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Reflection Letter

The following is a copy and paste of the letter I wrote as a reflection on this project for my film class. I felt that what I wrote was a nice book end to this blog (or this portion, if I choose to keep up with it).

Dear Deep Divers,

At its core, my goal with this assignment was to think about Twilight for an absurdly long time which I definitely did. The idea of a “deep dive” project seemed perfect for this desire I had to explore Twilight in a way I couldn’t find the time for during the school year. I knew it was going to be a loose project, so I decided one of my goals would be to find out if Twilight is good or bad, definitively. After doing this project, I’m not so sure it’s as black and white as that.

Twilight has been a major part of my life in a weird way; my family liked watching the Twilight films in the same way other families might be in to the Harry Potter series or Star Wars. I think some part of me chose this as my project to reconnect with those memories and find the part of my life in which I was passionate about a certain book-series-turned-film-saga.

I learned a few hard lessons about trusting Tumblr. In the future, I would try a new platform or not plan on scheduling my posts. I could not get that feature to work on my Tumblr, and I wish I would have switched platforms early or tried out a few before I started. Even now as I typed this, I might have to copy and paste my blog onto a new platform due to the recent controversy with content on Tumblr.

I was glad to have an opportunity to write. I haven’t had too many writing classes due to my being an art major. The major way in which my project contrasted and supplemented what I got out of this class was that I was able to spend as much time as I wanted on exploring characters and the meaning that is conveyed by certain elements in one film. Our class is largely focused on technique and craft, but with this project I was able to assess things like symbolism, characterization, motive, and plot.

If I had to give advice to someone starting this project, I would tell them to pick something they will enjoy learning and creating something about, and then make that their passion project for this semester. I’ve spent the past however many weeks talking nonstop about Twilight, and for some reason it’s made me feel like I’m working on something that matters. I know I’m just typing up my opinions on a paranormal teen romance film, but it feels like it’s my thing now. It’s a good feeling.

Thank you for reading.

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Here’s my answer...

Is Twilight a good movie?

I unfortunately have to admit no. On a whole, it isn’t good. The acting is often over dramatic, and the blueish wash on the film is a bit tacky looking. The effects haven’t aged spectacularly.

Do I like Twilight?

Yes. Of course I do. I don’t think there’s anything that could make me not like it, honestly.

Would I recommend watching it?

Yes, yes, yes. I highly recommend watching it to anybody, even if you’ve already seen it. Watching it with fresh eyes was a lot of fun, and at the very least, you can have a good time making fun of it.

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Public Opinion of the Franchise and More on Feminism

I want to talk about the attitudes surrounding Twilight in its own dedicated post. I touch on it in most of my other posts, but I want to spend some time thinking about Twilight’s reception when it hit theaters 10 years ago versus the attitudes people would have about if it were released today.

I was in the fourth grade when Twilight was released in theaters. Though we were definitely too young to be concerning ourselves with a human girl’s love affair with a vampire boy, it became a hot debate between the kids in my class. I remember many of the boys in my class hating Twilight, hating when the girls talked about Twilight, hating just about any mention of sparkly vampires.

At the time, I think this was dismissed as the regular boy v. girl, man v. woman, battle of the sexes bullshit that was just our normal until feminism became mainstream. If we noticed that it was a boy v. girl thing, I don’t think we cared.

Looking back, Twilight can be shuffled into the deck of things boys/men have deemed stupid or inferior due to its main fanbase being made of women and girls. You’ll see this phenomenon with boy bands, female pop singers, certain movies (”chick flicks”), teen novels, the color pink, and even the simple of state of being an emotional person.

Now that I think about it, in high school I remember talking about female singers with my friends and my guy friends always made a point to comment on their looks rather than their talent. Ariana Grande, for example, or Selena Gomez for another. These comments that sexualized the artists we were lauding were off-putting, and now I’m questioning what the purpose of these sexualizing comments were. Were they to assert some masculinity? To assert some kind of power over us? Were they trying to make us uncomfortable, or were they just trying to make themselves more comfortable?

I say all this to point out that Twilight, while it is by no means the greatest film of all time, was attacked more heavily than other films simply because women liked it. I’m sure there are women out there who can relate to my experience as a young girl growing up, wanting to reject traditionally feminine things due to the way men treated us for liking them.

