Unveiling Margot Robbie's Mesmerizing Transformation as Barbie: Director Spills Secret Details

Summary

Director Greta Gerwig lauds Margot Robbie's performance as Barbie in the forthcoming film for skillfully demonstrating the difficulty of depicting a character whose inner self aligns perfectly with her outer appearance.

Barbie's life in Barbie Land lacks depth and realism, evident in her surroundings and possessions.

As she becomes acquainted with the real world, the boundary between the two worlds begins to fade, and Robbie's portrayal effectively captures this transformative experience.

Director Greta Gerwig, who co-wrote the movie, delves into Margot Robbie's portrayal of Barbie in the highly successful film. Barbie, the beloved doll, embarks on a journey to the real world after realizing that her life in Barbie Land is not as flawless as she initially perceived. Alongside Robbie, the star-studded cast includes Ryan Gosling, Will Ferrell, Simu Liu, America Ferrera, Issa Rae, Michael Cera, Helen Mirren, Rhea Perlman, and many others.

In a recent episode of The Big Picture podcast by the Ringer, Gerwig talks about everything related to the anticipated Barbie 2023. She highlights the challenge of bringing Barbie to life, as initially, her inner thoughts and outward appearance were perfectly aligned. Gerwig praises Robbie's skillful performance, as she creates a character who is still discovering her own personality. Below is Gerwig's complete quote.

The way Margot portrays her character as an actor fascinated me. In the beginning of the movie, her lack of desires and absence of an internal life stood out. Her inner self seamlessly merged with her external self, making it difficult to differentiate between her and her surroundings. As an actor, it was challenging to tackle this aspect. Margot's character wasn't vacant or unintelligent, but lacked vitality. She had to find a way to activate it and portray it convincingly.

She managed to achieve a sense of purity and authenticity in her portrayal, which was truly remarkable. It came across as innocent, but there was an even greater intensity to it. As the story progressed, she allowed this purity to disintegrate and become complex, tainted, and changed. Her performance was incredibly adept and skillful.

The truth is, my understanding of it was solely guided by her approach. The revelation within herself and our collaborative efforts were pivotal in comprehending it. Without her involvement, I doubt I would have grasped it in the same profound manner. It felt like she unlocked the secret, and we embarked on this journey of discovery together, even though the process was anything but straightforward. It's a seemingly simple concept, yet deceptively intricate, given the cunning way she approached it.

Barbie's Life in Barbie Land Explained

According to Gerwig, Barbie is not portrayed as vapid or unintelligent. Nevertheless, she has never encountered situations that require her to delve deeper into matters in Barbie Land. As her world serves as a parallel reality designed for children's play with dolls, there is usually nothing more substantial than what meets the eye.

In Barbie Land, the emptiness is evident in the beverage containers, which are empty and only serve as representations of drinks. This theme extends to other objects in Barbie Land, such as the swimming pool, which is just a blue plastic surface, and the cars that operate autonomously. However, when Barbie travels to Los Angeles and is confronted with the rules of the real world, she faces a challenge to her own understanding of life for the first time.

Throughout the movie, Barbie comes to understand that her world is a mere representation of perfection, rather than an actual perfect world. As she becomes exposed to the realities of life in Los Angeles, the boundary between these two worlds begins to blur. Still, it is up to Barbie herself to convey this shift in her own performance, as upon her return, much of Barbie Land still appears superficially similar.

Source: The Big Picture