The Barbie movie from director Greta Gerwig and lead actors Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, was actually shockingly good. I remember being amused by the trailers, and increasingly excited by the reviews (including the whiny male-tears reviews which made me cackle), but I wanted to go into the movie without too high of an expectation. I’ve been disappointed by hype before. But in fact, it was a bit better than I was even expecting.
Visually, it’s stunning. The set, prop, and costume design were impeccable. I don’t know how they made everything really look like giant life-size versions of plastic toys, but they did. The colors are amazing. And even in the switch from “Barbie Land” to the “Real World” the cinematography remains bright and light, even while giving way to more realistic color palettes and lighting choices.
It was also, frankly, hilarious. I laughed so much, folks. So much. I want to talk about this without giving too much away (but it has been out for a few weeks now so I feel some spoilers are inevitable). Let me just say, the movie opens with a sequence that references (nearly shot for shot in some places) to 2001: A Space Odyssey, with Barbie as the black monolith. I immediately cracked up. That was all I needed. The movie had me from that point on. But it kept getting funnier. One thing I appreciated was the layering of humor. There were parts that were clearly meant to be funny to kids, and some sequences that even straight (well-adjusted) men could find amusing. And then there were all the bits that felt like they were just for me. For left-leaning, adult women who grew up with Barbies and understood the dozens and dozens of references that would go right over the heads of younger girls and were probably too niche for other adults. I was probably the person in the theatre laughing the loudest (this is a fairly common occurrence for me, to be fair. I was by far the loudest laugher in the theatre when I saw The Emperor’s New Groove, for instance).
I also think the movie was very smart and genuine. Earnest even, underneath all the jokes and slapstick comedy.
I’ve been paying attention to a lot of the criticisms and complaints about the movie. Obviously, there’s all the conservative straight (mostly white) men so entangled in their own toxic masculinity and patriarchal power, and crying their pathetic man tears over the awful man-hating “woke” movie. And I have nothing to say to or about those people. I’m not wasting my energy on that. But there have also been critiques from the other side of the aisle, from leftist feminist women complaining that the movie is too simplistic, or dumbed-down, or doesn’t push far enough, etc. And that actually bugs me a little.
Is the movie particularly nuanced? Of course not. It’s not an academic article on gender theory by Judith Butler. It’s not out here trying to be the next Feminine Mystique, or break new ground in feminist thought. It’s a big-budget summer blockbuster aimed mostly at kids and young women, about a toy, paid for by Mattel. But looked at from that angle – from the angle of a movie built largely to make money, produced by MATTEL – than you have to admit that it’s shockingly smart, with a genuinely good argument/message, and that Greta Gerwig et. al. got a way with a lot. I mean, A LOT.
I mean! There’s a scene where Barbie is shocked to discover the CEO of Mattel is a man, and that there are no men in positions of power in the company. To which the CEO responds (I’m paraphrasing here): “I love women! I’m the son of a woman! I’m the… nephew of an aunt! Some of my best friends are… Jewish!” Clearly highlighting the way he’s so busy trying to defend himself for doing/saying something offensive that he’s forgotten which (of many, no doubt) offensive thing he’s done this time that needs defending. I died laughing.
I’ll also add that while the focus of the movie and the messaging is clearly (and rightfully) on women, their struggles, their pain, their gaze, the movie also still manages to convey the idea that patriarchy and toxic masculinity are just as damaging for the men. None of the men in this movie (least of all Ken) is happy within this system. And the movie is clearly pointing out that they don’t have to feel that way, or live that way!
But America Ferrara’s speech in the last third of the movie was genuinely powerful, and moving, and absolutely stole the show. I saw this movie with my mother, and she absolutely cried during that speech. And she’s a boomer!
Even my brother, who was by far not the target-audience and only came with me out of boredom, admitted that it was funny and enjoyable. Truly, the only demographic who are really not going to like this movie are the thin-skinned white men who are happy to remain in the chokehold of toxic masculinity and enjoy the unjust power that patriarchy has given them. And, frankly, if that’s you, I’d be shocked you’re reading my blog at all. Otherwise, I feel fairly confident that you’ll find the movie at least amusing, if not outright amazing.
(Side note: also, all the memes have been GLORIOUS online.)
Amanda Haimoto Rudd 