Caitlan Anderson

A fable of feminism that brings women up without tearing men down.

As seen in Lady Bird and Little Women, we've come to expect a Greta Gerwig movie to be centred around strong women, however, Barbie takes this to a whole new level.

Barbie follows Margot Robbie as 'stereotypical Barbie and Ryan Gosling as her comedic sidekick Ken, taking them on a journey into the real world to discover what being human is. It is an existential paradox of extremely complex emotions, seen through the eyes of a seemingly 'perfect' doll. 

Expecting it to be a fun filled, lighthearted movie about some dolls realising that the real world is a little more complicated than their Barbie Land. However, what I got was a deep dive into the human existence, in particular, the female experience. 

Greta Gerwig clearly has a keen interest and knowledge of feminism and explains it perfectly through this movie. It pokes just the right amount of fun at the patriarchy whilst completely tearing it apart and rebuilding it again. And what I found most admirable, is that she never once tore down a male character in order to prove a feminist point, which is a problem I think a lot of feminism holds. It shows feminism to be about equality and lifting women up to the same level as men, rather than tearing men down to put women higher. Margot Robbie gives Barbie such a beautiful energy, whilst so perfectly showing the complexity of emotions that she goes through in such a short span of time.

There was a bubbliness to her in the beginning of the movie that was slowly burned down to reveal a doll with a human-like heart. Ryan Gosling brought in all the joy and comic relief in a film with such a deep undertone, and his relationship to Barbie was so refreshing to watch. Kate McKinnon plays 'weird Barbie' which is a wacky, wonderful doll that was played with 'too hard' and therefore exiled from the community of Barbies. She donned a doodled face, spiky hair, an aggressively colourful outfit and impressive ability to do the splits at any given moment. From the moment we meet her, we realise how little she cares about what the other Barbie thinks, and in fact she owns up to her nickname. This kind of acceptance and understanding is such a huge part of the film, and will leave anyone feeling a little more confident than they went in. 

The film will divide opinions because of how feminist and empowering to women it is, which unfortunately isn't something everyone wants shoved in their face. However, I think every single person; female, male, non-binary, old, young, should see it. It puts the issues that women face everyday in such simple terms that could make anyone understand and sympathise with. I left feeling empowered, enlightened, proud and most importantly understood. I could personally relate to so much of what was said, as I know the woman next to me did, the woman in front, and every woman that watches it does. 

It might not be technically the best film I've ever seen, but it is certainly one that will stay with me for a long time, and I don't remember the last time I was able to connect to a film on such a deep level. It is important, poignant and beautifully written, and I recommend everyone gives it a watch. It is a film about so much more than just a Barbie doll, it is a love letter to women and an F you to the patriarchy.