Today, in a time where many of us now have a better understanding of gender and its spectrum, and sexuality and its spectrum, I believe Twilight would have been attacked more for its flaws in its craft rather than for its fans if it were released this year. Obviously there are still misogynists and sexists out there, but I think if it had been released this past November, my guy friends would have made fun of me for liking the movie not because its girly, but because sometimes Robert Pattinson makes Edward look like he’s constipated.

And to me, that’s progress.

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Twilight in the Feminist Hotseat

Is Twilight a feminist work?

That’s a tough question to answer, for a lot of reasons.

What makes a work feminist or not feminist is hotly debated. Certain “tests” like the Bechdel Test can be used by some to come to a conclusion, but I believe the answer is not always reliably found in tests like that. 

To me, a feminist work simply needs to show me that all genders and sexes are being treated equally, but I often find you can argue for feminism in a lot of movies where this might not necessarily be the case.

My favorite movie to use is Grease (1978), in which Sandy, our main lady, sexualizes herself in order to impress her man, Danny. Or, as I like to argue, she embraces her sexuality (which her parents and time period oppressed) to become the person she wants to be. I like to remind folks that Sandy’s last song "You’re the One That I Want” demands that Danny “better shape up” because she “needs a man... who can keep [her] satisfied.” There is nothing wrong with wanting a man. I do take issue with the use of “need,” but frankly, “want” in the same position doesn’t sound as good.

And boy, Danny did need to shape up! He was not kind to her for a large portion of the movie, and he needed to be stood up to. Sandy held her ground, embraced her sexuality as a power play, and ultimately said, “Hey bud, either you shape up or I’m gonna find someone else who will,” which is a way better way to view that film in my opinion!

Twilight centers on an abusive relationship. I can’t deny that. I don’t know if it passes the Bechdel Test either, since the movie is about Edward and Bella’s relationship. I’m not sure how often Bella converses with other female characters without talking about Edward or the boys at her school. This doesn’t bother me, however, because she’s 17, in a wild relationship with a vampire, and her friends are gearing up for prom.

We’re also given several well-rounded and deep female characters. The women of the Cullen Clan have their interesting backstories and opinions and abilities, and even the girls from the high school have fleshed out personalities and goals.

I don’t think it’s productive to try to force it into a solid yes or no. I don’t think it can be that simple. I think Twilight can be a feminist work. I truly do you can do a feminist reading on the movie. It’s hard to get past the blatant abuse inflicted by Edward, but Bella can be your feminist icon if you want her to be. She’s strong, loving, analytical, curious, and freethinking, even when Edward gets into her head.

Above all else, it’s important to keep this discussion going. Ten years ago, our definition of feminism was very different from what it is today.

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The Women of Twilight

Let’s review some the Women of Twilight and discuss their individual roles in the film as well as a brief review of their actresses’ performances.

Bella Swan played by Kristen Stewart

She’s clumsy, she’s awkward, she’s in love with a vampire - it’s Bella Swan.

Our heroine and one third of the major love triangle, Bella Swan is the main character an narrator of Twilight. The story is about the events that transpire following her move from Phoenix, Arizona to Forks, Washington. She acts as an ambassador to the audience, asking the questions we want answered about the strange world of vampires and werewolves she finds herself in.

Kristen Stewart has been known to get some hate over her portrayal of Bella, and I can’t say I disagree with the haters. She looks the part, and occasionally acts the part, but sometimes she plays up the stutter/nervousness just a little too much. I can’t help but love her though, and despite this, and I can’t imagine anybody else in the role.

Alice Cullen played by Ashley Green

Alice Cullen is our story’s spritely, optimistic prophet.

Though she is a vampire of the Cullen Clan, she was not changed by Carlisle. She was changed by James and left unattended. Fortunately for her, she was “born” with the ability to see things that haven’t happened yet. She saw visions of the Cullens and tracked them down, joining their ranks.

She immediately accepts Bella into the fray, knowing that she will one day become a vampire and join the Cullens. She treats Bella like a sister, and gives Bella the reassurance she doesn’t get from Edward.

Ashley Green is iconic as Alice, with her graceful movements and her pixie-like features. She knows how to hold a moment, and is incredible with her timing.

