As a cinephile who’s seen more movies than I can count and has a soft spot for romantic dramas, I must admit that the Twilight saga, with Eclipse being no exception, holds a peculiar charm that resonates with me in an unexpected way. The series, despite its rigid adherence to traditional romance norms, manages to weave a tale that transcends age and gender, drawing in audiences from all walks of life.
Every Tuesday in August 2024, you’ll find a weekly review column titled “Twilight Tuesdays” by Lisa Laman. In this series, she’ll be diving into and dissecting the three Twilight movies she’s yet to watch: Eclipse and both parts of Breaking Dawn. We kick off with The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, which originally hit screens in summer 2010…
2010 summer was a letdown for me, a gamer, when it comes to movies. While others reminisce fondly about the films they watched at 14, I can only look back at that season’s releases as disappointing. Granted, there were some good ones like Toy Story 3, Inception, and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. I also have a soft spot for Joe Carnahan’s over-the-top action flick, The A-Team. But these were overshadowed by a string of subpar movies. Films like Iron Man 2, Shrek Forever After, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, The Expendables, The Last Airbender, Grown Ups, and Jonah Hex just didn’t hit the mark for me.
As a lifelong movie enthusiast who has seen their fair share of blockbusters and indie films alike, I must say that my initial skepticism towards the Twilight movies was well-justified – or so I thought. Reflecting on my experience watching The Twilight Saga: Eclipse during the summer of 2010, I now find myself amused by the hyperbolic hatred that surrounded these films at the time.
In the peaceful town of Forks, Washington, human Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) and vampire Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) are deeply in love but face a challenging dilemma: Bella desires to become a vampire, while Edward is against her transformation into an immortal being. As for the romantic complications, Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner), werewolf and long-time admirer of Swan, finds himself caught in the middle of the conflict. Meanwhile, in Seattle, the malicious Victoria (Bryce Dallas Howard) is creating an army of newly turned vampires to seek revenge on Edward and Bella. With danger looming and the Cullen family’s powers proving insufficient for protection, these vampires must reluctantly team up with their age-old enemies, the werewolves. This alliance presents a complex situation as Jacob strives to win Swan’s affection.
Over the past 15 years, we’ve been treated to more performances by Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart, both beyond their roles in Twilight films like Eclipse. Their later work makes it even clearer that they are living up to their responsibilities perfectly here. They are delivering exactly what is required of them in a mainstream production – the roles they are playing.
Kristen Stewart consistently demonstrates a knack for keeping audiences guessing, showcasing versatility hidden beneath a subtle exterior. Whether it’s the tense dialogue in “Crimes of the Future”, the tormented portrayal in “Spencer”, or the dark comedy in “Love Lies Bleeding”, Stewart skillfully uses a restrained demeanor to draw viewers in, only to astonish them with talents they didn’t know she possessed. While her performance in “Eclipse” may not display a wide range, director David Slade doesn’t require extensive variation. This leading actress delivers and adapts seamlessly to the unique styles of Kelly Reichardt, David Cronenberg, or Olivier Assayas. Similarly, she immerses herself in melodramatic teenage anguish in this role. Stewart’s talent for precise line delivery is also evident in her heartfelt voice-over narration, adding nuances of understated yearning to her performance.
In a different way of saying it: Pattinson has gained notoriety for his distinctive acting flairs, such as the bleached-blonde hair in “Good Time”, the intense delivery of “DELUSIONS!” in “The Devil All The Time”, and memorable scenes from “The Lighthouse”. He convincingly portrays Edward’s longing glances and lines that switch between cold and affectionate. Neither Stewart nor Pattinson are giving performances akin to their best work as actors in “Eclipse”. However, they are faithfully executing their roles without going through the motions. There’s no hint of irony in their portrayal of this romance, showing the dedication they would bring to their subsequent unconventional indie roles.
