The weather Nov. 4 was gray, gloomy and groggy. It was the perfect weather to watch “Twilight.” Or so I’m told.
I’ve never actually seen “Twilight.” Stephanie Meyers released the novel in 2005, and the movie came three years later. I was eight at the premiere for the first movie and 12 when the final movie of the series “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2” debuted. I was in the target demographic but unfortunately suffering from “not like other girls” syndrome. After constant recommendations from friends, I’ve been worn down and I decided to finally watch the saga’s first movie “Twilight.”
Right away, I was shocked to find out Bella Swan, the protagonist, is originally from Arizona. As one of the characters in Forks, Washington, even mentions, Bella is a bit pale for the sunny desert. Her wardrobe also includes lots of layering which is interesting for someone used to dry heat.
After moving in with her father, Bella begins revisiting the places and people of her childhood. One of those people is Jacob Black, a childhood friend. I was shocked to discover Jacob was part of the Indigenous Quileute tribe. My friend theorized this suggests the close bond of Indigenous tribes is similar to that of a wolf pack.
Throughout the entire film, I noticed a grayscale and a blue color filter. The coloring of this film could have been produced with a VSCO filter.
Along with the color, the constant zooms and camera movement are overwhelming at times. I so badly want to see the storyboard for this film. I cannot tell if the constant camera movement is to distract from the mediocre, late 2000s CGI work or intentional for other reasons.
I loved the sound throughout this film, not just the soundtrack but also Bella’s narration. The voiceover really ties the novel into the movie well. I found myself wishing we hear Bella connecting the dots that Edward is a vampire. The soundtrack really shines as “Supermassive Black Hole” by Muse plays, thunder claps and cracks of ball on bat pound through my 32-inch Roku speakers. With all the memes surrounding the baseball scene of this movie, I really did not see it coming as the pivotal scene to launch the climax of the movie. And all because a little gust of wind.
“Twilight” is the true embodiment of escapism. It’s not meant to be the next great American novel or a top movie of all time, and that’s fine. Anything typically enjoyed by teenage girls is automatically subject to criticism. Just look at the concept of “basic:” reality TV, boybands, makeup, a certain type of clothing. Not all media is meant to be dissected and analyzed to create everlasting meaning that will influence literature and film for ages. And not all media is for everyone. There are times when I don’t want to think about the media I’m watching, and “Twilight” may be the perfect option for this.
This story was written by Randi Haseman. She can be reached at [email protected].
