Twilight: Teenage Fantasy with Human Emotions

After watching Twilight one understands what the hype is about. The teenage hysteria is completely validated as the movie indulges in dark fiction while appealing to the human romantic. It is a mixture of adult emotions and teenage imagination which explains the varied fan following.

Isabella (Kristen Stewart), fondly called Bella, moves to cold, clammy Forks to live with her father after her mother remarries. An introvert who is partial to books over company, she becomes the centre of attention when she joins school mid-semester. Contrary to her desire to remain inconspicuous, Bella’s beauty and nature attract most of the boys, including Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson). Edward, a dark, handsome, brooding 17-year old who seems disinterested in the school girls, is drawn to Bella in an inexplicable way which bewilders her. Their mutual curiosity and evident chemistry leads to awkward conversation and an uncertain ‘friendship’.

The surreal rescue of Bella, by Edward, from a car crash, makes her more inquisitive as she senses a secret. When questioned, Edward withdraws and warns her to keep her distance. Yet both of them are drawn to each other like magnets. Research leads Bella to discover that Edward is a vampire. When confronted, he reveals all his secrets and is delighted when she accepts him without fear or repulsion. They seems to come alive in each others company , which is ironic because essentially he desires her blood and he could be the cause of her death. Edward’s family accept Bella despite the fact that her presence could implicate them for breaking their vow of never killing humans. The difference in ’species’ eventually poses a problem when an enemy clan’s thirst threatens Bella’s life. The movie leaves you waiting for the next installment to find out if Bella can ever be safe.

The love portrayed between the two is unconditional, one that goes beyond physical desire and yet is incomplete without it. Edward is a thorough gentleman, fiercely protective, positively gorgeous and his mystery is engaging (every teenage girl’s fantasy), while Bella is stubborn yet gullible and effortlessly alluring.

Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart perform like truly no one else exists for them and show promise as actors. In keeping with the theme the movie has a dark look about it but isn’t morbid. In fact the cinematography is brilliant and some scenes are truly splendid.

The movie pulls you in as you get entangled in their story and feel their helplessness caused by their unattainable desire. It is not a sad, scary, heavy story; rather an enchanting one with some entertaining, light moments. Some clever one liners use the irony of the situation to break awkward moments when Bella meets the family or accepts Edward as a vampire.

Twilight is completely deserving as the number one movie under the teenage romance genre. Not childish in any manner it might even be appreciated by an older audience as an escape into their teenage fantasies.

Contributed by Raashi Malhotra