One of the most notable aspects of ‘Eclipse’ is how Stewart and Pattinson display their greater talents, which is truly captivating. However, it’s also unfortunate that Slade and cinematographer Javier Aguirresarobe struggled with filming intimate dialogue scenes. In the early part of ‘Eclipse’, there’s a scene in the school cafeteria where Edward, Bella, and their friends are conversing. This scene feels strangely confined due to the camera often focusing on only two characters at a time instead of pulling back to show more of the scene. To make matters worse, vampires Jasper (Jackson Rathbone) and Alice (Ashley Greene) suddenly appear at the table out of nowhere, which can be quite disorienting. Because there are no wider shots to help establish the layout of the table, simple actions like character entrances become very distracting.
Later on, Rosalie Hale (Nikki Reed) reveals to me how she transformed into a vampire. It’s a heartbreaking story about her past, where she was violated by a group of men centuries ago. Melissa Rosenberg’s screenplay creates a powerful image to conclude this part, with Rosalie, her lips stained with blood, dramatically bursting into the hotel room of her last attacker, wearing a torn wedding dress. Unfortunately, this scene is bogged down by the “tell, don’t show” issue that often affects Eclipse. Hale’s narration feels more like hitting us over the head with the obvious. If they had let a vampire version of “Goodbye Earl” unfold without any voice-over, it would have been brilliant.
As a devoted fan, I can’t help but notice that, much like its preference for close-ups, Eclipse tends to overly simplify scenes, making it feel more like a meal served than an experience savored. In this regard, Director David Slade, with his background in horror movies (having directed the vampire film 30 Days of Night before Eclipse), is both a boon and a bane to the storyline. He skillfully adds an ominous atmosphere and a tangible sense of danger to scenes depicting Victoria’s newborn army grappling with their powers in a Seattle warehouse, using moody lighting effectively. However, when he lets his flair for dramatic expression run wild, Eclipse becomes quite the spectacle, offering some delightfully exaggerated images. For instance, Rosalie in her wedding dress and the appearance of several evil vampires rising from a lake are absolutely hilarious and thrilling!
As someone who dreams of one day becoming a seasoned director for the provocative and passion-filled TV series “Hannibal”, I can’t help but feel that Slade’s approach to intimate romantic scenes leaves much to be desired. Despite the playful dialogue exchanges, such as Jacob teasing Edward with “let’s face it, I’m hotter than you”, Slade’s cinematography remains rather straightforward. Even in a singularly intriguing situation like trapping our leading trio inside a tent at night, there seems to be a lack of creative flair in the staging. The same medium shots and tight framing persist throughout this interaction, just as they do throughout the entire film.
Is it possible that Eclipse is attempting to portray a respectful demeanor towards the books by using more intricate camera techniques, which might have been perceived as too intense or off-putting by some Twilight fans? It’s also plausible that Slade, with his background in graphic horror rather than romantic dramas, is influencing this style. However, it could simply be that Eclipse is conforming to the cinematography trends of late 2000s/early 2010s blockbuster movies. These films often muted colors, employed shaky camerawork, tight framing, and a gritty realism aesthetic. Even magical werewolves and vampires couldn’t escape this cinematic style. Regardless of the cause, the lackluster framing of Bella, Edward, and Jacob’s love triangle left me feeling disappointed.
In simpler terms, the educational script and the focus on Lautner’s weak performance may limit how high “Eclipse” can reach in terms of quality. However, as a 28-year-old, I can understand why this film was popular with its intended audience when it first came out. The “Twilight” movies were essentially made for teenage girls, serving as a form of wish fulfillment. Unlike the Michael Bay Transformers movies, which cater to teenage boys, the Twilight series is less forceful in pursuing this goal.
The initial scene showcases Bella and Edward, nestled among blossoms, demonstrating their affection for one another, which accentuates the dream-like aspect of the story. For adolescents struggling with self-doubt and questions about their worthiness during puberty, this film offers a reassuring message: an ordinary girl can find love with someone extraordinary. In Eclipse, the romance between Bella and Edward is not newfound but deeply ingrained in their daily lives. They seem so at ease with each other that they lounge among the flowers, tenderly running their fingers through one another’s hair. Even as a lesbian, I can appreciate the allure of this wish-fulfillment fantasy.
