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I thought about reviewing Barbie under the conceit that I’m a fancy critic thinking (and persisting in the belief that) it’s an extremely highbrow biopic of Klaus Barbie, pretentiously trying to explain it in those terms.
But, well, waggles fingers masterfully, I know where to get that done with just a clever prompt and a light edit.
“Barbie”: A Surreal and Allusive Biopic of Infamous Nazi Officer Klaus Barbie
Prepare yourself for a cinematic experience like no other, as “Barbie” takes you on a haunting and perplexing journey through history. Directed by the Greta Gerwig, this film, seemingly light-hearted and fun, is a cunningly disguised biographical drama of the infamous Nazi Gestapo officer Klaus Barbie.
“Barbie” starts innocuously enough, with vibrant visuals and seemingly whimsical escapades. The eponymous character, played by Margot Robbie, embodies a charming persona that instantly draws the viewer in. However, what unfolds on screen is far from conventional. Through dreamlike sequences, the film delves deep into allegorical representations of Nazi-infested Europe.
The audacious choice to name the protagonist “Barbie” is not a mere coincidence; it is a clever allusion to one of World War II’s most malevolent specters. A figure notorious for his heinous crimes, Barbie’s dark legacy intertwines with the enigmatic confection portrayed by Robbie, further blurring the lines and thereby highlighting the contrast between innocence and malevolence.
Gerwig takes bold risks by presenting the narrative in a such fashion, leading the audience through fragmented memories and distorted realities. These sequences, masterfully shot and directed, challenge viewers to grapple with historical truths in an artistic and evocative manner.
While this film may not cater to mainstream audiences seeking conventional storytelling, it offers a feast for cinephiles who relish intellectually stimulating and experimental cinema. The lead actress delivers a tour de force performance, seamlessly implicating the chilling presence of Barbie with a performance of bubbly charm and joie de vivre.
“Barbie” is an ambitious and daring work of art that demands active engagement from its audience. It shatters the boundaries of traditional biopics, leaving viewers haunted by its evocative imagery and thought-provoking themes. While the film may be obscure to those unfamiliar with the Mattel toy, its allusive and surreal narrative offers a unique perspective on history and the human psyche.
In conclusion, “Barbie” is not your typical portrait. It challenges the essence of storytelling with an emotionally charged journey through the dark corridors of history.
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Honestly I think it’s interesting that these movies are being compared so much. Why?
That is, to me, the most interesting aspect of anyone talking about either film. The relationship between these films just feels like more capitalizing on some kind of proxy war of brand-oriented tribal identities. I don’t really want to watch either, and unless some one buys me a ticket and drives me there I probably won’t tbh. But that’s ok. I’m not the target demo for either film and I’m ok with that.
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Right? Neither one interests me much at all, and I feel fine just watching the crowds rush by towards the box office. 
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Center of this Venn Diagram:
1.amusing oppositeness of them
2. everyone really ready for summer blockbusters
3. superheroes and star wars and the whole sequel industry running out of steam
These are pretty specific groups. Superhero movies and sequels are still absolutely popular, they’re just not profitable enough to justify the box-office-domination budgets. Not everyone is desperate to go to the movies. And not everyone thinks its the funniest thing ever that two movies coming out at the same time are opposite in tone and subject.
But the sweet spot is enough to make a fuss out of in this business!
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Maybe there is something to be said about the current times or something. I saw literally next to nothing about any of these movies you mention. A little bit about Indiana Jones maybe. I have no doubt these other movies had massive promotional budgets but those somehow missed me while OTOH the places I read and see have been non-stop Barbie/Oppenheimer articles. I never see any actual ads for Barbie/Oppenheimer, but the atmosphere is very much abuzz in ways I didn’t feel for those others.
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That would be a more persuasive advertising campaign- not a more pervasive one.
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I’m sure the studios have been very happy to get so much free promotion.
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And maybe more people are interested in the movie- so it gets more coverage.
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Honestly, this is probably an effect of the age of social media and information silos.
Whatever makes it in to an arena gains from the resonance there, and the reasons it makes it into our little bubbles are so varied in a world where showing some subset of people things they specifically don’t want to see is a valid way to get more people to see something in general. It can feel like the whole world is flooded with something when it’s only one channel or two that’s particularly deep in it.
I often find that far fewer people actually care or are interested irl and usually to a vastly diminished capacity. A lot of us go see a movie because it’s decently air-conditioned and allows us to share social space with people in a way that requires minimal emotional labor.
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Largest toy franchise? It’s not GI Joe or Star Wars etc.
“### 1: Barbie
The Barbie doll came in just one design when she was first released in 1959 – a “teenage fashion model” sporting a simple black and white bikini. Despite the doll’s simplicity, she was smartly managed, with the Barbie name and image licensed to more than 100 companies by the 1960s [source: Rogers]. At just over 50 years after she was introduced, Barbie has grown to become one of the largest toy franchises in the world, with product licenses in more than 45 different categories of consumer products, from toys, clothes video games, branded stores and so much more [source: Barbie Media]. Despite stiff competition, Barbie remains the No. 1 doll brand in the world, with one sold every three seconds somewhere around the globe [source: Barbie Media]. By 2014, the Barbie brand was pulling in an impressive $3 billion a year, and the company was in talks with Sony to produce its first live-action theatrical release [source: Fleming].“
It has a huge built in audience. But they’re girls - so I guess it’s surprising to some.
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I feel like there have been a lot of reactions like this lately. People are acting surprised that people are paying money to go see light hearted comedies based around familiar franchises. Meanwhile, my husband, his adult brother, and I all paid money to go see the Mario film and none of us have kids.
What’s to understand? If I want to see a damned dark moody contemplative drama that drags me through many emotional challenges…I can just read the news or meditate.
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That’s me waving from the Venn overlap. So ready for a blockbuster, intrigued by both films, and so fucking sick of superheroes and Star Wars. Especially the last part. I’m, like, openly mad about that last one. Seriously. Fuck superheroes. Fuck Star Wars. Yah, I said it.
Sadly my local theatre is not running the Barbenheimer double, but I’ll be there for both when they make it to our little screen.
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I think some of the promotion of the Barbenheimer double feature is actually a pushback against that. In other words, I think the media historically would have believed that the audiences for these two films had no overlap. And that’s just clearly not true. I had no interest in making it a double feature, but I saw Barbie (I thought it was great) and I plan on seeing Oppenheimer (which I hear is great). I went to see Barbie with 4 other women, and all 4 of them also want to see Oppenheimer. We ranged in age from 25-59. I actually love the fact that the idea of seeing both of these movies is getting the attention it is.
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Maybe if Oppenheimer wasn’t 3 days long it would be a little closer?
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… opposite ends of some kind of spectrum 
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I guess even Hollywood’s finest couldn’t find a way of making a Happy Meal tie in with ‘Oppenheimer’.
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Because every news source I read has had an article about Barbie (even the BBC), a few have mentioned Oppenheimer, and none have had anything about Sound of Freedom. I asked because that’s what I’m being bombarded with advertising, and articles about the advertising, and articles about the pink paint, etc etc. I also think that ‘viral marketing’ (if it is still called that) is pervasive, and I think that the Barbie advertisers have probably done an amazing job of getting the world to report on their movie - even before the movie came out. it is impressive. Taking note is not being racist or sexist, it me noticing that everywhere I turn to in July i have seen promos for Barbie, well above and beyond any other movie this year.
