In an interview with Big Picture Film Club, Doctor in Multimedia and advertising professional Thifani Postali (Sorocaba University – UNISO) points out that: “For some time Mattel has been attempting to modernize the idea of Barbie which has been criticized as a stereotype of the female body. The movie screenplay follows the current discussions about what it is ‘to be a woman,’ in particular in Western societies. The protagonist is a classic Barbie model but progressist, independent without pushing aside her aesthetical preferences.”

Postali sees in the figure of Ken a character that discovers a “sexist world dominated by patriarchy with imposed characteristics that the character brings to the fictional (doll) world, which can also be easily assimilated to the social structure of many Western countries. Ken’s character arc is an explicit critique of the patriarchal model, reinforcing the new position that the brand Mattel aims for with this movie. This situation divides the public, as a more progressive viewer will be more receptive; meanwhile, the conservative will criticize how the gender issues were approached. In the end, I see that the outcome was mostly positive, and Mattel’s intention to reposition the brand goes together with the modern discussions about the matter.”

Mattel released Barbie in the US in 1959, when America was experiencing the struggle of the Civil Rights movement and the Vietnam War, decades before the advent of video games and the Internet. For long, Barbie has been aligned with the values of a white and conservative America. Still, it has been trying to keep up with the times, including societal changes and the ever-growing presence of media in the daily lives of its consumers; with the movie being one such example.

A Barbie for the current era

“This production, in my opinion, must be understood in the logic of transmedia narratives,” explains Brazilian communicologist Mara Rovida (UNISO), for who the ‘Barbie’ appeal can be better understood under the prism of transmedia narrative which “is this narrative universe made up of different types of narratives that complement each other (they are not just versions of the same plot).”

Postali further explains transmedia narratives as “not the simple translation of content to another medium, but the expansion of the universe with new stories, news and curiosities about the topic. The entertainment market has often used this strategy to keep its products in the spotlight.”

For Rovida, the Barbie franchise’s set of media products generates a narrative universe, thus falling under transmedia. Rovida also believes that many product-based pictures supposedly aimed at a younger market like ‘ ‘Shazam’ (2019) or ‘Dragon Ball Evolution’ (2009) originate in comic books and anime. “Toys are usually elements that appear later,” exposes Rovida which can be seen as toy lines made after a successful movie. A vital moment in the relationship between the movie and toy industry was the creation of the ‘Star Wars’ toy line – with George Lucas retaining ancillary rights to the licensing of Star Wars toys.

Some of the transmedia assets when promoting ‘Barbie’ was social media, fast food, and public transport. For Postali, this shows the current state of blockbuster promotion because “there is no way not to involve digital media and electronic games in a film campaign, especially for a product that involves a culture that transcends cinema, as is the case with Barbie. Digital media, through algorithms, can better segment the public that is most interested in the subject. In contrast, electronic games, as they have become a fundamental medium in the 21st century, can reinforce dissemination and reach other audiences interested in the topic.“

Besides Barbie, other toys from the past have transitioned onto the silver screen, like ‘The Masters of the Universe’ (1987) starring Dolph Lundgren, the ‘G. I. Joe’s movies with Channing Tatum, Dwayne Johnson, and Bruce Willis, and the upcoming Matchbox movie with John Cena behind the wheel.

“It is a translation or adaptation, and its failure or success will depend largely on the quality of the production – whether or not the toy had a previous story and how this story will be presented in new media” affirms Postali. The scholar thinks that new media enable different forms of content that can contribute to the permanence and success of a toy.
In Postali’s eyes, when these narratives are well planned and performed, they expand the universe, enabling the use of the transmedia technique. This technique is not the simple translation of content to another medium but the expansion of the universe with new stories, news, and curiosities about the topic. The entertainment market has often used this strategy to keep its products in the spotlight.

‘Barbie’ might be an isolated event inside the genre of “toy movies,” much like not every superhero movie is on par with ‘The Dark Knight’ (2008), still as Hollywood is ever reliant on IPs to satisfy its capitalist needs over art, ‘Barbie’ might serve as a template for those who dare to do a blockbuster that isn’t just a ‘Made for TV’ movie with a bigger budget, however, to know if the new endeavours will achieve the bar that Gerwig, Robbie, and Gosling have set is another issue.

Also Read: Beyond Superheroes: What Will Define Hollywood’s Next Era?

