Barbie: The 33 films that inspired the feature, according to the director

The highest pre-selling film in Brazil in 2023 and one of the most anticipated of the year, Barbie features an original script based on Mattel's iconic doll. However, like many Hollywood productions, the movie draws inspiration from others (specifically, 33 other films).

During an interview with Letterboxd, the director of the film starring Margot Robbie, Greta Gerwig, conducted a thorough analysis of the movies that greatly influenced the narrative and even the direction. It's worth mentioning that she co-wrote the script with her husband, director Noah Baumbach.

The list does not include any films from the 21st century. The oldest one, titled "Supreme Conquest," is from 1934, while the most recent one is "The Truman Show," starring Jim Carrey and released in 1998. Of course, Gerwig also mentioned some great classics from the history of cinema, such as "Singin' in the Rain" (1952).

The first film cited is another classic: "The Wizard of Oz" (1939). "[The film] does something that I wanted to emulate, which is these incredible soundstages and painted skies and this feeling of... I mean, 'authentically artificial,' which I find very beautiful and exciting."

Additionally, Margot Robbie's hair was greatly inspired by Geneviève Emery, a character from "The Umbrellas of Cherbourg" (1964) portrayed by Catherine Deneuve. Also, the plot of "An American in Paris" (1951) has some parallels with Barbie.

"The opening [of 'An American in Paris']: he lives in this tiny apartment, and everything fits into everything else. There was something so satisfying about watching him go through his morning routine - that was one of the morning routines that I loved," explained Greta Gerwig. "Although Barbie has a lot more space, I thought: 'This is a great opening.'"

The aforementioned "The Truman Show" was of great importance to the film, especially for the shooting. As the filmmaker recalled, she called the director of the film, Peter Weir, before shooting, and he gave her various advice.

"He talked to me for a long time about how he shot it and how they made it work. They actually shot it outside [instead of in a studio], but they hung lights so that it looked like it was in a studio. He told me, 'I don't suggest that. It was too hot.'"

In another part of the conversation, Gerwig mentioned three other films that inspired Barbie: "Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown: the way [Pedro Almodóvar] overlays the colors. 2001: A Space Odyssey, I think we all know why. His Girl Friday because of the speed at which they speak."

Below, see the 33 films that inspired Barbie:

The Wizard of Oz (1939);

The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964);

Two for the Road (1967);

Stolen Kisses (1968);

Two for the Road (1967);

An American in Paris (1951);

Singin' in the Rain (1952);

Oklahoma! (1955);

The Dolly Sisters (1945);

The Truman Show (1998);

The Red Shoes (1948);

A Matter of Life and Death (1946);

All That Jazz (1979);

Heaven Can Wait (1978);

Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (1988);

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968);

His Girl Friday (1940);

The Philadelphia Story (1940);

Supreme Conquest (1934);

The Ladies Man (1961);

Rear Window (1954);

And the Ship Sails On (1983);

Wings of Desire (1987);

Roman Holiday (1953);

Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977);

Modern Times (1936);

Pee-Wee's Big Adventure (1985);

Grease (1978);

My Uncle (1958);

Playtime (1967);

The Godfather (1972);

Splash (1984);

Saturday Night Fever (1977).