Rosalie Hale played by Nikki Reed

Regretful vampire and undeserving of her fate, we have Rosalie Hale.

Rosalie Hale is part of the Cullen Clan, going by a different last name to preserve the story of all the “kids” being foster children to Esme and Carlisle. She was another save by Carlisle, but she wishes he would have let her die. She states multiple times that the vampire life is not one she would have chosen for herself.

Because of this, she is the biggest opponent to changing Bella into a vampire to live with the Cullens forever. She believes Bella would be making a mistake, and can’t understand why anybody would make this choice willingly.

Nikki Reed plays Rosalie cold and withholding, as she should be. She maintains a facade of haughtiness while giving her depth and giving her lines sufficient subtextual meaning.

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The Men of Twilight

Let’s review some the Men of Twilight and discuss their individual roles in the film as well as a brief review of their actors’ performances.

Edward Cullen played by Robert Pattinson

Edward Cullen is our leading man/abusive boyfriend who steals Bella’s heart with his charming smirk and quick wit. His natural vampire allure probably helps him out too.

There’d be no Twilight without Edward Cullen. He’s been a vampire for over a hundred years, but he’s had a hard time finding a life partner. Upon her arrival, Bella impresses him with her ability to shield her thoughts from his mind reading powers, and her ability to smell so tasty. He desperately wants to drink her blood, but, since his family has sworn off human prey, he has to fight the urge.

I think Robert does an impressive job at portraying Edward Cullen. My only critique is that I believe Edward was a little more relaxed in the books, and he definitely brooded less. I’m sure the extra brooding was thrown in there for drama.

Jacob Black played by Taylor Lautner

Love triangle completer and beautiful boy.

Jacob Black is the other part of the love triangle with Edward and Bella. He’s part of the Quileute tribe and he lives on the reservation with his father, Billy. He’s younger than Bella, but he has a bit of a crush on her in the first movie. This crush later deepens in New Moon and continues through into the Breaking Dawn movies.

He’s sweet, charming, puppy-dog-like. His tribe is the sworn enemy to the Cullens and wishes Bella would keep away from them. He complicates her feelings towards Edward and acts as spokesperson for his tribe when it comes to matters of a vampiric nature.

Taylor Lautner does Jacob justice in his portrayal. He gives Jacob a sense of maturity despite his younger age, but that’s maybe because he looks considerably older than Jacob is supposed to be.

Charlie Swan played by Billy Burke

He’s a cop with kind eyes who just wants his daughter to be happy, healthy, and safe. Bella does everything she can to make sure Charlie does not known when she is not any of those three things.

Charlie Swan is Bella’s dad and police chief in Fork, Washington. He lives on his own, and is definitely glad when Bella moves in.

He doesn’t like Edward too much since Edward gives off weird vibes.

Billy Burke absolutely nails Charlie’s care-from-a-distance attitude. He loves Bella and wants her to be safe, but as Bella points out, “he doesn’t hover.”

Carlisle Cullen played by Peter Facinelli

Hot doctor and mom-bait, Carlisle Cullen brings a unique take on vampires and a dash of reasonability to Twilight’s cast of characters.

Carlisle is an older vampire who decided to attempt to become “vegetarian,” meaning he would only feast on the blood of animals, never humans. He became a doctor and built up a remarkable tolerance to the smell and sight of blood. Along the way, he saved various members of his current family who were dying and had no other options (Edward being the first to his clan).

He’s levelheaded, smooth, and calm. Blood doesn’t faze him, and not much else does either.

Peter Facinelli imbues a certain charisma unto Carlisle that reminds me of the doctors from Grey’s Anatomy. He always seems to have an answer, and Facinelli manages to capture his centuries of age in his manner and speech.

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Edward, Bella, and The National Domestic Abuse Hotline

This week I want to explore something I’ve seen in passing when searching up Twilight stuff throughout the years. I’ve seen people say that Edward meets all of the following criteria as posted by The National Domestic Abuse Hotline’s website.

Let’s break this down:

Insult, demean or embarrass you with put-downs?

Yes. I can’t remember specific instances, but I believe he does call her stupid or at least say things to make her feel stupid. He definitely calls her clumsy on multiple occasions.