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While the undisputed champion, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, is currently at “a bit of a low point ” (Deadpool’s words not mine) the question of “superhero fatigue ” is once again entering the conversation. With both Marvel and DC banking on the audience’s continued interest, it doesn’t seem like the end is in sight, but what could the next big thing in Hollywood be?

Toy Story

Hollywood studios like to chase trends. If one studio has made something that’s making a lot of money, they try to do the same thing. It’s fair to say that cinema has had a rough few years since the Covid-19 pandemic. The biggest hit post-pandemic has undoubtedly been Barbie, becoming the highest-grossing film of the year, as well as the highest-grossing film from Warner Brothers and 15th highest of all time. Mattel has started development on films based around some of its other IP in an effort to recreate its success. Hasbro has been in the business of making films about its products for a while, with the Transformers and G.I. JOE franchises. The Lego Movie was a surprise hit, managing to spawn a franchise, including a Batman spin-off.

However, the Lego franchise reached diminishing returns very quickly. With four films in five years, the series quickly lost steam at the box office. Plans for the series are still in development, and the success of Barbie has likely reignited interest. Both Barbie and The Lego Movie benefit from being their directors, Greta Gerwig, Phil Lord and Chris Miller are very unique and distinctive voices, and it’s fair to say that the films would not have been anywhere near as successful without their vision. Would a director be able to find a compelling story about the human condition in an Uno film?

Life Story

Of course, Barbie didn’t do it alone. The other half of the Barbenheimer phenomenon, Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, was also a huge hit and went on to win the Best Picture Oscar. It follows in the wake of several other high-profile biopics, including Bohemian Rhapsody and Rocketman. Biopics, have been around for a while, but seem to be much more high profile lately, especially ones centred around musicians. With films about Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen and each of the Beatles in development, it doesn’t seem like they will be going away anytime soon.

But at the risk of running into “Biopic fatigue” it’s not just musicians that are in consideration. We’ve had Ferrari and House of Gucci (both starring Adam Driver) as well as Le Man’s 66. There is always another incredible story to show on screen, although these often end up being rather one-sided (something Oppenheimer managed to avoid) and can run into trouble from family members. Or even having to change the narrative to make a more coherent film. The Iron Claw, for all its success, has an even more tragic story in real life. The biggest hurdle is probably that the audience for one film does not always mean they will see another. Oppenheimer and Ferrari are both period pieces, but they have very little in common, and it’s hard to find subjects that reach such a wide audience. But then again, Christopher Nolan made nuclear physics compelling, so anything is possible

Final Thoughts

As fun as it is to speculate, it is almost impossible to predict what the next trend will be until we are in it. It was hard for anyone to believe that superheroes would be the next big thing when Iron Man hit screens in 2008 or that the reign would last this long. With Deadpool and Wolverine being the fastest-grossing R-rated film of all time, it seems unlikely that superheroes are going away just yet. Joker: Folie a Deux is entering new territory with the first full superhero musical (although The Marvels technically had a musical number), but Hollywood seems averse to musicals and rarely advertises films as such. Only time will tell, but there will certainly be plenty of discussion about it until we get there.

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Lars and the Real Girl

A slightly de-handsomed Gosling plays Lars, a lonely but pleasant enough man, who through a series of traumas and distant relationships ends up with various social disorders. After buying a “realistic” sex doll Lars begins to act like she is a real person, much to the shock of his brother and others. The family doctor comes to the conclusion that this behaviour is caused by a huge underlying psychological problem that needs to be addressed and advises his family, and the whole town, to act like Bianca – the doll – is a real person. Understandably some people do have a problem with this but relatively quickly the small town adjusts and treats Bianca as a real person, in order to help Lars. This is a surprisingly heartfelt film, especially when the concept could have led to some awful comedy, with Lars’ genuine love for Bianca being very touching.

Drive

Gosling plays the unnamed Driver, a very quiet, good-natured, loner whose only interest seems to be in driving cars – whether that is just out driving, being a stunt driver in films, or the getaway driver for crimes. His life changes upon meeting his neighbour Irene and her young son who he quickly begins to help out and get close to. It’s not long before things spiral out of control – Irene’s husband gets out of prison and in order to escape a debt from gangsters the Driver helps him in a heist. The film has truly unforgettable car chases and action scenes and Gosling is perfect as the usually quiet and mild-mannered man who explodes into action and violence when necessary. Most of the time emotion and feeling seem to have been drained from the Driver, especially in his expressions, but Gosling still manages to portray the complex motivations and feelings behind the character.

