March 07, 2024 | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | By Rachel Weissman
After this past cinematic summer of “Barbenheimer,” the woman behind this success, Greta Gerwig, made quite a stride in her career earning her the title of highest-grossing film of all time by a solo female director. However, “Barbie” was not Gerwig’s first hit. In 2019, Gerwig’s rendition of “Little Women” stormed the nation and brought tears to audience’s eyes, watching the March sisters enter the adventure of adulthood.
Gerwig began her Hollywood career with none other than an English degree, obtained from Barnard College in New York City. Soon after, she began acting in Joe Swanberg’s “Hannah Takes the Stairs,” skyrocketing Gerwig’s career. However, Gerwig made her directing debut with her semi-autobiographical film “Lady Bird” in 2017. This coming-of-age feminist film exposed the untold awkwardness and grief of the teenage girlhood experience, putting Gerwig on the map. Gerwig received Academy Award nominations for her screenplay and directing, and “Lady Bird” was nominated for Best Picture. Gerwig’s lead in “Lady Bird,” Saoirse Ronan, spearheaded her next hit: “Little Women.” Gerwig’s 2019 rendition obtained great accomplishments, with award nominations not only for her screenplay and directing, but the film was also nominated for best picture. After some continuation of her acting career, Gerwig returned behind the camera with “Barbie,” creating the highest-grossing film of 2023, and nearly 1.5 billion dollars at the box office.
Alongside her countless accomplishments, what makes Gerwig a true revolutionary is her feminist influence on previously adapted and/or renowned concepts. In “Little Women,” Gerwig provides each of her characters with a distinct kind of femininity. Jo, the protagonist in “Little Women,” has a brashness complimenting her sweeter side. Jo loathes the societal standard she is expected to fulfill, yet she feels desperate to reconcile her hunger for working as only a man could in the nineteenth century while also finding a love that will fulfill her. Gerwig creates these multifaceted characters and allows the audience to see all dimensions of them rather than limiting what a woman can be on the screen.
Nonetheless, Gerwig juxtaposes a character like Jo with her sister Meg who understands and embraces the duties of a wife and mother during the Civil War era and indulges [BL1] [AC2] in them. Meg, played by Emma Watson, does not find her dreams as Jo does; the sisters clash[AC3] , yet the love they maintain for each other is a powerful ode to the sisterly bond. On her wedding day, Meg explains to her sister that “just because my dreams are different than yours doesn’t mean they’re unimportant.” In this scene, Meg truly encapsulates the premise of “Little Women.” Gerwig ensures that all ambitions of women, whether it is Jo’s inherent fervor and passion for writing or Meg’s maternal instincts for a family, are portrayed.
Gerwig’s newest sensation, “Barbie,” is a film for female empowerment sat alongside a campy and bright-colored backdrop. At its core, “Barbie” is about the harsh and unreasonable circumstances women face to achieve the same success as men. Stereotypical Barbie, perhaps the Barbie you think of at a toy store, played by Margot Robbie, faces obstacles, yet these challenges begin with aspects of her physical beauty, like cellulite and bad breath. Gerwig pokes fun at these societal standards of perfection then plunges deeper into the challenges Barbie will face in the real world. Furthermore, Gerwig explores childhood nostalgia and the complexities within a mother-daughter relationship with the new and upcoming Arianna Greenblatt.
Greenblatt and America Ferrera’s unapologetically genuine relationship shares the story of mothers and daughters as they both grow. Moreover, “Barbie” does not only discuss the difficult role of women in the patriarchy, but also Gerwig touches on the male fear associated with the amplifying voices of women: when Ken, played by Ryan Gosling, returns to Barbieland and establishes a laughably masculine environment, filled with horses and beer. The tension that comes with a shifting balance of power is something even Barbie and Ken cannot avoid. Gerwig ensures the film is not only about women in relation to men, but also the man in relation to the women.
Furthermore, when Robbie’s character enters the real world, the jarring realization of harassment and objectification women experience daily is put into perspective, compared to the fantastical, utopian Barbieland. Once again, Gerwig creates relatable characters with relatable problems. Pulling the film to a close, Billie Eilish’s song, “What Was I Made For,” is undoubtedly a tearjerker. This song truly pulls together what Gerwig was getting out with this film: women constantly having to define themselves against the highest standards and feeling unaccomplished because of being compared to the impossible. Eilish’s hit has won Song of the Year and Best Song Written for Visual Media at the Grammys as well as Best Original Song at the Golden Globes. Gerwig and Eilish’s teamwork in the closing montage of this film had everyone in the audience holding their breath — it was truly unforgettable.
From Ferrera’s character’s iconic speech breaking down a woman’s inexplicable need to be perfect, to Gosling’s hilarious, “I’m just Ken,” “Barbie” has something for everyone. Gerwig exceeded all expectations presented in front of her with this film, and one day it will sit next to the classics. In honor of Women’s History Month, honoring Greta Gerwig’s accomplishments feels very appropriate, and when Gerwig’s next film hits theaters, I will be first in line.