The Student News Site of Saint Louis University

The University News

The Student News Site of Saint Louis University

The University News

The Student News Site of Saint Louis University

The University News

Vampires and werewolves and glitter, oh my!

Vampires and werewolves and glitter, oh my!
Photo by Andrew Cooper. Courtesy of Summit Entertainment, LLC.

Staff writers share strengths and flaws of latest release in ‘Twilight’ series: Worth the watch, or waste of time?

Worth the watch – Emily Diehl, staff writer

Are you busy on Thursday? Hopefully, if you are, it is because you are planning to attend “The Twilight Saga” midnight premiere of “Breaking Dawn: Part One.” While the Twilight series is fantasized for its unlikely love story, and hated because it is just another vampire craze, it is worth the cost of admission to attend a screening.

Suppose that you have not read the books. That is fine. Although, there is just one question: Have you seen Robert Pattinson? Pattinson, who plays vampire Edward Cullen, is reason enough to see the movie, not simply because he is insanely good looking, but because of the character that he plays. Stephanie Meyer, the author of “Twilight,” created Edward Cullen to be a complex yet simple creature, which results in the beautiful heartthrob that he is. If a member of “Team Edward,” then this movie is especially important because it shows that he finally receives a happy ending, which has taken him more than 100 years to achieve, by his marriage to Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart). Both girls and, yes, guys—whether they be boyfriends who were dragged to the movies or actual fans—wait in line for hours each time a new chapter of the saga is released.

There is a reason that each time a new book was released, it flew off of the shelves within hours. Some fans were forced to pre-order their copy of Stephanie Meyer’s new releases, as with J.K. Rowling’s “Harry Potter” series. The adapted movies are no exception to this protocol, as audiences must pre-order their tickets more than a month in advance to be guaranteed a spot at the midnight premiere, or anywhere within one week of the movie’s release. Fans dress up like characters and buy, as well as create, shirts that represent their obsession with the series. If you are buying popcorn or a drink at the movies, I guarantee each concession will be stamped with Edward and Bella’s faces, while being carried away by members of Teams Edward and Jacob.

Story continues below advertisement

Clearly there is something that draws people to go and see “Twilight.” Whether skeptics want to admit it or not, the “Twilight” series is our generation’s phenomenon. We were a part of the crowd that carried the thick black book on top of our already heavy book stack from class to class in high school, and, instead of watching “Gossip Girl” and “Modern Family” at night, we read books. High school lunch table discussions consisted of how many chapters of the current book had been read the night before, rather than trying to keep up with who was dating whom. People were obsessed with the books, and they went everywhere that their readers did. They became a part of us. “Twilight” books have been through airport security, to church, the bathroom, soccer practice and, especially, read in place of doing homework. But what is it that makes people love the series so much?

For many readers, it is Meyer’s writing., Some critics argue that her writing style is very simplistic. However, she created an entire world that becomes more like a possible reality, the further you find yourself in her books. Having to create an entire false reality seems nearly impossible, but Meyer created the rules between the vampires and werewolves, who they are and how a person becomes one. Every single detail of her books becomes relevant at some point, even if it happened 100 pages ago. There is no such thing as insignificance with her storytelling. Meyer so vividly captures the bond that Edward and Bella share, that it feels as if you are experiencing the romance yourself.

It is frequently mentioned that Stewart and Pattinson are bad actors, but this is not true. While the first “Twilight” movie was poorly produced, it is only because the crew was working with such a low budget and had no idea of its potential box office success. Due to the immediate success of the first installment, the second movie’s production was announced within a week of the first movie’s theater release. With success comes a bigger budget and a much more experienced crew, and this explains why every movie in the “Twilight” series is better than the last.

With Thursday’s late-evening release being one of the most anticipated films of the series, as well as the best book, the bar will be set even higher than it was for “Eclipse,” and the story line will be even further advanced–and complicated. This is the movie that fans are waiting for, because who doesn’t love a human-vampire wedding and a demon-child pregnancy?

Waste of time – Kathryn Grundy, staff writer

When faced with the chance to jump on the “Twilight” bandwagon this weekend, it will be helpful to keep in mind the one fatal flaw of this most recent addition to the series: the entire plot.

