BARBIE TAKES ONE SMALL STEP & HOPEFULLY, A GIANT LEAP…
There’s a single shot in this trailer, which, beyond likely pleasing Mr. Tarantino, serves (to my feeble mind) at a minimum, a triptych of functionality via its buffooning the impossibility of the plastic mold-injected icon’s fixed anatomy, whilst simultaneously reminding us of the ridiculous and sometimes unhealthy constraints placed on, and self-placed by, very real woman in the service of plumage (see images of footbinding, and lsten to audio below), yet also noting the option (albeit, a choice is not always available, depending on a woman’s existential facticity) to step out of it, as it were, which Barbie literally does, with the trailer ultimately (SPOILER ALERT) ending with her on a beachfront peacekeeping mission, placing herself between several Kens who want to rip each other’s doll-head off.
Lest one think this author too high-fallutin’ or hamfistedly woke in my comparison betwixt the shot above and, well, history, herewith, a primer on footbinding, by way of AUDIO from an article in Scientific American, circa 1880.
There is also the option, the prerogative, to step back into the ridiculous heel, which reminded me of Helmut Newton’s controversial photo intersecting a critique of the kept woman whilst also inviting contemplations of consented constraint by way of Do-Me Feminism (which wasn’t a term then), and also challenging our fascination, judgment and self-reproach (over being either prude or decadent) in either case.
And so, beyond this trailer, questions of plumage, transactional relationships, overcoming historical oppression versus acknowledging possible bio-determined roles and the choice or absence of awareness of a choice to reject and or manage said roles remain fascinating questions.
Simply put: the questions of determinism versus self-autonomy, whilst leveraging and or enjoying the seductive paradigm create a fascinating terrain which Barbie has, by definition, come to engender in our considerations of her.
Of course, what’s going to really matter — at least at the box office — is as always, whether the word of mouth from parents is that, as with a bad marraige, they suffered through it for their kids, or, as in the case of Warner Bros’ excellent (first) The Lego Movie (see my longform reviews at HuffPost HERE), there were enough snarky PG jokes that the kids didn’t get, but the parents enjoyed.
And beyond family theatrical audiences, there will be a lot of young contemporary women seeing this film; what might they take away from it? That will depend on what Gerwig does, and/or is allowed to do with the final cut. Here’s hoping she hits it outta the park…but hey, no pressure.
With an eye toward the optimistic, it might be time to buy Hasbro stock…Make that MATTEL
Barbie will be in theaters July 21, 2023.