink elephant” experiment. One could probably have been more committed to not questioning the film’s logicWeird Barbie doesn’t ask for this too often.
“The fact that it is not possible to generalize whether subtlety or boldness is the key to presenting a cinematic message appropriately is shown by the fact that both the hit and miss rates of both approaches are balanced in ‘Barbie’.”
Barbie can be anything (today). There is even a separate “You can be Everything” series.
Long before “Barbie” was even released in cinemas, the film became a meme online when the production company Warner Bros. first took pictures of the sets and the main actors Ryan Gosling (“Going to the Moon”) dressed in the authentic Barbie dress .and Margot Robbie shared. For their function as “stereotypical Barbie” and Ken – who to this day really only exists as a male image of standard beauty – the Hollywood stars are the epitome of perfect typecasting. Ryan Gosling does a great job of giving his offensively (and of course in the best sense of the film) characterless portrayal a depth that the very idea of it seems paradoxical. It sounds like an impossibility, but Gosling turns the supposed plight of his character’s lack of personality into a virtue by creating an identity crisis out of the struggle for that very personality, which perfectly fills the character void of his Ken. Margot Robbie also really enjoys her role as Barbie, but is not as challenged in terms of acting as her colleague Gosling. Nevertheless, she is convincing – just because of her visible joy of playing, which is quickly transmitted to the audience, which must have inevitably arisen during filming in the great, hand-made sets. At times there was even a global shortage of pink wall paint.Barbieland simply looks exactly how you imagine a “Barbie world” to look. In combination with the adoption of childish “rules” within this world – for example, that Barbies of course don’t have to go up stairs, but are simply placed exactly where you want to play with them, that no real water comes out of their shower and out of the Not a drop of milk flows from an oversized milk carton – the result is an image of a children’s fantasy world that can certainly keep up with the perfectionism of the “LEGO Movies”. So much passion and empathy for the children playing with Barbie dolls is reflected in the portrayal of Will Ferrell (“Downhill”)as Mattel CEO. Above all, she seems indecisive; Somewhere between a nasty mega-boss and a satirical joke character, but both sides turn out to be not sufficiently pronounced. It’s almost fitting that it’s him, because he simply forgets the script for almost half an hour.
Conclusion:“Barbie” is hard to summarize. There are many successful aspects, but there are at least as many in which the impact of the concept and message falls short of its potential. The criticism of the “Barbie idea” lacks bite, but at least it is there to a certain extent. Gerwig and Baumbach’s feminist message relies entirely on directness, but that doesn’t seem entirely contemporary. Nevertheless, the film has numerous moments in which the humor sparks through its narrative basis alone. The same is true of the emotionality that Baumbach brings to light with his memorable dialogues. The level of detail and creative implementation of sets and costumes is overwhelming. And the forecasts, which initially seemed a little megalomaniacal,
“Barbie” can be seen in United Kingdom cinemas from July 20th.
