KARACHI: Women and men dressed in pink came out of the cinema after watching “Barbie,” saying it was their way of paying tribute to the film which they watched to celebrate the fashion doll introduced by an American toy company in 1959 which gradually turned into a global cultural icon. With a completely different plot, “Oppenheimer” has also set the box office ringing.
The contrast between the fans of Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” and Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” is as sharp as the stories of the two films. Yet, the afternoon and evening shows for both the films are packed to capacity even on weekdays.
The two films released simultaneously in cinemas across the world on Friday. According to Deadline, an online magazine on Hollywood entertainment, “Barbie” earned a whopping $337 million in the first four days at the box office worldwide which is almost double compared to “Oppenheimer” that raked in $174.2 million across the globe.
“Barbie” is an almost two-hour-long colorful, fun-filled watch with a lot of messages. It stars Margot Robbie as “Barbie” and Ryan Gosling as Ken. The film revisits the unrealistic and stereotypical character of Barbie instilled in the minds of people, especially young girls.
Moviegoers stand in front of the poster of the movie "Barbie" at Nueplex Cinema in Karachi on July 25, 2023. (AN Photo)
“Oppenheimer,” on the other hand, is a biographical thriller based on the 2005 biography of J. Robert Oppenheimer who is often described as “father of the atomic bomb” due to his role in building the world’s first nuclear weapons. It’s a three-hour-long movie with a dark, serious tone. Written and directed by Christopher Nolan, the film stars Irish actor Cillian Murphy in the titular role.
“In 64 years, it’s the first time that a ‘Barbie’ movie has been made,” said 32-year-old Faiz Rohani, who came to the theater to watch the film the second time and was dressed in a dark pink shirt.
“We wore pink to give tribute to ‘Barbie,’” he said. “It’s an experience. I don’t identify colors with genders, so wearing pink is not a big deal for me. This movie has given courage to a lot of people that they can wear what they want.”
Rohani, who is a stylist, shared that when he went to watch the movie the first time, he saw guys in low-rise jeans, crop tops, yellow wigs and makeup.
“There were guys wearing suits as well, associating themselves with Ken,” he said, adding that Ken’s character develops over the course of the film.
Rohani said he was likely to watch the film at least one more time but had no plan to watch “Oppenheimer.”
Rohani’s mother, Shekufeh Rohani, shared: “We decided to wear pink out of excitement as it’s the official Barbie color. We liked the movie as we could connect with the characters. It was a very fashionable movie, full of colors. The songs were nice.”
Pink attire dominates as Barbie movie is screened to a full-house at Nueplex Cinema in Karachi on July 25, 2023. (AN Photo)
19-year-old Ghania Firdous, who came to watch the movie with her friends, all dressed in pink, didn’t think that “Barbie” was a “feminist movie.”
“People called it a big feminist movie,” she said while speaking to Arab News. “The film really showed the importance of men and women both. It showed actual equity. “Barbie” also showed the themes of life such as existential crisis. It was awesome.”
“We were so excited about the movie and we wore pink to celebrate femininity,” she added.
Moviegoers stand in front of the poster of the movie "Barbie" at Nueplex Cinema in Karachi on July 25, 2023. (AN Photo)
Meeran Laiq, who watched “Barbie” on the day of its release also wore pink to the show and “loved” the film.
“It’s about the theme,” he said. “It’s a movie about dolls, for starters. It’s not a movie about shoving feminism down anyone’s throat. It’s a nice, family film. It’s really enjoyable and I laughed a lot.”
Laiq said he had come to the cinema to watch “Oppenheimer” this time.
“‘Oppenheimer’ was really good but it was a little long,” he continued. “The ending was worth the wait. I didn’t know what to expect as I don’t know much about history. This was a surprise for me. I came to watch it because of the hype.”
For Faiq Rizwan, a 24-year-old associate consultant, “Oppenheimer” was a typical Christopher Nolan film with “back-and-forth plot, twists and the exposé at the end.”
“It was a good film,” he told Arab News after watching “Oppenheimer.” “It wasn’t very close to the actual story. They glorified Dr. Oppenheimer more than required. I enjoyed the experience though.”
“I do plan to watch ‘Barbie’ but it’s a bit difficult getting people to watch it with me,” he said. “I am open to watching the movie but my friends aren’t.”
