Michelle reviews Barbie Movie and discusses social commentary given by Director Gerwig
The summer of Barbie, that’s the way this year’s summer can be described as. The movie starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling was released in theaters on July 21st with much anticipation from audiences all over the world. While it’s been three months since its release, “Barbie’s” impact continues to dominate and can be seen in discussions on fashion, music and even social commentary on women.
PHOTO CRED: IMDB
There’s no doubt the Barbie movie left an impact this summer, the question is why and to what extent that impact has had on society. Barbie, directed by Greta Gerwig, has been at the center of conflicting opinions, with the movie having a lot of feminist undertones and overall critiquing how women have been portrayed and treated in what some would call a male-dominated world. When the movie came out there were many who thought the movie was fueling feminist propaganda and was “woke.” When asked about this in an interview with the New York Times director Greta Gerwig said, “My hope for the movie is that it’s an invitation for everybody to be part of the party and let go of the things that aren’t necessarily serving us as either women or men.” Despite the harsh critiques coming from mainly the far right Barbie didn’t fail to make an impact. While the entire movie portrays how women are seen in the real world as opposed to the woman-ruled Barbie world, it’s the rant Gloria gives towards the end of the movie about how women are expected to behave with her saying, “You have to be a career woman but also always be looking out for other people. You have to answer for men’s bad behavior, which is insane, but if you point that out, you’re accused of complaining…” This scene said a lot of powerful statements that women resonated with if the reaction on social media is anything to go by.
Barbie not only influenced conversations being held but also other scenes such as the soundtrack which featured a lot of trending artists or even the wardrobe that pulled from a lot of real archived Barbie pieces. Seeing how everyone was lining up in full pink to go see this movie it’s not a surprise that the movie hit $1 billion at the box office securing its place at number fourteen of the highest-grossing films. It’s no doubt after seeing the lasting impacts that Barbie took over this summer in all aspects of entertainment and it’s not a stretch to even call Barbie the movie of this summer. Since the wrap-up of promotions fans can’t wait to see what director Greta Gerwig has in store for her next film.