The Barbienheimer phenomenon: the revival of cinema or its transformation into a trend?
In the summer of 2023, two films were released that gave cinema a new face and brought a breath of hope back to cinemas that were becoming increasingly crowded in the wake of Covid-19. Phenomenon Barbienheimer comes from combining movie titles BarbieGreta Gerving, which starred Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, and Oppenheimera film by the timeless Christopher Nolan – with the faithful director Cillian Murphy.
memes originated from the moment when these two films, extremely different from each other, were released on the same day in America, namely July 14th. In Italy, both feature films debuted in cinemas on July 21 (Barbie) and August 23 (Oppenheimer), but this did not stop Italian audiences from following the global trend.
But what are we talking about when we talk about the Barbienheimer phenomenon?
Simple, one memes who sees one healthy “competition”. between the two main characters of the film. Photographs, montages, collages, posters, videos – all these products user created they were created to represent the pink world of Barbie along with the dark and torturous atmosphere of Oppenheimer. All these creations reached the directors and actors themselves, who reacted to the news quite positively.
From these trends were born actual groups of people who went to both shows on the same day the two films were released, first dressed in pink for the feature film about the Mattel doll, and then in suits and ties in honor of the inventor. atomic bomb.
At the same time, social networks not only made it possible to increase the number of spectators in the cinema – especially among young people, an unusual event – but also contributed to the creation community built around two films that, without the support of these platforms, would probably not have such a large number of fans, especially in Italy. Barbie actually hit a box office record, and Oppenheimer became Nolan’s most watched film in Italy.
Social media is increasingly conducive to a collective vision of cinema, let us also remember Spider-Man – No Way Home released in 2021, the Sony and Marvel film had theaters filled with fans – diehards or not – cheering and cheering during the two’s appearance. spider man previous films, again thankshype created over months on various social networks.
Now we need to understand whether these developments can save cinema or whether they actually make it more fleeting than it appears – a simple trend to follow that, like all trends, fades away after a day or so. The risk is to strip the space of the content it offers and turn it into a stage where users are happy to be part of something in common, following the crowd a bit.
However, we want to show the positive aspect, which is not only about returning to theaters after many years of crisis, but also the emotional aspect that involves audiences when viewing a cultural product that takes on different meanings when seen in society.
Of course, this cannot be said about all types of production: niche films will probably remain niche. But such a beginning allows everyone, perhaps even unconsciously, to enter the world of cinema and admire one of the most memorable forms of art.
Alessia Ambanelli
