Barbie: A Film in Review
Warning!! Spoilers Ahead!!
I saw it first on its premiere, July 21, with my friends Danni and Edwin, dressed down in a pink baby doll dress, with the iconic barbie pony. I hadn't gotten ready like this in weeks, I was ecstatic, and feeling damn cute!!
As I strutted through my apartment, I got more and more thrilled. This excitement soon came to a halt when my friends and I realized that our complex repainted the breezeways that same day, meaning the hallway floors were WET with PAINT. Not gonna work with my Gianni Bini’s.
So we did what we had to do. Tied Walmart bags to our feet, and went anyway!
I live in the 3rd floor, so as we descended to the first floor, the paint got more and more tacky, and our makeshift shoe covers started to RIP, and stick to the paint. We freaked out and ran anyways, leaving behind a trail of ripped plastic bags and painted footprints. Oh well!
We hopped in my Hyundai & got the hell out of dodge. We had a movie to catch! We saw Barbie at the Alamo Drafthouse in North Austin.
We were a little early, so we hung out in the mezzanine, and waited for the theater doors to open up. This was us! Aren't we cute?
We sat down and ordered the Churro Popcorn! It was delightful. And then, the previews began….
It was a montage of vintage Barbie commercials! It was so fun to see how far Barbie has evolved. While there's always going to be controversy with a woman's existence, even though she's a literal toy, I thoroughly enjoyed every second of this film, and reveled in its message. As someone who often ponders her mere existence, I took this film to heart.
Barbie is simultaneously everything a woman can be and everything she fears she's not. She’s helped women overcome obstacles, but created them for others. She’s perfect and pristine, and can do no wrong. But what does Barbie feel?
The film begins with the introduction of Barbie to little girls, who previously only played with baby dolls, which at that time was only showing them what society wanted them to become; mothers. Barbie was introduced 1959 to women and girls everywhere, as a young woman who was beautiful AND successful! So in Barbie's eyes, she’s changing lives, and paving the way for women everywhere to end misogynistic career & beauty standards. As we know, this is not the actual case, but it is in BarbieLand. The set design was everything I imagined it would be. Pinks and pastels, with a glimmer revealing the plastic material. Gorg.
Margot Robbie on screen is a true delight to behold. She is the perfect casting choice for this role, with her ability to be both barbie and Margot all at once. She goes through her days, showing us how evolved BarbieLand is, however ultimately, it’s only suited for Barbies.
We get introduced to Ken, portrayed by Ryan Gosling, and let me just say this: he is the PERFECT himbo. He is a Broadway boy, built for the screen. In this film, he lived for Barbie's existence, and only truly had a good day if she acknowledged him. I find this dynamic to be so compelling because I have seen countless women fall into this trope with men. Living to serve, only considering their day “good” if he was in the same room. Watching this film, you’ll see a lot of tropes like this between the Kens and Barbies.
So Barbie ends up feeling human feelings like anxiety, depression, the ability to cry and perceive oneself. Everything she knew began to collapse before her as she started to wonder about the end. The end of her life. She checks in with Weird Barbie, played by Kate Mckinnon. She's the barbie you gave bangs to, and drew all over! The one you would put in the splits and just leave her like that. She basically told Barbie to travel into the Real World, find who’s playing with her, and try to get them out of their funk, because whatever is fucking with them is now fucking with Barbie.
On her way there, Ken sneaks into her car and suddenly they’re going on this adventure together. Mind you, Ken has been feeling perfectly normal, and always has, generally just happy to be along for the ride. They arrived in San Francisco, California. Dressed in true Barbie Fashion, immediately they are getting stares, Barbie in particular. She’s getting catcalled, laughed at, and dirty looks, while Ken is getting compliments, and smiles. She can feel the shift and is extremely uncomfortable and confused, much like modern women are every single day.
Ken on the other hand sees a shift of his own. In the Real World, everything is made for men, and similarly everything is handed to them. Greta Gerwig has a women-empowerment theme in many of her films, and I love it because it never feels like stereotypical feminism, like the feminism white women will repost to feel included in a movement that will never affect them. It's more real life themes that you’ll see in her movies, like women’s inner battles, our relationships with our mothers and fathers, and how we are expected to act in our societies. The Barbie Movie perfectly encapsulates all of these things. And for this, she is a genius.
I won't spoil too much, but to keep it brief, Ken tries to start a patriarchal society in BarbieLand, turning it into Kendom, and he fails terribly. Barbie goes to console him, and he proclaims over and over his unconditional love for her. She tells him calmly that that was never what she felt towards him, and that he needs to stop thinking of himself as Ken in the sense of “It’s Barbie AND Ken.” and start thinking of himself as just Ken. And that being enough. “Maybe it’s Barbie and it’s Ken”
Barbie’s exposure to the Real World gave her a new sense of self, crushing everything she thought she knew. She learned to feel and never wanted to look back. She no longer knew who she was, what her purpose served, or why she was even here. She wasn't made to have an ending, just a never-ending existence. She wanted to be human in every sense, be the thinker and no longer the idea. She wanted a purpose.
Before I end this post, I want to acknowledge the people who worked on this film.
Directed by Greta Gerwig & co written by her & Noah Baumbach
Costume design by Jacquelin Durran, a 2 time Oscar winner!
Set design by Sarah Greenwood, 6 time Oscar nominee!
Cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto, 3 time Oscar nominee!
Whether you're a Barbie or a Ken, (or an Allan!) We all have our own paths in life, and I feel like it’s less about the destination, and more about the journey. Everything can change in a second, so why confine yourself to one image and idea of your future? It’s going to be amazing and intentional, whatever the outcome. Trust yourself, and nurture your soul. After all, the only person who is going to stick with you forever is yourself.
What did you think of the Barbie Movie? Lemme know. DM me on IG @zoeeuhh.
