Twilight, a movie review

The book series Twilight by Stephanie Meyers has become a sensation for the majority of the teen girls in our church. I haven't heard much of anything good about these books about vampires, but it all seemed to be based upon speculation.

I asked my father's permission to read the books to review them in hopes that I could engage the young ladies in church in conversation about the danger of certain things we take into our bosom to entertain ourselves.

I borrowed the movie from the library this week.

The plot

For those unfamiliar with the film, The story is of Bella Swan who moves to the small town of Forks Washington to live with her dad, the rainiest cloudiest place in the entire United States. What she anticipates as a terrible move turns out to not be so bad and in fact wonderful from the first time she sets eyes on Edward Cullen. The problem is that Edward from the beginning seems to hate her.

Bella soon finds out that this is due to the fact that Edward is a Vampire, and although he is attracted to her, his attraction manifest itself in an intense desire to eat her.

The two fall into an emotional infatuation, (I wouldn't call it love especially on Bella side). A tracker vampire makes Bella the object of his pursuit that Edward and adopted family of Vampires band to save her.

In the climax of the film Bella is bit by this vampire and Edward must make a choice between allowing the poison to turn Bella into a vampire or sucking it back out. Although he wants to stop the poisons course he is afraid that if he starts to suck the poison out of her blood he won't be able to stop. He makes the choice to stop the poison and resist the temptation to kill Bella and instead saves her life.

The Bad stuff

First off let me say that Bella is an idiot and no one for young ladies to admire or fashion themselves after. From the moment she sets eyes on Edward she thinks she is captivated and obsessed by him, even though she doesn't know him at all, and then even when he snub her in absolute rudeness. She does not take every thought captive as the Lord commands us, she does not guard her heart but instead follows after it blindly, which the Lord warns us is wicked and deceitful above all else.

When she finds out that Edward is a vampire, it doesn't change the way she feels about him.

Edward confesses that everything about him is designed to kill, but Bella says she doesn't care. He confesses that he has killed people before, and once again Bella says it doesn't matter.

"I wanted to kill you, I've never wanted a humans blood so much in my life." Edward says.

"I trust you." Bella says.

WHAT!!?? I would be running for the nearest gun, and she says she trusts him. This trust seems to be based on the beauty of his face, the sweetness of his voice, and raging hormonal surge that he is sending coursing through her body. Like I said, she is an idiot.

The entire feel of the movie is sensual to me from the music to frequent an long scenes where Edward and Bella are basking in each others presence silently with music in the background that encourages the sensuality. From the beginning the looks that Bella gives Edward suggest she is desperate to rip her clothes off and crawl in bed with him.

There is a scene where Edward and Bella are kissing and groping in bed, but Edward puts a stop to it, not because he has a sense of abstinence, but because it increases his desire to eat her.

And of course the movie has to end with the Hollywood kiss.

Bella's father encourages her juvenile behavior with her friends. Bella deceives her father and hurts him, when she should be confiding in him and going to him for protection.

Edward want to formally introduce himself to Bella's father, and informs him that he is taking her out, there is no permission asked.

Edward casually jokes that he is going to hell.

The Good stuff

Now I must confess that I understand why girls love this film and the book. Edward despite the fact that he want to suck Bella's blood is a gentleman. He opens doors for her, helps her with her jacket, saves her life and ultimately gives up what he really wants (which is to eat her) and faces his greatest fear and selflessly saves her life. This climatic scene is what I am sure every sat waiting for in the theaters, and why because this is what we want in a man. Girls are tired of the superficial, selfish, and weak men that our culture has encouraged and eagerly assisted in making. Here we are presented with a real man, and it stirs a desire inside a girls heart if she is not careful to guard it.

Not only are we presented with a an example of this gentleman, (sort of) in Edward, but in Edward's adopted father, Carlisle. Carlisle is quite obviously the leader of his family. He commands his family with authority, ease, and respect. When Bella's life is endangered he is the one who thinks clearly and directs the family as to how to keep Bella safe and stop her pursuer.

Despite the Cullen's nature as Vampires to kill and eat humans, they resist this temptation and are a family of vegetarian Vampires, eating only animals blood. A parallel can be seen between this and our sinful human natures.

My conclusion

The film ends with Edward being the hero, and Bella's not growing any wiser, ever the idiot resenting the fact that Edward didn't allow the poison to take its course and turn her into vampire

And of course the film concludes with every American girls dream ending to their perfect love story, no they didn't get married and live happily ever after with a quiver full of children. No they go to the prom and kiss in the gazebo.

This film is one of those movies that you hate but you love. A film that you would love, but should feel guilty about watching. Why? Because there are good points and themes in the movie, but they are surrounded by a thousand bad aesthetics and messages.

What we take into our hearts to entertain ourselves reflects what we truly love, so dear ladies please let us be careful and avoid things that allow our mind to linger where it shouldn't go and condone things that we know are wrong. Just because it it classified as entertainment doesn't make it ok.