The musical movie Greta Gerwig calls a “masterpiece”
The hype surrounding Greta Gerwig‘s fantasy comedy-drama movie Barbie has been unlike anything else we’ve seen in recent years. And the film, starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, is fully deserving of that very hype because Gerwig has delivered a genuinely important movie with the added mass appeal of a true blockbuster.
In our review of Barbie, Far Out wrote, “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,” because it feels as though Gerwig has genuinely accomplished greatness with her take on the famous doll.
Fans of Gerwig and Barbie have been fortunate to come across a list of the movies that the director thinks are essential to watch. They give clues as to the inspiration behind the critical blockbuster-hit film and also point in the direction of where audiences might want to head to get their next fix.
Of all the movies that Gerwig recommends, she reserved her highest praise for a 1979 musical drama film. Yes, she uses that exceptional word that ought to be saved for only the truly life-changing, tear-inducing films, the “masterpiece”. Gerwig dropped the big M-bomb on Bob Fosse’s All That Jazz.
The Letterboxd interviewer noted the film’s “artificial authenticity”, to which Gerwig responded, “I mean, All That Jazz has, like, sort of both, because it has that very…” Evidently, Gerwig could not quite get her thoughts together and her words out. But it was at that point that she was able to say what she really wanted to.
“All That Jazz is a masterpiece,” she said with a wry laugh. “I think it’s incredible. And also, it has the very real – the whole audition sequence at the beginning, which is one of my favourite sequences, you know.” Fosse wrote the screenplay with Robert Alan Authur based on parts of Fosse’s life and career as a dancer and choreographer.
It takes large inspiration from Fosse’s desperate attempts to edit the 1974 philosophical drama film Lenny at the same time as directing the 1975 Broadway version of the iconic musical Chicago. The film was well received and won the 1980 Cannes Film Festival’s Palme d’Or, as well as four Academy Awards, including ‘Best Original Score’.
Of the film’s opening scene, Gerwig noted, “It’s where all the dancers are auditioning, but then there’s all this stuff with Jessica Lang and the Gods. Then you see that they’re on a set, and she’s talking about his life. It’s extraordinary”.
Gerwig admitted that the existentialism of Fosse’s movie was an inspiration for Barbie, particularly the iconic scene where Margot Robbie’s Barbie asks if all ever friends ever “think about dying”, to the cut of a very awkward silence indeed.
Check out the All That Jazz trailer below.
