- Rant: Twilight’s Hidden Morality Plays
"Along the way, Edward increasingly takes away Bella’s agency: he stalks her, watches her sleep at night, drives her everywhere, isolates her from family, limits her movements, and carries her off at the drop of a hat. While critics have mostly ignored the underlying misogyny, many web comments and reader reviews have mentioned that Edward’s behavior evokes that of an abusive partner. Were he not a vampire, he would be in prison."
Roooh j’adore le ton de cet article 🙂 C’est exactement ce que je pense d’Edward !
"Her ear for dialogue and capacity for action is stronger than her description, and the books will likely be that rare creature — better in film than on paper."
Je pense aussi.
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Hi Heidi,
I came here to leave a comment on Twilight — and Eureka! the book/movie is on your mind too!
Occasionally, I read the blog of a socially conservative Colorado Republican. This past weekend he posted about Twilight.
To quote:
« Nikke Fenke [ain’t that a great name, Heidi? she writes for DEADlinehollywood !!] recognizes something many of us have been trying to say for some time. Your movie doesn’t need famous stars, nor does it need gratuitous sex and violence to be successful.
I took my 15-year-old daughter to the midnight showing on Thursday night (actually 12:01am Friday). She just had to see the first showing. …
The critics didn’t particularly like it, but that’s no surprise. I thought the effects were good and the character development was better than average. I especially liked the baseball scene. A good family movie overall. »
Now, what jumped out at me was the phrasing, « I took my 15 year old daughter » —
I also have a daughter [btw I find it necessary to remind Christians in the USA that atheists somehow find mates, reproduce, and lovingly rear their young] — and she also likes the cinema —
but I think I would’ve written,
« I went with my 15 year old daughter »
(I don’t really consider a teen age girl as somebody who is taken around like a toddler in a stroller.)
I don’t want to make a big deal about a blogger’s casual use of language (after all, somebody did have to take her by car to the mall); however, I thought it was illustrative of a conservative mentality which is ultra-concerned about protecting their children and distrusts artistic freedom + experimentation
Anyway, I think my remarks will strike a chord with you, given your post about « loss of agency » for Bella in her rel. –> Edward
@Ira
So I took myself to see it… well kinda…
Truth : I’m not even sure it’s better on screen than on paper. I didn’t dislike it completely because I don’t feel like I lost 2 hours of my life but I still don’t get it. I suppose that’s simply because I don’t relate to any of the characters, female or male (except Jacob, that would explain why I so loved the second book. Taylor Lautner: nice pick btw!).
I’m not into that kind of hardcore romance either. So I’m left with the action part and that was great… short but great. Baddies are way more interesting than the Cullens but don’t they always are? :O)
The overall editing is…well…a bit too « MTVesque » to my taste with images flashing and bizarre camera angles and at some point I was just tired of all the close-ups on Bella eyes then Edward eyes then again Bella eyes…any tension growing? No, that was just flat. On the other hand, director Catherine Hardwicke (or most likely scenarist Melissa Rosenberg) made some good moves like shortening the part where they get to know each other, asking 1001 questions and spending nights together (always creeps me out how he stalks her in her room from the very beginning).
Kristen Stewart is a nice choice, I love her voice (since we share a common interest in voices 🙂 ) and the way she plays Bella but Robert Pattinson… excuse me but eewww! Twilight Moms! You can have him!
What else… Carter Burwell did a really good job with the soundtrack. I really need to get my hands on the CD (the real score, not the mix-tape). I think that all. That’s a two and a half papattes for me (meaning 5/10)