Musings on the Barbenheimer craze

It is no surprise that a film of Nolan’s gained significant press when hitting cinemas; however, when two directors as high profile as Nolan and Gerwig collided at the box office the ensuing explosion should have been predicted. The craze that has become known as ‘barbenheimer’ is one that I have certainly never seen in cinema before. Both Oppenheimer and Barbie are well made, big budget films that are breaking box office records and proving that there is still a market for quality cinema in a world of streaming. Viewers have flooded to see these films, some picking sides and others simply stating that they were both brilliant. The Empire’s coveted five stars have been seen and there has even been a double spread on the two films in the Times Literary Supplement – when has that ever happened before?! With this in mind, even the most sceptical of viewers have found themselves watching one or both of these films, causing a snowball effect that has resulted in both films still being immensely popular weeks after they were first released.

With all of this in mind, I found myself at the cinema this Sunday to try to understand what all of the fuss was about. The double bill began with Oppenheimer, which promised to be the darker and more intense of the two and certainly the longest with its three hour run time. This last point can be quite off putting in this day and age; we as viewers have tiktok length attention spans and a Lord of the Rings length slog can seem unbearable. However, despite this slight trepidation upon walking into the cinema (laden with salad and fruit rather than popcorn I am reticent to add), the length was entirely forgotten. Instead, the engrossing way in which the film pulled its viewers into the emotion and the action left us a little bit discombobulated once the credits began to roll. From beginning to end it was incredible, with a mixture of monochrome and colour shots, a non linear chronology of the story and the overall tension of the project at Los Alamos and the aftermath. I have recently been debating with a friend whether blockbusters have the ability to provoke an emotional reaction and following the watching of this film I can confirm that they in fact do. Without any shadow of doubt, Cillian Murphy’s performance was a deeply heart breaking one that pulled you into the inexplicable debate between ethics and scientific discovery. Certainly, this was the best film that I have seen in a long time.

Stumbling out into the lights of Odeon’s lobby, we had a matter of minutes to make our way down the hall to the second instalment of our double bill. While watching the same trailers all over again, we debated the merits of what we had just seen and speculated on what we were about to see. With all of my friends raving, I was hopeful that I would enjoy the film more than I had the trailer. From the first five minutes it was clear that Barbie was going to be a harder watch than Oppenheimer. I have an acute reaction to things that I find embarrassing and I could tell that this would be the sort of film that would have me squirming in my seat. When I am asked what I thought of it, I have replied that it was ‘very pink’ and that it certainly was. I could see the merit to some of the points being argued, appreciated the fun elements of the comedy, but simply did not enjoy it all that much. What was interesting was the use of visuals, with bold decisions being made regarding how to represent this world of dolls. And the aside from Helen Mirren’s narrator commenting on the casting of Margot Robbie was a memorable moment. All in all, it was excellently made, carried some merit regarding the messages it was conveying; and was quite good fun. On a personal level, I just was not its biggest fan.

Double bills are an exhausting enterprise. Following the five hours of second hand emotions experienced in a dark box, you can find yourself craving the mellow music of the lobby and something that is easier to passively consume (my choice was a couple of episodes of Shetland – I will leave you to decide whether that fits you interpretation of easy watching). But, the flipside is that you can also find inspiration. Everyone has that thing that makes them feel reenergised, reinspired, ready to take on the world and their goals once again and for me that has always been film and theatre. Sitting in a cinema for most of my day emersed in excellent high budget projects reminded me why I fell in love with the visual arts in first place. I may not have been the right audience member for Barbie; however, watching Oppenheimer was yet another one of those small life changing moments. I challenge you to engage regularly with what inspires you. Be bold and brave like these filmmakers. Commit yourself to what you love and believe in yourself!

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