Blade Runner 2049

Gosling starred in this sequel that was decades in the making, playing the blade runner Kay, who is also a replicant himself, although in 2049 replicants are allowed to exist on Earth. In playing a Blade Runner who is a replicant, Gosling risks having comparisons made to the brilliant performances of both Harrison Ford, as Deckard, and Rutger Hauer as Batty, who played a Blade Runner and replicant respectively. But Gosling pulls this off masterly. Kay is another Gosling who shows little emotion on the surface but can still break your heart, his conflicted existence as a Blade Runner replicant is clearly difficult for him. When he returns to his apartment his AI holographic girlfriend, Joi offers him solace. As Gosling gets drawn into a potentially world-changing plot and questioning everything in his life he continues to be brilliant.

The Big Short

There are few characters in cinema who are as immediately unlikeable and unpleasant as Jared Vennett, who in character seems to want those around him to hate him and will break the fourth wall simply to antagonise the audience. In a film full of characters trying to make money off the looming financial crash Vennett manages to clearly rise to the top of the people you hate. While virtually everyone else is shocked and appalled by the corruption and incompetence which is going to cause a global recession Vennett seems to take pleasure in displaying the awfulness of these people supposedly running the world economy. The only thing that comes close to a redeeming feature of Vennett is his honesty in his awfulness.

It is my hope that with Barbie Ryan Gosling goes on to do what Kevin Kline did in A Fish Called Wanda, give a sensational comic performance and get an Oscar for it, but even if he doesn’t Gosling has done more than enough to confirm him as one of the most talented actors of his generation.

Also Read: The Bizarre Case of Barbenheimer

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What’s Going On?

Barbie lives in Barbieland, a world made up primarily of the many different kinds of Barbies: doctors, writers, astronauts and of course Barbie (later referred to as Stereotypical Barbie, the Barbie you imagine if someone said Barbie). There are also the Kens, a group of usually well-meaning idiots with no agency or ambition, who exist as an accessory to the Barbies. Every day is a day of perfect happiness and effortless perfection until things start going wrong for Barbie; her feet do not arch, her shower is cold and she has thoughts of death. This leads Barbie (and Ken, who tags along) to journey to the Real World to solve the problem that is causing these issues.

Behind The Scenes

Barbie is a Mattel toy created by Ruth Handler in the 50s, the film is directed by Greta Gerwig and co-written by Gerwig and Noah Baumbach, both indie darlings. Gerwig originally found fame as an actor in films like Frances Ha and Damsels In Distress, before also moving into directing in films like Lady Bird and Little Women. Baumbach is a writer and director known for films like Marriage Story and Greenberg and Gerwig and Baumbach have worked together many times.

In Front Of The Camera

The film has a huge cast but first and foremost is Margot Robbie playing Barbie, she is the star and everyone else takes a backseat to her. Then there is Ryan Gosling playing Ken, America Ferrera as Gloria (a real-world Barbie fan), Kate McKinnon as Weird Barbie, a host of actors playing various Barbies and Kens (the credits usually just list them as Barbie or Ken), and Will Ferrell playing the clueless CEO of Mattel.

Does It Work?

Making a live-action Barbie movie in 2023 that wasn’t in some way awful was going to take a very ambitious and risky play, that’s what Greta Gerwig tried to do…and she did it. The opening scene of Barbie is a parody of the opening scene of 2001: A Space Odyssey, invoking such an iconic film is a risk, but Barbie pulls it off and this sets the tone for the rest of the movie. Barbie is a fun, intelligent, hilarious and moving film. It recognises the love many people have for Barbie but also the animosity many have toward it. It acknowledges the way there is a Barbie who can be anything: doctor, president, writer as very uplifting, but also recognises the Barbie whose unreal physical perfection damaged generations of children.

