Twilight: Movie Review

Parents need to be cautious in regards to Twilight, a new movie based on Stephenie Meyer’s best-selling series. It’s a love story between two unlikely characters – a clumsy girl and a beautiful boy, who happens to be a vampire.

The Movie in a Minute

Looking for a fresh start, Bella Swan decides to move to the small town of Forks, Washington, where her father is the local police chief. At her new high school, she meets the mysterious Edward Cullen. Bella falls in love before she realizes the truth about him. As the two grow closer, Edward must resist the pull of her scent – or he could kill her. And when a group of nomadic vampires arrive in town he has to fight to save Bella, all the while wrestling with his thirst for human blood.

The Making of Twilight

Twilight author Stephenie Meyer’s talent in creating fascinating characters entangled in a web of conflict and romance is undeniable. She started writing the fantasy novel after having a dream when she saw a young girl and vampire fall in love. The scriptwriter for Twilight, Melissa Rosenberg, succeeds in bringing this story to life on the silver screen. The script flowed well and retained perfectly-placed comedic relief.

Fan-favorite quote: “And so the lion fell in love with the lamb.” The story’s poetic tone is encompassed in this one line. Edward’s family is a coven of non-threatening vampires; meaning they feast on animal blood instead of human. He compares it to being a vegetarian. The thirst for human blood is always present, but they resist the temptation in order to avoid killing humans.

In the movie, Bella doesn’t fear Edward, even though she knows he could kill her instantly. She trusts that he will continually resist the pull of her scent. Bella’s soul compels her to love to the point that she’s willing to become a vampire if that’s the only way to be with Edward forever.

Meyer wrote a strong sexual theme in the story to illustrate the reality of lust amongst teenagers. However, she refused to include a pre-martial sex scene when her editor suggested it because of her religious beliefs (Meyer is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). Bella and Edward’s love is filled with sustained sexual tension, but they refuse to give in to their lustful feelings.

According to the movie’s official website, producer Greg Mooradian says, “Vampirism in the story is a metaphor for teenage lust, for that feeling of ‘I want you, but I can’t have you.’ I thought that was such a wonderful metaphor to express teenage longing.”

Breathing Life into Twilight

Twilight fans and newcomers alike will be able to engross themselves in the story, as the acting doesn’t come across as canned or rehearsed. British actor Robert Pattinson, who plays teenage vampire Edward Cullen, solidifies his talent and sure-to-come Hollywood success in this role. His ability to convey the depth of emotion and development of this character is quite notable. Cast mate Kristen Stewart also gives a strong performance, playing Bella Swan. The film falls flat on a few of the secondary characters though. The nomadic actors are sub-par compared with the rest of the cast. Maybe it was just their ridiculous costumes.

The quality visual effects, script, and cinematography make this movie. Filmed on location, director Catherine Hardwicke captures the well-known beauty of Oregon and Washington State. Her industry experience (The Nativity Story and Thirteen) is shown in this new film through the edgy filming and direction of the project.

A word of caution: Bella is hunted during the movie by vampires who thirst for her blood. One climatic scene shows a character getting dismembered and burned in the background.

The Final Verdict

Although Meyer uses strong messages of sacrificial love and resisting the temptation to satisfy lust in Twilight, the presence of occultism in the story is too much to overlook. Vampires are not directly mentioned in the Bible. God’s Word does refer to the significance of blood, but as it is sacred to God. The perverted thought of drinking blood to gain supernatural power is satanic. In the case of Twilight, the evil outweighs the good in this movie.