Control what you do, who you talk to or where you go?

He tries. He hates Jacob, and often attempts prevents her from talking to him.

Look at you or act in ways that scare you?

Oh, all the time.

Push you, slap you, choke you or hit you?

I think he’s shoved her in protection before, to get her out of the way of bad things.

Stop you from seeing your friends or family members?

This is later in the series, but he definitely stops her from seeing Jacob, and there are instances where he doesn’t want her to talk to Charlie about certain things.

Control the money in the relationship? Take your money or Social Security check, make you ask for money or refuse to give you money?

It’s weird, but I can’t remember a single time in which money was used. I know the Cullens are wealthy, but I don’t think Edward froze Bella’s assets or anything.

Make all of the decisions without your input or consideration of your needs?

He definitely makes some decisions without much input from Bella, but I think a couple of situations are sort of out of Bella’s depth? Like, he knows more about vampires, so in situations involving vampires, she won’t be able to have much input.

The big thing I can think for this is from New Moon when Edward leaves Bella in order to protect her. This blog is just about the first movie, but if we’re assessing his whole character, it’s worth mentioning.

Tell you that you’re a bad parent or threaten to take away your children?

Not applicable.

Prevent you from working or attending school?

He makes her skip school one time I believe.

Act like the abuse is no big deal, deny the abuse or tell you it’s your own fault?

The abuse is never addressed directly, but he does seem to act like it’s just the necessary way to behave.

Destroy your property or threaten to kill your pets?

He fixes her car, so I think that would be the opposite of this one? Bella has no pets.

Intimidate you with guns, knives or other weapons?

There is the big intimidation scene in the woods where he shows off his vampire powers which count as weapons for sure.

Attempt to force you to drop criminal charges?

Not applicable.

Threaten to commit suicide, or threaten to kill you?

He tells her many times that he could kill her, but he doesn’t really say he’s going to. He mentions suicide attempts taking place previous to the events in the movie.

Conclusion:

Yeah, Edward, you definitely check some of these boxes. Their relationship is toxic. I can’t ignore that, but why do I want to excuse it? Is it because it’s fiction? Or have I been conditioned into excusing this behavior in the name of “true love?”

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Let’s talk about Bella

Bella criticism is not hard to find. I’m sure a quick google search will turn up an abundance of articles about Bella being a “damsel in distress” and criticizing her admittedly awkward ways.

In today’s post, I want to tackle my thoughts on Bella’s character compared to other female heroines, and her character as she plays in her own story.

Main Female Characters

I think when Twilight came out in 2018, that was the start of the big push for strong female characters. When we saw Kristen Stewart’s portrayal of Bella on screen, I think many people were put off by Bella’s awkward, breathy way of speaking, as well as the way she never made eye contact. Indeed, Bella is unlike many of the more polished, collected female main characters we’ve seen in various film series like The Hunger Games (Katniss), Divergent (Tris), and Harry Potter (Hermione). 

With this all being said, I think the appeal of Bella is that she’s ordinary. She’s not good at sports, or basic athleticism, she faints at the sight of blood, she hates the rain, she’s clumsy, and she has a major crush on a boy (who isn’t good for her). To Bella’s credit, she’s also resourceful, tactful, measured, protective, smart, and she knows what she wants.

Twilight is a love story. I think it’s ridiculous to expect Bella to not be in love. There are several things to tackle regarding Edward and Bella’s relationship, which I will cover in another post.

Bella’s Story

Twilight is about a girl who moves to Forks, Washington to live with her dad, and there she meets a family of vampires and falls in love with one. These vampires are stronger and faster and more attractive than humans. Along the way, Bella finds herself in various problems and physical altercations that Edward is often there to “save” her from. And he does. He keeps Tyler’s van from crushing her, he whisks her away from her would-be rapists, and at the end of the film, he saves her from being James’ lunch.

Bella could not have saved herself from these situations. Here’s what these situations told us about Edward, however:

When it comes to Bella, Edward has a harder time following the rules that keep his family’s secret safe.

The scene with the gang-bangers tells us that Edward is stalking Bella. This highlights the obsessive part of his character, and leads into the scene in which Bella learns that Edward can read minds (except hers)

Saving her from James involved sucking James’ venom from Bella’s bite wound. This is a major challenge for Edward because he would have to taste Bella’s blood which could have made it hard for him to stop himself from sucking her dry.

