Final Project
Abstract
I aim to do a deep analysis of the films made by Greta Gerwig, focusing on her 2023 film Barbie alongside her famous 2019 work Little Women. Through comparative analysis, I will dive into their treatment of relationships with family and the social environment, and how the women in the films see themselves and what they believe in as the story unfolds. Through these discussions, I want to dig into the complexities of womanhood and how society’s expectations influence who we are as individuals. Through this case study, the contributions of women filmmakers to cinema and the significance of their work within academic discourse will be highlighted. Furthermore, this essay explores the portrayal of women in Greta Gerwig’s Barbie (2023) and Little Women (2019) films and the influential role of female directors in reshaping cultural narratives and challenging the dominant ideologies. Meanwhile, I will explore Greta Gerwig’s unique filmmaking style and how it influences broader conversations about the impact of women directors on cinema and the significance of gender in our society. This will lead to the understanding of the significance of women in filmmaking and their significance within academic discourse, leading to a broader understanding of gender representation in film and society. This analysis involves closely studying Gerwig’s films in relation to feminist theory and cultural analysis.
My preliminary thesis is: Greta Gerwig’s films,
Little Women and
Barbie, serve as pivotal examples of her unique filmmaking style and narrative approach, challenging traditional gender roles through nonlinear storytelling and distinctive pictorial techniques. Through a detailed analysis of Gerwig’s directorial choices in these films, this study aims to illuminate how her work not only redefines traditional female narratives but also contributes to broader conversations about the influence of women directors on cinema and the evolving significance of gender in contemporary society. By exploring themes of gender, identity, and power within Gerwig’s films, this research seeks to deepen our understanding of the cultural impact of female directors, ultimately reshaping the landscape of the film industry by amplifying the voices and perspectives of women.
Annotation
In Lori Marso’s article “Feeling Like a Barbie: On Greta Gerwig and Chantal Akerman,” the author explains how an object like Barbie and a film can be interconnected and, in particular, compares the artificiality of Barbie dolls with the aesthetics of Greta Gerwig’s Barbie released in 2023. It explores how both elements can produce different reactions from the audiences and critics. The author argues that the film “Barbie: and the Barbie doll are connected cultural objects, whereby Gerwig’s film highlights the artificiality in Barbie, the evaluation of the role of Gerwig’s cinematic influences in her work, and compares the work of Gerwig with Chantal Akerman, demonstrating the opposition of shallow feelings and hidden, often unpleasant emotions
both in the Barbie culture and in Gerwig’s film. Marso explores Gerwig’s cinematic impact and compares her depiction of the hidden emotions with the shallow emotions in Akerman’s exploration, which shows the difference between the two works. I will use this analysis to contextualize Gerwig’s exploration of “Barbie” and compare it to her other works within a more comprehensive backdrop of films directed by women.
Marso, L. (2023, August 16). Feeling like a Barbie: On Greta Gerwig and Chantal Akerman. Los Angeles Review of Books.
