Werner Herzog calls ‘Barbie’ movie “sheer hell”
Just when it seemed as though the Barbie versus Oppenheimer debate was fading from the cultural spotlight, Werner Herzog has decided to weigh in with his thoughts.
The two cultural juggernauts were released on the exact same day in July 2023, capturing the cinemagoing public’s attention, spawning innumerable memes, earning a combined box office haul of well over $2billion, and now find themselves shortlisted for ‘Best Picture’ at the Academy Awards.
Greta Gerwig’s candy-coloured comedy and Christopher Nolan’s three-hour biographical drama are completely different beasts on every level, although it’s easy to see why Barbie wouldn’t appeal directly to Herzog’s sensibilities.
That being said, he hasn’t gotten around to watching the film in its entirety yet, but the opening 30 minutes were enough for him to share his thoughts during an appearance on Piers Morgan uncensored.
“I have not seen Oppenheimer yet, but with Barbie I managed to see the first half hour. I wanted to watch it because I was curious, and I still don’t have an answer, but I have a suspicion,” he said. “Could it be that the that the world of Barbie is sheer hell? As for a movie ticket, as an audience, you can witness sheer hell as close as it gets.”
However, this being Herzog doesn’t necessarily mean he’s not a fan. Realistically, he could be interpreting Barbieland and its subjugated Barbies as being trapped in their own form of purgatory, not that it prevented Morgan from weighing in with his own distaste.
Never one to jump to conclusions, Herzog asked the host to “give me a moment to watch the whole thing.” From his point of view, he has to “watch the whole thing first” before he can offer his analysis of Barbie as a whole.
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