The narrative begins with the long-awaited marriage of barely-legal Bella Swan and 109-year-old vampire Edward Cullen. Expect a plethora of uncomfortably close shots of Edward and Bella gazing into each other’s eyes. The story traces the couple’s whereabouts to their Brazilian honeymoon where Bella tries to get Edward to consummate their marriage, and he inexplicably resists. Finally, the newlyweds have PG-13 vampire sex, during which Bella mysteriously loses consciousness. When she wakes up, she is covered in bruises and feathers because Edward has accidentally beaten her and bitten open a pillow. If this sounds like domestic violence, do not worry—this is normal vampire husband behavior.

Bella becomes pregnant with a human-vampire creation that is tearing her body apart from the inside. Eventually, the vampire fetus causes Bella’s spine to snap, so Edward rips open her uterus–with his teeth–and delivers the baby. Fortunately, Edward saves the day when he stabs Bella with a vampire-venom filled syringe. On a side note, in pedophilic change-of-heart, Jacob falls madly in love with the newborn infant. So, naturally, Bella lets him babysit.

If all of this sounds creepy and ridiculous, that is because it is. Moreover, the narrative’s resonance with an entire generation of young women is disturbing. Presently, thousands of women are preparing to see a film adapted for screen by a woman, based on a novel that was written by a woman, and in this film the female lead’s ultimate motivation is to become utterly self-sacrificing for a man.

Now, all of this might be forgiven, if “Breaking Dawn” could at least pull off decent acting and cinematography. In reality, the acting is not strong enough to overcome the cheesy, overdramatic dialogue. The attempts at generic conventions of horror and sci-fi fantasy often descend into embarrassing melodrama, and even farce. It is never clear whether the actors are portraying a serious romance, or the comedic parody of one when they are spewing pick-up lines like this: “Your scent, it’s like a drug to me, my own personal brand of heroin,” or “I’m the world’s most dangerous predator. Everything about me invites you in.”

In all fairness, to develop a character like Bella would be an insurmountable task for almost any actress. Bella has precisely one flaw—clumsiness—which does not actually lend the character dimension. Stewart is saddled with a character that is less of a personality, and more of an archetype onto which all teenage girls can project their Disney World fantasies.

Pattinson’s portrayal of Edward Cullen presents an even more problematic role for the young actor. How does one play a controlling stalker and, at the same time, make him a protagonist? Throughout the series, Edward alienates Bella from her friends and family, stalks her, removes her car battery to keep her from driving, jealously attacks wolf Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner), and breaks into Bella’s home to watch her sleep every night. The strangest part is that in “Breaking Dawn” the audience is supposed to be happy about Bella’s marriage to this guy.

It would be imprudent to overlook one important consequence of “Twilight’s” popularity: It ruined vampires.

Throughout the multi-novel saga, readers learn the real story behind those enigmatic, mythic creatures. Twilight vampires avoid the sun because it makes them really sparkly. Also, “Twilight” vampires do not sleep in coffins, suck human blood or turn into bats. They go to high school and generally refrain from being scary at all. Thus, the question must be asked: Why even call these sensitive, glitter-happy creatures “vampires” in the first place? With vampires out of the equation, this film is rendered nothing more than another stock teen romance. This soapy melodramatic saga is about two attractive kids who try really hard to be abstinent. In “Breaking Dawn,” the kids get married, and suddenly there is no conflict, so Meyer has to invent a new one. Enter demonic vampire fetus.

A thin plot line, mediocre acting, embarrassing dialogue and anti-feminist undertones are all potential reasons not to see this film.

View Comments (1)
Donate to The University News
$1410
$750
Contributed
Our Goal

Your donation will support the student journalists of Saint Louis University. Your contribution will help us cover our annual website hosting costs.

More to Discover
Donate to The University News
$1410
$750
Contributed
Our Goal

Comments (1)

All The University News Picks Reader Picks Sort: Newest

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  • L

    Leslie ScheperNov 18, 2011 at 7:44 am

    Great writing by both, but I’m going with Emily’s recommendation. Sometimes entertainment is just that – fantasy, romance, escape. She makes the case.

    Reply