The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
Part three of the ‘saga’ as it’s now being referred to turns thriller as British director David Slade takes over and injects a very healthy dose of action and drama amid the slush and sexual abstinance. Bella and Edward are reunited in Forks again after the comings and goings of the last film; but danger is just around the nearest Alpine surrounded lake as a fiery and vicious newborn vampire army is on the rise led by a mysterious unknown force, Victoria is back on the scene looking for Bella’s blood and if that wasn’t enough three is most definitely a crowd when it comes to Edward, Bella and teenwolf Jacob.
Looking at Slade’s back catalogue would initially suggest he’s not suited to this kind of film but paradoxically he turns it into a natural progression. His first film Hard Candy portrayed a dangerous and driven teenager and he demonstrated how to handle a vampire or two in 30 Days Of Night. A rain-drenched hunter/hunted opening sequence sets the tone for what follows and shows Slade is serious about what many have written off as angst-ridden teen nonsense. His influence allows this chapter to be enjoyed by more than just the die hard fans and rather than be stilted by middle film syndrome is the strongest by a considerable margin.
Not only does the story begin to gain some sense of scale but the main characters have grown into their roles and know what is expected of them. Kristen Stewart as Bella is probably the most notable; while still unable to shake that scowl for the most part she begins to make decisions that she knows will not please everyone but is prepared to live with the consequences. The silliness that undermined the previous installments has almost been totally extinguished by this new approach; the weight that is given to the value of human life and the exploration of the curse of the vampire combine to bring about a more adult sensibility. Backstory threads for Rosalie and Jasper allow the universe to expand in new ways; the story is clearly growing with its fans.
Despite the deathly seriousness there is room for humour; Bella’s father Charlie’s awkward attempts to care for a teenage daughter on his own and broaching ‘that subject’ will no doubt echo the embarrassment of many of the parents in the audience. While Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner get some time off from glaring menacingly at one another to get some asides in (“Does he even own a shirt?” Edward asks Bella at one point referring to Jacob’s almost perpetual toplessness that his role ’requires’)
It is far too easy to sniff loudly at declarations of true love in Hollywood films, and justifiably so in most cases as they are handled appallingly; this looks upon it as a normal state of being, with all it’s upsides, complications (the supernatural ones notwithstanding) and responsibilities being given equal mention. It may still be too much for some but it plots a steady course for the remaining two films to follow. Although if you’ve already read Breaking Dawn, you’ll be aware there are plotting matters of a different kind yet to overcome.
