The most ordinary, stereotypical Barbie lives in gorgeous pink Barbie Land, a place where every day is perfect. She changes outfits, sunbathes on the beach, and spends time with other Barbies. The very concept of Barbie Land is immediately appealing. All the Barbies and Kens here are real people, but they’re also toys. They can take an invisible shower and eat invisible food. In Barbie Land, every day is like a holiday, in fact, each day concludes with all the Barbies celebrating with a noisy dance party.
Since everything is always perfect in Barbie Land, it came as a surprise when the main character of the film, Barbie, played by Margot Robbie, began to experience troubling thoughts of death. Worse of all, these thoughts cause her perfectly arched feet to suddenly become flat! Throughout the film Barbie, along with her sidekick Ken, played by Ryan Gosling, go on a journey to better understand the situation and herself.
One of the main themes of “Barbie” centers around the roles men and women play in modern society. Although the script operates in simple terms, it considers gender norms from different angles. From beginning to end, viewers watch as the story of Barbie, Ken, the real world, and the strange connections in which these three elements all interact with each other.
Personally, I found the movie to have both funny and unbearably sad elements. “Barbie” plays with viewer emotions and expectations as fiercely and unprincipled as a small child plays with their dolls. I found it even surprising that Mattel, the company responsible for producing the titular toys, would allow such a film to be released. After all, the film at times did go into quite provocative territories.
“Barbie” achieves enormous dynamics by changing not locations, but themes and contexts in the script. Thanks to this, the feeling during viewing is constantly changing, but always remains positive. Even the rare meta-ironic comments, peppered here and there, turned out to be very appropriate.
Margot Robbie, who has proved herself time and time again as a first-class actress in Hollywood, once again blew audiences away with her innate ability to transform into a complex character with a complex inner world. Costar Ryan Gosling, also wowed audiences, bringing depth to his portrayal of Ken.
This film not only takes viewers on a journey into the world around them, it also is able to make initially flat characters multidimensional. “Barbie” lights a fire in everyone’s hearts, both young and old. It breaks the limits imposed by society and shows that there is still a small child in everyone.
