This summer, the final “Indiana Jones” film came out. Disney released a live action remake of “The Little Mermaid.” Pixar released an animated movie called “Elemental,” and Dreamworks released a rival animated feature called “Ruby Gilman: Teenage Kraken.” Nevertheless, all these potential summer blockbusters were overshadowed by a Warner Bros. movie about animated pieces of plastic.
“Barbie” was released in theaters on July 21. Starring Margot Robbie as the title character and Ryan Gosling as the main Ken character, it was directed and co-written by Greta Gerwig. “Barbie” had the biggest opening at the domestic box office of 2023 so far, raking in $162 million the first weekend. However, its success is more than financial.
“Barbie” has made a much deeper cultural impact than any other film released this summer and perhaps this year. Social media is filled with memes about the movie, Barbie-inspired looks, and announcements about going to see the film in theaters—but you don’t have to scroll through Instagram or Facebook to be bombarded by the Barbie craze. Articles about the film all over the internet and pink, doll-inspired product promotion in every retailer’s newsletter are all the proof I need of a social phenomenon. However, beneath the pink plastic exterior, this plot is a warped variation of a classic story.
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This is the first live action film based on the Barbie doll so far. It’s amazing that one hasn’t been made during the highly popular toy’s 64 years of existence. More logically, Mattel has released 42 Barbie animated films of differing styles and formats since 2001, which have been very successful. All these films have been geared toward young girls, so many people assumed the live action would be family friendly as well. The PG-13 rating doesn’t diminish this idea, since that is the standard rating of “family friendly” blockbusters like superhero movies, “Indiana Jones” films, and recent “Star Wars” releases. However, the plot of “Barbie” reveals that, although lacking an intelligent story, this film includes many “adult” themes.“Barbie” takes place in the magical alternate universe of Barbieland, where countless different versions of Barbie reside together in a harmonious community. It’s a female-dominated and controlled society, but there are also many versions of Ken. Probably the only thing wrong with this fanciful world is the confusion that must result from almost everyone having one of two names. The utopia starts to crumble when the main Barbie, sometimes called “Stereotypical Barbie” (Robbie), starts to lose her doll-like perfection. Plagued with fears of death, she leaves Barbieland to find the girl who is playing with her (which indicates, confusingly, that she is a toy’s spirit). Barbie discovers the real world is an evil capitalistic society run by hostile male chauvinists. However, “Beach Ken” (Gosling), Barbie’s main counterpart, is delighted by the masculine dominance he observes and schemes to bring male rule to Barbieland.
When choosing a comparison for the “Barbie” movie, I initially considered “Roman Holiday” (1952). It seems like a stretch, I know, but both are about a woman with an idyllic life who has an existential crisis and escapes to the outside world in search of a better or different life. Also, Audrey Hepburn, the classic film’s leading lady, has become as much of a fashion icon as Barbie. However, upon learning more about this film since its release, I’ve realized that it isn’t really about a woman who escapes her fairytale existence; it’s about a woman on a quest to defeat the patriarchy and thrive as a true feminist. In that regard, it’s similar to the 1942 Tracy and Hepburn film “Woman of the Year.”
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“Woman of the Year” was the first film Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy made together. It was the first of nine movies in which the beloved onscreen (and scandalous offscreen) couple starred. This isn’t the first time I’ve written about this film. In fact, I’ve highlighted it in at least three different articles. However, this film warrants extra analysis, not only because it is an artistic masterpiece but also because it is a powerful example of American feminism in the early 1940s. It’s especially poignant in that regard, because its leading lady is one of the most outspoken, controversial feminists of Hollywood’s Golden Age. Many Tracy and Hepburn films deal with the social battle of the sexes, but none of the others are as comparable to “Barbie” as “Woman of the Year.”Tess Harding (Hepburn) is a confident jetsetter and journalist on current affairs. She doesn’t think she needs anything in her fast-paced life besides her international schedule and a room full of foreign officials—that is until she meets Sam Craig (Tracy). He’s a down-to-earth sportswriter for the same publication who enjoys covering the fights and baseball games before chatting with friends over a drink. Their paths cross when they get into a battle of the columns over Tess’s radio comments about the value of sports during wartime. Before they know it, they have fallen in love and are planning their wedding. However, marriage is the last of Tess’s priorities.
“Woman of the Year” is like “Barbie” because it is about a woman who lives in a feminist fantasyland. She thinks she is perfectly happy in her role of “glorious emancipation” over men because she surrounds herself with other fiercely feminist females. She treats her leading man like nothing more than “her guy,” disrespecting his feelings and opinions. However, Tess ultimately realizes her selfish, liberated attitude is jeopardizing her happiness and agrees to the mutual compromises of traditional marriage, while Barbieland’s feminist rulers claim they will respect the Kens more but retain a female-only government. Barbie herself vaguely encourages Ken to find his own identity instead of committing to a compassionate relationship.
