Recently, like thousands of others across the world, I undertook the Barbenheimer exodus. I viewed the ode to the plastic doll with a kitschy yet thoughtful tone (Barbie) and the masterful biopic on the father of the atomic bomb (Oppenheimer) on the same day at the Cineplex near my home. It was the first time I had gone to the theater since the pandemic, and this egregiously long endeavor gave me hope for the future of cinema and similar creative works.
All this fervor around two vastly different (yet unreasonably similar) films began in the midst of a dark cloud hanging over Hollywood. The first simultaneous writers and actors strike since 1960 is ongoing, with thousands of creatives on the picket line. Productions of dozens of prominent films and television shows have screeched to a halt. The impetus for this work stoppage includes issues such as developments within artificial intelligence, artistic integrity, and the lack of residuals from streaming services. But, just for a moment, Barbie and Oppenheimer showed that despite the issues, the entertainment industry can be a great tool for bringing people together.
I’m not here to simply lavish praises on two great movies, but rather inform you that these movies are more similar than you think. Both films are massively ambitious, directed by two greats: Christopher Nolan and Greta Gerwig. They are lavishly produced, have all-star casts and tell the story of two of the most influential individuals in history. I think Nolan and Gerwig both painted beautiful stories of two very complicated figures.
In Oppenheimer, Nolan uses three separate time periods to focus on the life of J. Robert Oppenheimer, the father of the atomic bomb, with the performance of a lifetime from Cillian Murphy. The first time period is Oppenheimer’s road to creation, the second is his 1954 trial, and the third is a presidential cabinet hearing focused on Oppenheimer’s critic, Lewis Strauss. These periods combine to paint a picture of a man tortured by his creation of a weapon that will go on to kill thousands, and the brilliance that accompanies his warring emotions.
Barbie focuses on the titular doll, played expertly by Margot Robbie, across three settings: Barbieland, the Real World, and Ken’s Beach. Everything is perfect in Barbieland, but when Barbie has an existential crisis, she goes to the Real World to find herself and figure out how to make her symptoms stop. Like Oppenheimer, Barbie has to fend off critics who question her beliefs at every turn while also being ambitious for a better future.
Both films deal with death and the dread associated with it. While Oppenheimer created its greatest weapon, Barbie is a pawn in Death’s game. Both Barbie and Oppenheimer seek counsel and have wise mentors – Albert Einstein for JRO and Ruth Handler for Barbie – and their advice helps them get a better perspective on the world.
In short, Barbie and Oppenheimer seem like polar opposites, but both films tell the stories of two characters at the center of their own universes who must submit to the fact that they lack control. I encourage you to see both films back-to-back, as they are both tremendous and might help broaden your perspectives on the world.
Sports Editor
