Eclipse - released 09/07/2010
Those of you who know me will not be in the least bit surprised to see a review of Eclispe, the latest film adaptation from the Twilight Saga of books, residing in my blog. You will also not be surprised to find that I saw this film within 24 hours of it going on general release (I would have been at the previews had it not been for a sister’s 18th getting in the way… damn her!). And my general consensus is that this film was well worth being surrounded by 14 year old girls, sexually confused teenage boys, frumpy middle-aged women and the ever-loyal unwilling looking boyfriends who’d been dragged along. I simply adore this film.
Even my boyfriend, who was coerced into accompanying me (and who even paid for himself) with only the slightest resistance, enjoyed it, despite all his grumbles that its “a stupid girly film”. He laughed at the funny bits and this is conducive with enjoyment in my eyes. But he did have some interesting critical points. Of course, these were all quickly dismissed with the swift comment “you haven’t read the books; you don’t know that this is exactly how it’s supposed to be…”, but I thought I would take the time now to draw on some of those comparisons to explain more thoroughly exactly WHY the Twilight Saga are such well-made films.
The first point made was regarding the casting: It’s bad. Or not, depending on whether or not you’ve read the books. It was mentioned to me that neither Kristen Stewart who plays Bella, or Rob Pattinson who plays Edward, are terribly attractive. I explained that this was sort of the entire point, in Bella’s case, anyway. Bella is, as you will know if you’ve read the books, an outsider, somewhat plain; nothing special to look at, and she knows it. She never understands why Edward would want her and specifically her, when he is SO good-looking and attractive overall. Which leads me to beg to differ to the opinion that Rob Pattinson is not attractive. He is, but in a very unobvious way. I’ve been thinking about this for some time (in a purely critical way, of course) and still cannot pin on what it is about him that makes him so appealing, and it is this same quality that is carried through in Edward’s characterisation. Bella feels irresistably drawn to Edward and she doesn’t quite know why. Obviously, in contrast to Taylor Lautner’s Jacob, Edward is hideous and, aesthetically, Bella’s choice is clear. But love isn’t all about looks, is it?
The second point made was regarding the quality of the acting: Again, it’s bad. Or not, if you’ve read the books. In the books, the relationships between the characters are awkward. The friendships forged between the characters are tenuous and fragile. Bella and Edward’s physical intimacy is uncomfortable and cringe-worthy. And, when you think about it, this is exactly how life is when you’re 17, finding your feet and falling in love for the first time. I won’t deny, some of the acting is a bit dubious, especially in the more “minor” characters like Mike, Jessica, Eric and Angela - they do seem superficial and false and like they’re lifted straight out of a script rather than rounded, developed, “real people”, but by and large, the quality of the acting reflects exactly how the book portrays the characters. There are some particular moments throughout the saga that have stuck with me - Bella and Edward’s first kiss in Twilight, which was painfully uncomfortable to watch, just as one always feels a little bit awkward when kissing someone new for the first time - Bella’s “double date” with Mike and Jacob in New Moon, which could not have been more hilariously awkward if the actors had tried and was exactly how it can be in reality at times, and the awkward, “trying to be nice to each other for her sake” conversation that Edward and Jacob have in Eclipse while Bella sleeps between them. Of course these relationships are awkward. The fact that the actors can make them so is nothing but credit to them, if you ask me.
Even though all I’ve done thus far is praise the book to film translation, I have actually been able to retain a sense of separation between the books and films of the Twilight Saga and can still view them as separate entities. I have also been able to do this with Harry Potter, but not with Atonement or My Sister’s Keeper (they kill off the wrong person at the end, for Christ’s sake!), so apparently this is a rather hit and miss skill to be in possession of, but valuable for enjoyment’s sake nonetheless.
The final thing this film did for me was to confirm my allegiances. After Twilight, I thought I was a through and through supporter of “Team Edward”, after all, there is something sexy about the notion of vampires, but after New Moon and Taylor Lautner’s fabulous portrayal of Jacob Black,my faith was in doubt and I reassessed my allegiance between “Team Edward” and “Team Jacob” as and when it suited. Eclipse has confirmed my allegiance undeniably and inalterably.
But it isn’t about me. Whose team are you on?