In terms of the cast everyone from Margot Robbie down knows exactly what their job is. Robbie is superb as the quintessential perfect Barbie who has a breakdown when her perfection slips, she is endearing and at times very vulnerable. Barbie’s mix of genuine intelligence, the naivety of the Real World when she lives in a perfect one, and her heartfelt desire to do right by people, especially the young girls who play with Barbies is charming. Ryan Gosling is never not funny, every second on screen he is putting in an amazing comic performance, the awful cloying puppy-dog attitude of following Barbie everywhere, his realisation that in the Real World women do not run everything (as they do in Barbieland) and demanding to be made a CEO or be allowed to perform operations simply because he is a man is hilarious. The transformation Ken undergoes on the return to Barbieland gets even funnier. Will Ferrell’s CEO is bizarrely funny, going between utterly idiotic, to spouting generic pro-women talking points like how there has been at least one…maybe two?…women CEOs of Mattel, to at one point sincerely declaring he didn’t become CEO of Mattel to make money to inspire young girl’s dreams only minutes after calling Barbie a jezebel.

Importantly, in Barbieland they believe that everything in the Real World has been fixed, especially in relation to women and men. The realisation that this isn’t the case is shocking and allows the film to confront the contradictions of Barbie as a role model over the generations. Gloria, the Real World Barbie fan, points out the daily struggles, impossible contradictions and hardships of being a woman. Stereotypical Barbie utterly collapses because she feels she isn’t enough and yet is introduced to the audience as flawless perfection, after a short time dealing with the Real World her confidence and belief in herself is shattered.

There has been a backlash against Barbie, and as with any film, its okay to not like it, for any number of reasons it might not be the film for you. But so much of this backlash is not about the quality of the film, but that it is “woke”, and it is telling when the first comments of a review are about dragging it into ridiculous culture war territory and not if it was any good. Barbie is a brilliant film and a film for anyone. Gerwig has done something truly spectacular in making this film work so well.

Rating: (4 / 5)

Also Read: “Little Women” & Cinema for the Self Partnered

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Instinctively I sided with Nolan. I am a huge fan of his work and Oppenheimer looked amazing. The story of J. Robert Oppenheimer the physicist who oversaw the Manhattan Project which created the atomic bomb and would later lament that he had become “Death, destroyer of worlds” is truly epic in scale. And the subject of the opposing film? Barbie – a toy who previous movie work has included Barbie and the Magic of Pegasus 3D and the admittedly fantastically titled Barbie Fairytopia: Mermaidia. Yes, Greta Gerwig had directed the brilliant Lady Bird and the beloved Little Women but this was Barbie. And then I heard the sensational Margot Robbie was playing the lead…and then the wonderful Ryan Gosling was playing Ken…and then I saw the trailer and it looks brilliant. A blinding pink fever dream in which Barbie asks if the other dolls ever thought about dying. Yes, Barbie is about the title character having an existential crisis.

I no longer had a clear favourite. Ultimately my loyalties would lie with Team Oppenheimer but it was hard not to support Team Barbie. And then like Rodan teaming up with Godzilla to fight Mechagodzilla there would be no fight, instead there was “Barbenheimer”. The two films were not enemies and they would band together to defeat the true enemy, and in this unusual metaphor is Transformers. A bizarrely pleasing mashup of the different styles of each film took place online, often combining the doom-laden expressions and mushroom cloud visuals of Oppenheimer with the onslaught of pink that was Barbie.

The trailer for Barbie did something very interesting and it is one of the things that brought me around, it announces itself as a movie for everyone who loves Barbie and a moment later for everyone who hates Barbie. It seems to be trying to appeal to both those who have a genuine love for Barbie (which must be millions and millions of people) and people who have looked at the toy with disdain (another group in the millions and millions). There is a gentle mockery of the fact that toy Barbie wears high heels which means if the shoes are removed the plastic feet still are still arched, the ridiculous outfits like the rollerblading outfits we see Barbie and Ken wearing, and finally speaking of Ken the absolute nothingness he is in the world of Barbie. A tagline for the poster is “She’s Everything. He’s just Ken.” In 2023 it would take a big swing for a live-action Barbie movie to work and that seems to be what Gerwig is doing.

Oppenheimer is on the surface at least a less original film, an epic of a huge figure from history. We see how he’s a genius, the struggles he has, the complications in his life. But this is Christopher Nolan and at the very least the practical effects of the film will be astounding. Even just watching the trailer has managed to capture the dread that generations of people lived with after the end of World War Two, that they lived in a world where humankind had created weapons that could destroy everything and everyone.