That opening sequence also got me thinking about Twilight as a last big gasp for massive romantic American movies. Once the Twilight saga wrapped up, horniness and romance in motion pictures largely dried up. That troubling trend has only recently begun getting reversed (and even then it’s mostly been confined to the indie space). A combination of factors led to that dilution of sex in American cinema. However, I do wonder if part of it was the (completely justifiable and understandable) grievances about perceived “creepiness” in the Edward/Bella dynamic. Worried about mimicking those missteps, Hollywood studios opted to not engage in similar material again.
Over the past decade, major studios such as Warner Bros. and Disney have adopted a strategy similar to how they’ve handled gay representation. They understand that blatant use of gay slurs or phrases like “that’s so gay” is no longer acceptable. Yet, they are cautious not to alienate audiences who might be homophobic. Instead of evolving the stereotypical queer characters or introducing new ones, these studios have largely omitted such characters from mainstream films. This trend seems to mirror the way Hollywood has approached romantic scenes and explicit sexual content in recent years. Rather than addressing concerns about problematic relationships like Edward/Bella, they’ve opted to avoid such depictions entirely, fearing backlash from audiences who dislike explicit content or strong female characters. It seems we must always cater to these audiences.
Eclipse, much like its companion series Twilight, serves as a grand finale for cinematic epics centered around characters lost in deep, lingering glances. However, this film franchise also symbolizes the narrow view of romance that is prevalent in American cinema. Despite featuring supernatural elements such as werewolves and vampires, Twilight portrays sex exclusively within the bounds of marriage. This upholds traditional heterosexual norms about marriage being the pinnacle of life. Longing in romantic movies was once more widespread, but it had a distinct flavor to it. Characters who deviated from this norm, particularly more sexually active women, faced consequences.
It’s not just the Eclipse and Twilight series that follow traditional romantic movie tropes; many others do as well. However, due to its significant presence among romance-focused blockbuster franchises over the past two decades, it serves as a particularly insightful example for examining these conventions.
In the closing scenes of Eclipse, it becomes apparent that the first part of Breaking Dawn will be a wedding-themed movie. So, let’s get the Muppets here, because somebody’s tying the knot! As Edward and Bella exchange their humorous banter about Edward informing Bella’s father about their upcoming nuptials, I found myself reflecting on what I enjoyed about Eclipse. The fight scenes involving werewolves and vampires were more intense than anticipated. It seems these vampires shatter like fragile statues or a laptop belonging to Eric Andre when they lose limbs! It’s impressive how dedicated the actors are to this storyline. Whenever Eclipse gets a bit eerie, for instance, during the gruesome wedding dress scene, it takes on an unexpectedly entertaining campy vibe.
The ordinary visuals and dull storyline didn’t turn me into a fan of Twilight, especially since the music wasn’t as dramatic and over-the-top as I expected. I was hoping for more songs that were as memorable as the “Wake Me Up Inside” scene in Daredevil, but instead, we got tunes from Florence + the Machine, The Black Keys, Muse, etc., which weren’t prominent enough. I wanted the music to be more noticeable and in-your-face, not just background noise. Despite this missed opportunity with the soundtrack, the melodrama and romantic elements helped me understand why people would have liked it back in 2010. At least Eclipse was true to its promise. Compared to other summer 2010 movies like Grown Ups and The Last Airbender, Eclipse is definitely better.
Before concluding our discussion for this week’s edition of Twilight Tuesdays, let me share a thought: While I’m aware that the Twilight series concludes beyond the iconic scene from Breaking Dawn – Part Two, it seems plausible that Edward and Jacob might develop a romantic relationship. Their enemies-to-lovers arc has been quite noticeable, particularly in Eclipse where they frequently touch each other under the guise of anger. It’s reasonable to expect some romantic moments between them in the remaining films, perhaps even showcasing Jacob clutching onto Edward like a spider monkey. This would leave Bella and Jessica (Anna Kendrick) free to explore their own relationship before they open a muffin shop in Seattle together. If this interpretation is incorrect, well, who knows? Film technology has advanced significantly since Return of the Jedi; perhaps it could green-screen Edward and Jacob into more intimate scenes for Breaking Dawn!
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2024-08-06 17:15