You’d think a movie about one man’s brilliance and hubris that forever changed the trajectory of war and resulted in immense casualties would make for the ultimate political summer movie. But think again! In other circumstances, Oppenheimer would undeniably steal the limelight as the epitome of a political feature. But that’s not the case when it’s up against the Barbie movie. Yes, you read that right! The atomic bomb film turns pale in front of the iconic doll’s political prowess.
Vietnam Bans The Barbie Movie
Vietnam has made the striking decision to halt the planned commercial screenings of the Barbie movie. As the country’s Department of Cinema reveals, the ban stems from a contentious map displayed in the movie.
This map seemingly portrays China’s disputed territorial claims in the South China Sea. For a while now, this issue has sparked debates among various nations, including Vietnam and the Philippines.
Vi Kien Thanh, the head of Vietnam’s Department of Cinema, elucidated the reasoning behind the movie’s prohibition. In a statement, Thanh expressed concerns about an “offensive scene that shows the cow tongue line.”
This particular reference likely alludes to the “nine-dash line,” the term coined for China’s visual representation of the contested territory. As a result, Vietnam has taken a decisive stand, halting the film’s release within its borders.
Phillippines Joins Vietnam in Banning The Barbie Movie
The disputed scene in the movie has sparked a similar wave of controversy in the Philippines. It has drawn the attention and comments of several local politicians. Senator Francis Tolentino, in a statement to CNN, emphasized the importance of upholding Philippine sovereignty.
He said, “If the invalidated nine-dash line was indeed depicted in the movie Barbie, then it is incumbent upon the (Movie and Television Review and Classification Board) to ban the same as it denigrates Philippine sovereignty.”
On the other hand, Senator Risa Hontiveros argued that “the movie is fiction, and so is the nine-dash line. She also suggested that “cinemas should include an explicit disclaimer that the nine-dash line is a figment of China’s imagination.”
As of now, the Philippines’ Movie and Television Review and Classification Board has not officially banned the movie. However, they have issued a statement confirming that they reviewed Barbie on July 4, 2023.
The assigned Committee on First Review is currently deliberating on Warner Brothers’ request for a Permit to Exhibit. Warner Bros. has not yet commented regarding the matter, leaving their stance on the controversy unknown at this time.
Is Barbie Really Threatening Vietnam’s Sovereignty?
The recent political controversy surrounding the Barbie movie has ignited various reactions and speculations. At present, the film’s trailer does not explicitly depict the nine-dash line on the world map, although there have been conjectures about its potential presence.
Given the lack of concrete evidence, some argue that banning the movie based on such a minor possibility is unjustified. There are also those who believe ulterior motives might be at play, such as allegations of bribery behind the decision to ban the film.
Speaking of which, Reddit user Bjaundy shares, “To me this smells like Warner Bros didn’t pay the bribes and this is retaliation. Based on the screenshot, the lines are intended as a sea route (notice the same dashes leading from the green landmass at the top of the board).”
Another one writes, “It’s clearly a sea route, and the entire map is just literally a crappy blob. This is just whoever was in the Vietnamese film censorship committee being upset they bribed the wrong person, or they’re overly sensitive.”
The unexpected transformation of the Barbie movie into a political topic has users and viewers alike astonished. As Dr_thri11 remarks, “Nobody thought the people behind a Barbie movie were trying to wade into geopolitics here. My assumption was someone used the first image that popped up with google.”
However, there are also those with a different stance on the debate. Phoemush pointed out, “The Vietnamese goverment hasnt officially stated which scene got the movie banned. The map that got spread right now is cut from the trailer and posted by some random on the internet. It might be that map or there’re other maps in the movie.”
Final Thoughts
The uproar over the Barbie movie’s potential depiction of China’s disputed claims seems blown out of proportion. Banning a movie based on a trailer or a single scene without concrete evidence is unjustified.
It’s also essential to remember that the Barbie movie is a work of fiction. So, assuming it poses a threat to sovereignty based on a blurry map is an overreaction. While geopolitical sensitivities should be considered, the controversy surrounding the movie appears to be inflated. It’s definitely less of a substantial political issue than it’s being made out to be.
However, if there are more scenes in the movie that depict a different map, the reaction from Vietnam and the Philippines might make sense. But that makes you wonder, why would a movie like Barbie include so many maps? Of course, we can’t know what the case is for sure until we watch the movie ourselves.
For now, one thing we do know is that in the battle of Barbenheimer, Barbie clearly wins as the more political title. Whether or not it beats Oppenheimer in other aspects remains to be seen!
The Barbie movie and Oppenheimer both premiere on 21 July.