The scenarios in which Bella is being saved don’t tell us all that much about Bella’s character, but they do shape Edward’s.

While Edward does protect Bella throughout much of the movie, I believe the blue ribbon for protectiveness actually goes to Bella. Here’s Bella’s highlights:

She moved to a completely different state for the sake of her mom

When it comes to unwanted advances from her male friends, she lets them down easy

When Edward saves Bella from the gang-bangers, she tells Edward to put his seatbelt on

When James started hunting her, her biggest worry was that Charlie would be hurt

She ended up falling into James’ trap because she thought she was saving her mother

“I've never thought about dying, But dying in the place of someone I love seems like a good way to go.”

Bella isn’t perfect, but isn’t just some damsel in distress.

If you want to read more about Bella’s character, I recommend In Defense of Bella Swan.

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Special Effects and Stunts

When we talk about Twilight, I almost never hear any criticism of the actual look of the film. It’s always the performances or the story, but never the craft of the film. (With the exception of the CGI baby they use in the fourth and/or fifth film, but that’s out of my reach for this project).

Twilight had a lot of hoops to jump through when it comes to special effects and stunts. The movie features a family of vampires who possess superhuman strength, speed, agility---portraying this on film would pose some challenges.

I remember seeing a video about how they accomplished certain stunts, but unfortunately I can’t find this video online anywhere, nor can I find any images of them using the equipment, so you’ll just have to take my word for it.

Vampire Super Speed

I’m sure this scene with Edward running with Bella was mostly accomplished with green screen activity and a wind machine. They might have, however, taken some notes from vampire baseball, and used some sort of harness to suspend Edward in the air and move him, so as to create a gliding effect.

Vampire Baseball

Maybe one of the most clever ideas Stephanie Meyer had when she wrote Twilight was that these vampires like to play baseball. They can only play baseball, however, during thunderstorms, because the sound of them hitting the ball with the bat is deafening. 

As mentioned above, the actors had to wear harnesses that suspended them over the field so they could kick their legs in a running motion. It was extremely uncomfortable, but necessary in order to get the right look.

Alice, Edward’s vampire sister and the pitcher during this game, trained with a professional to get an elegant, authentic looking pitch down for the film.

When James, Laurent, and Victoria show up to the party, their entrance was made on a conveyor belt, like those you might see in airports, to get the speed of their natural walk down, as well as give them the effect of gliding.

The Ballet Studio Showdown

This particular scene was ambitious. Edward gets thrown into a brick wall, James gets slammed into the hardwood floor, and Bella gets her leg broken.

In the case of the brick wall and the hardwood floor, both of those were high stakes shoots. They really could only do them once if they wanted to stay on budget. It was a close call, too, if I remember correctly; I believe a stunt person was seriously hurt during the brick wall slam. But hey, that shot made the film, so I guess it all worked out.

I wish I could know what the Twilight films would look like if they were being made now, 10 years later. We’ve come so far in such a short period of time.

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Vampires On Screen

Upon its release, it was popular to criticize author Stephanie Meyer’s choice to create vampires that “sparkle” in the sunlight and were unbelievably attractive. Another post in the future is going to break down the characteristics Meyer gave her vampires and try to find precedent for those traits in previous adaptations. For now, let’s take a peek at a very brief, very abridged, history of vampires in film and how Twilight fits in to the narrative.

Although depictions resembling vampires appeared in earlier films, it’s generally agreed upon that F.W. Murnau’s Nosferatu (1922) was the first feature-length film about a vampire. This movie was an unauthorized cinematic interpretation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, so, to avoid any complaints, “Count Dracula” was changed to “Count Orlok.”

Vampires in Count Orlok’s day were ghastly looking. His look is iconic: ghostly pale skin, exaggerated features, pointed ears, pointy teeth, huge eyes, and a tall, hulking body. He looked awful, but hey, that was the popular interpretation of vampires at the time.

And yet, even though our villain looked absolutely sickening, there is a sexual energy to Count Orlok’s interactions with our characters. Sexuality in Nosferatu has been discussed and debated at length, and since it isn’t the topic of this blog, you can read more about it in this long pdf or this other long article if you have the time.