Of course, the two being released on the same day would give the opportunity for a double bill of rare quality and the Internet has debated as to what order should you watch the films. It’s hard to say as we don’t know what each film would be like its tempting to think Oppenheimer will be a downer of a film, and there have been reports of audiences leaving screenings of the film feeling like they’ve been through a harrowing experience but perhaps the huge apocalyptic doom will not resonate as much as a character not understanding her place in the world and trying to learn. I would argue for seeing Barbie first if for no other reason as it may be genuinely hard to shake the dread associated with nuclear Armageddon to fully enjoy Barbie.

And what do the respective teams think of all this? Christopher Nolan is thrilled that two big films are opening on the same day and it is generating excitement, with stars Cillian Murphy, Matt Damon and Emily Blunt in agreement. From Team Barbie Gerwig advocates seeing a double bill of Barbie then Oppenheimer, followed by a double bill of Oppenheimer then Barbie to get the full experience. I feel this is good advice.

Also Read: Barbie Reimagined: How the Live-Action Film Could Transform the Iconic Brand

Also Read: The Anatomy of a Christopher Nolan Film

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Barbie Begins

Ruth Handler’s main inspirations for creating Barbie were seeing Bild Lilli, a then-popular German doll line, and her daughter Barbara (whose name is the brand’s basis) playing with paper adult dolls. Mattel’s Barbie debuted in 1959. As a fashion doll, Barbie was made to showcase the fashion of the time. With owners able to buy her different outfits, accessories and more. Interestingly she was one of the first adult-looking toy dolls on the US market. Many dolls produced beforehand were baby dolls made to encourage parenting instincts.

More Barbie-branded characters soon followed. Including Barbie’s boyfriend Ken (1961) and family or friends characters, like Midge (1963), Skipper (1964), Christie (1968), and more.

The brand’s popularity also spawned Barbie-branded tie-in media. There are Barbie comics (as early as 1962), video games (the first released in 1984), television series and specials (starting in 1987); the character has starred in 40+ animated films since 2001 and appeared in projects like Toy Story 2 – 4. Despite some sales dips the brand remains iconic. Often being listed among the all-time best-selling toys.

Barbie’s Many Hats

Barbie helped change what toys targeted at girls and women could do. It shifted attention away from baby dolls that enforced aspirations of motherhood toward focusing on personal enjoyment. Thus helping to shift cultural attitudes. Barbie dolls also later showcased different career prospects for women and began introducing Barbies that provided representation for different groups. Barbie’s aesthetic has also been cited as helping many LGBTQ+ people feel comfortable expressing their identities. Undoubtedly the brand has sometimes had a positive impact regarding representation, and showcasing fun, positive, inspirational images for its customers.

But Barbie does have problems. For example, many have argued that Barbie’s unrealistic body has, because of its reach and influence on children, had negative effects on children’s physical and mental health. Additionally, despite the brand showcasing more progressive images now its dominant image has helped reinforce particular hegemonic ideas of womanhood. One that prioritises white, straight, cis-gendered, non-disabled women, in stereotypically gendered attire above other women. This serves to further entrench ideas of what womanhood is and alienates those who fall outside of this image.

Product or Art

Considering everything shown here how will a live-action Barbie movie play in 2023? Well with Greta Gerwig directing and writing alongside Noah Baumbach and Margot Robbie starring it has incredible potential.

Gerwig’s previous directorial efforts both explored childhood nostalgia and viewpoints, through Little Women‘s split-time structure and Lady Bird‘s memory-like feel. She is also talented at making fully rounded characters and her stories foreground themes of independence and diverse views on womanhood. This makes her perfect for Barbie (2023). Her other films indicate she will give us engaging characters and a movie that knows how to appeal to its child and nostalgic adult audiences. While her thematic focuses guarantee some thoughtful interaction with the brand’s problems.

Co-writer Baumbach also has a great record of making thoughtful comedic work with strong women characters (Frances Ha). Robbie has excelled in roles that have harnessed her star appeal to explore relevant cultural issues (Bombshell and I, Tonya). Finally, with its diverse, talented cast and joyful attitude evidenced in the trailers, Gerwig’s Barbie seems prepared to celebrate what fans love about the property while also addressing the cultural debates surrounding it, which could represent a turning point for how the world sees Barbie.

Also Read: “Little Women” & Cinema for the Self Partnered

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