Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach respond to claims ‘Barbie’ is “anti-man”
American filmmaker Greta Gerwig has responded to criticism targeted at her latest movie, Barbie, defending claims that suggest the film holds an “anti-man” sentiment.
Geriwg’s third feature, which she co-wrote with her long-time collaborator and husband, Noah Baumbach, was one of the most anticipated movies of 2023 alongside Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer.
With both released on the same day, a phenomenon known as Barbenheimer emerged, with movie lovers encouraged to watch both of the strikingly different films as a double feature.
Barbie stars Margot Robbie as the titular character, waking up one day to suddenly become aware of her existence, leading her to exit Barbieland and visit the corrupt real world.
The movie raked in $1.44billion worldwide, with the general critical consensus being positive. However, Barbie has been critiqued for several different reasons, ranging from its surface-level approach to feminism to its depiction of male characters.
A large plot point involves Ryan Gosling’s Ken becoming aware of the patriarchy, subsequently banding together with the other Kens of Barbieland to reign supreme over the Barbies.
For some viewers, Barbie was an unsatisfactory depiction of gender, with some going as far as to label it “anti-man.” However, in a conversation with 60 Minutes, Gerwig responded, “The movie is meant to be a big-hearted thing, even though it’s poking fun at everyone.”
Baumbach also chimed in, “I felt men could take it, I mean come on.” Gerwig described the importance of Ken within Barbie, adding, “I mean, this sounds so silly to say out loud, but I love Ken. We love Ken. We also take Ken’s position quite seriously.”
In a four-and-a-half star review, Far Out said of Barbie: “This is certainly not merely a film to watch only once, to laugh and sing along to, and be done with. In fact, Barbie may just accomplish the greatest of all art’s tasks, and incite change. Don’t be fooled by her hype or her history; Barbie is an essential piece of cinema for the modern age.”
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