by Joshua Skye:
The single greatest aspect of “The Twilight Saga” is its defiance of convention. From the books to the big screen the narrative has beautifully, courageously rebelled against the pop culture stereotypes and absurdist clichés that have turned one of horror’s more prolific sub-genres into unintentional satire. There are literally thousands of vampire stories out there and sadly very few of them offer anything new to the legend. And worse, even fewer bother to transcend the basic formulaic concepts.
From the weekend projects of fanboys with video cameras to major Hollywood releases, we’ve been inundated with oceans of derivative garbage, often bloodier than necessary and more like soft-core pornography than legitimate film. Indeed, it is sad that such unbelievably puerile films like the “Blade” series and “Daybreakers” are considered good or even respectable horror movies when the blatant inconsistencies in their own respective mythologies should render them fodder for the proverbial waste bin. Sadder still that there are certain unjustly revered television shows praised as “great genre pieces” when they are little more than high concept slapstick.
In a genre dominated by caustic displays of an overt and perverse idea of masculinity where women are often nothing more than mindless sex objects and targets for gruesome slaughter, certainly in the vampire sub-genre where such ideas are actually substitutes for plot and characterization, it is refreshing to see the emotion, passion, complex characters, and fully realized plot of “The Twilight Saga.” It is patently unconventional. In fact, “The Twilight Saga” is the most radically original vampire story since Anne Rice’s” Interview with the Vampire.” And it’s about damn time! If stupidity, bimbos, blood, guts and gore are all that you care about, please go rent the latest Direct-to-DVD soft-core schlock fest, “Twilight” is not for you. It defies the myopic notions of what constitutes a horror film. The fact is that “The Twilight Saga” is a perfect example of gothic fiction, a romance that incorporates traditional elements of horror. And it is beautifully done.
Like the Harry Potter films before it, the “Twilight” films have progressively improved with each installment making “Breaking Dawn: Part 1” the best of the series thus far. With the accomplished Bill Condon behind the camera there’s little wonder why. He’s a veteran of horror (having directed the masterful “Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh” and the underappreciated “Sister, Sister”) and evocative drama as well (“Gods and Monsters”). He was a perfect choice. The actors seem to agree, their praise of the director has been splashed all over the place. Like that praise, the story of “Twilight” is only too well known so I won’t regurgitate it here.
Suffice it to say that everyone in front of the camera is in top form. Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson are at the pinnacle of their game and carry the film masterly on their shoulders. Never once do they falter, they are flawless. Stewart specifically sinks into Bella’s emotional arc, submerging into her inevitable and profoundly altruistic values. Aside from Edward’s selflessly devoted nature, she emerges as the virtuous foundation of the series. She is the epitome of the selfless mother willing to sacrifice everything for the sake of her child. All the supporting players are pitch perfect as well, no one more so than Billy Burke as Bella’s father, he is a potent actor with the marvelous
ability to turn nuance into a scene stealing art form. There are moments with Charlie Swan that will break your heart. I’ve never cared for the character of Jacob (books or films) and though Taylor Lautner is physically perfect for the role, he offers little more to it than he has in the past films. It is here, however, that we finally see something other than the jealous, self-righteous dogmatist of the first three movies. It’s nice but too little too late for me, I’m afraid.
To be fair, Lautner might not be the one to blame for such a cathartically barren character (there honestly was more to him in the books). Where “Breaking Dawn: Part 1” stumbles is the writing. Unlike the previous movies the writing here seemed rushed and the victim of unneeded outside influence. Studios and producers are notorious for putting their two-cents in where it isn’t required. Jessica’s wedding toast, for example, was ridiculously unnecessary. It wasn’t the only superfluous moment but thankfully they were few and far between. Edward’s plea for help from the superstitious maid could have been handled far more convincingly and though it was fascinating to experience the telepathic communications between the wolves, for the most part it was clumsy and felt cartoonish.
The finale, however, was brilliantly done. From the directing to the acting, the pregnancy and inevitable birth scenes were reminiscent of the bloodcurdling revulsions of classic Hammer films. Entire films depicting horrific pregnancies have never come close to what was accomplished here. The consumption of blood to sate a ravenous fetus has never been so grotesquely unnerving.
Overall, “Breaking Dawn: Part 1” is a modern classic. This is my kind of horror film, mature, emotional, and character driven. It doesn’t rely on the cheap gimmicks the genre has unfortunately become synonymous with (gratuitous nudity, pornographic sex, extreme violence, pointless gore, and infantile comedy) because it doesn’t need to! For the fans no praise or commendation is needed, to the narrow-minded haters it won’t matter, but to those open to the experience I highly recommend it. “The Twilight Saga” is a pioneering influence that will be loved, admired, mocked, ridiculed, endlessly imitated but like any ground-breaking work it will never be equaled. “Breaking Dawn: Part 1” is the best “Twilight” film thus far and I eagerly await the series finale.
DarkMedia contributor Joshua Skye’s short stories have appeared in anthologies from STARbooks Press, Knightwatch Press, Sirens Call Publications, Rainstorm Press, JMS Books and periodicals such as Blood and Lullabies. He is the author of “The Singing Wind,” “Bareback: A Werewolf’s Tale,” “Midnight Rainbows,” the forthcoming “The Grigori,” and “The Angels of Autumn.” You can find him on his website.
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