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December 7, 2008

Vampire film shows self-sacrifice

By Sister Helena Burns, FSP

CONTRIBUTOR

Romances are very difficult to create on screen today. Why? Because to maintain romantic tension, the lovers have to be kept apart by something, and hardly anything is taboo in our postmodern culture.

Gender, race, class, parental wishes, societal mores, customs, commitment and money all used to be major obstacles, but not when the zeitgeist today is that even publicly and legally, anything seems to go.

The latest teen hit “Twilight” (Goldcrest Pictures) successfully solves this problem by creating an interspecies romance between teen human Bella (Kristen Stewart) and teen vampire Edward (Robert Pattinson). The result is a kind of “Pride and Prejudice.” “Twilight” is based very closely on the mega-selling book series by Stephenie Meyer (a practicing Mormon), so look for a film sequel.

The rainy, lush Pacific Northwest is a perfect setting for the gothic, dark feel of this tasty tale. Teenage girls and their moms have gone gaga over the books, but the movie tested well on teen male audiences also. It’s full of special effects because of Edward’s superhuman powers.

“Twilight,” although not a “message film,” is great entertainment and definitely models for teens (and the rest of us) the wound of love, the restraint of love, the risk and danger of love that begins from the very moment we fall in love. The continual self-sacrifice involved in love is expressed through the apt metaphor of a vampire who denies his instinct of feeding on humans and who must always be self-vigilant, and a young woman who trusts in the best self of a “monster,” a “killer.” This is not some easy good-girl-falls-for-badboy stereotype, it’s about the potential of humans (and other beings) to change, to exercise willpower, to transcend self.

Meyer tapped into some deep stuff: myths, food, conversions, free will (even vampires have free will in the book), love, immortality. The mix of mythical and human creatures is a perfect playground for the imagination to work out emotional and moral stickywickets. “Twilight” is all about characters laying down their lives for others, whether Bella for her mom, Edward for Bella or Edward’s family for Bella. It’s a chain that just goes on and on.

There’s no God at this point in the world of “Twilight,” but the principles are definitely Judeo-Christian. There are promises and pacts made that reflect an unquestioning sacredness for human life and relationships. In the book, Edward makes it clear to Bella that he wants to marry her before they have sex, because he is an old-fashioned gentleman. (Edward was turned into a vampire back in 1908). However, this is not apparent in the movie.

“Twilight” doesn’t quite hit its stride until about 20 minutes into the film, but stick with it, and it gets good. It’s total suspense because we have no idea what’s coming next, and later things turn drastic as Bella becomes the obsession of a sinister band of hunting vampires. I give the movie four stars despite these problems, because, as in life, it’s not how you begin but how you end that counts.

The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-2, adults and adolescents.