My point here is, we think of vampires as seductive characters. They draw you in in some fashion in order to make you their next victim. Because of this, I think the progression of vampires in film from Nosferatu to Twilight has been somewhat natural.

After Nosferatu’s release in 1922, several other Dracula movies were produced such as Universal Studios’ Dracula (1931) and House of Dracula (1945) both featuring a slightly more suave, typical Dracula-type vampire. Think slicked back hair, widow’s peak, cape, etc.

Dracula (1931)

It wasn’t until the 60’s when ABC aired Dark Shadows that we got a self-aware vampire with a conscience. Later, The Lost Boys (1987) would introduce to us the idea of young, cool vampires, and finally, Interview With a Vampire (1994) starring Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise gave us sexy vampires.

Interview with a Vampire (1994)

Twilight’s take on vampires, though noticeably different from its predecessors in film, isn’t all that far-fetched when looking backwards. Vampires have always been portrayed as seductive predators, and I think the sexualization of American culture has had an effect on the level of sexy filmmakers have imbued in their vampiric depictions. Maybe Stephanie Meyer didn’t revolutionize the vampire; maybe she just put her own spin on them.

For more on vampire films:

Wikipedia’s list of vampire films

Vampire films through the decades

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Mise-En-Scene: Forks, Washington

Stephanie Meyer really knew what she was doing when she chose to set her vampire story in Forks, Washington. It is claimed to be the rainiest town in the continental United States. It even rained during my day spent in Forks sometime back in the 00’s.

Some shots of Forks.

I remember nearly everything in the small town of Forks having some sort of Twilight branding on or around it. If it wasn’t a Twilight merchandise shop, it was next to one. Even the grocery stores were full of Twilight t-shirts and cups and pens and hats. It was sort of like how Walmarts in college towns always have college wear, except it was Twilight and it was excessive.

The gift shop I remember most.

It’s interesting to me how this small town in northern Washington was so quick to embrace Twilight and make it an essential part to its tourism. Even now, the official website for Forks has its own “Twilight” tab. Forks, Washington loves Twilight so much, they hold an annual event called “Forever Twilight in Forks” on the weekend closest to Bella’s birthday (September 13th).

Bella’s truck parked outside the visitor center.

Despite Forks’ natural supernatural vibe, somebody somewhere in the production of Twilight decided there needed to be more. Most of the movie has this blue filter applied to it, which reminds me a lot of the film color’s techniques used in Nosferatu (1922).

Shots from the film, examples of that blue tint.

Examples of tinting in ‘Nosferatu’ (1922).

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Preface

I want my first post to be a preface to all of the research and digging I’m about to do into Twilight both as a film and as a cultural landmark. I want to get all of my initial thoughts out first, so I can look back on them when all of the research has been said and done.

I have been wanting to look into Twilight more in depth for a while. Before watching it with my roommate some time last year, it had been a good couple of years or so since I had seen any of the films in the series. Movies are often products of their time, and watching a movie, even a period piece, can often be like looking into a time capsule. Viewing Twilight again brought back a rush of memories. I can’t think of a single movie that made people take such a firm stance on it.

My family was a Twilight family. The women in my family, including myself, greatly enjoyed watching the movies and reading the books. I have even been to Forks, Washington, the very real small town the events of Twilight take place in. I was in the fourth grade when the first movie hit theater, and as time has passed, I find myself floating in a neutral area.

Besides the obsessive love or the obsessive hate people felt towards the series, Twilight was a cultural landmark, ushering in an era of paranormal teen romance and later, the era of love-sick dystopian teen novels. Of course, Twilight didn’t invent the vampire; it just made them attractive.

I want to look into every inch of this film and, if I have time, the rest of the series. What messages was it sending when it was released in 2008? What messages is it sending now, as we approach its 10 year anniversary? What about the actual craft of the film? I would wager that most people’s opinions on Twilight are plot-based, not craft-based.

TL;DR: I’m researching Twilight to see if my new opinions about movies and the world is going to influence a present-day viewing of the movie.

I’m excited to take a trip back to 2008 and just dive right back into Twilight. I’m ready to pick a side again. Will I love it? Will I hate it? Who knows!