By: debbie lynn elias
I won’t keep you Twihard fans in suspense any longer as to my thoughts on BREAKING DAWN, PART 1. Parts of it sparkle like the luminous skin of the Cullen clan. Other parts bite into you and hold your attention like the Quileute werewolves taking a bite out of their favorite dinner. And then other aspects are more lifeless than Bella Swan after giving birth.
When Bill Condon was brought in to direct the final two installments of the Twilight saga, my initial reaction was one of trepidation for although he as written, directed and been lauded for films such as Dreamgirls, Kinsey and Gods and Monsters, nothing has been on the scale of BREAKING DAWN nor had the detail-oriented observant fans behind it who know the characters and this world better than the backs of their hands. Unfortunately, my fears are now justified as having seen BREAKING DAWN, PART 1, I don’t believe he completely understands the Twilight universe and all of its nuances and idiosyncracies.
For those of you that may have been under a rock and immune to both the written word and film world, the Twilight saga is essentially a Romeo and Juliet love story that has taken the world by storm. We have families who are sworn mortal and immortal enemies, fighting worse than the Hatfields and McCoys or the Montagues and Capulets, going for the jugular and drawing blood (in more ways than one) with every battle. At the center of the universe are Bella Swan and Edward Cullen, with jealous best friend Jacob Black rounding out this menage-a-trois. The benefit of this little triumvirate, however, is the truce that has been carefully carved out between the vampiric Cullens and wolverine Quileutes. For the last four years we have watched the human Bella fall in and out of love with both vampire Edward and werewolf Jacob, while Edward and Jacob have both remained hopelessly in love with her. Ultimately, Bella chooses Edward which is where BREAKING DAWN, PART 1 picks up the story – the wedding.
As wedding preparations are down to the final hours, Jacob is nowhere to be found. Seems that on receiving his invitation a few months ago, he morphed into his true form and took off into the woods, angry and heartbroken. Jacob knows what will happen to Bella when she marries Edward. She will be destroyed. She will be turned into a vampire. And Jacob can’t bear the thought. Sad that her best friend is nowhere to be found, a bittersweetness looms over Bella’s big day, as does the anticipation and fear of the unknown of what will happen to her when she consummates her marriage with Edward. And that appears to be uppermost in Edward’s mind as he doesn’t want to “hurt” Bella, while Bella wants to experience “all human emotion” that goes with marriage. Of course adding to the thrill and excitement of any wedding are the friends and families that inevitably make the event so memorable – be it good or bad.
An event that rivals the television wedding of Luke and Laura on ABC’s General Hospital, the Swan-Cullen affair is the stuff from which dreams are made. Breathtakingly reminiscent of a scene right out of Shakespearefs A Midsummer Night‘s Dream, with all the romance and beauty of a poem or sonnet by Elizabeth Barrett Browning, one can’t help but feel the love as magic fills the air. Trust me. You will gasp at the beauty before you on screen. And as Edward and Bella say their “I do’s” the affair moves into what everyone looks forward to, the reception. Complete with comedic toasts rooted in truth and life, one feels as if they are also sitting at a table mingling with the wedding party.
But all the bliss is momentarily interrupted when Jacob reappears. At first an emotionally joyful moment for Bella that Edward has arranged with Jacob, things get a bit out of hand with alcohol and blood infused family fighting. Quickly diffusing the situation, Edward whisks his bride off to a private island off the coast of Brazil for their long awaited honeymoon.
Alone and in love, Bella’s thoughts turn to one thing – sex – which just happens to be the last thing on Edward’s mind. But Bella wins out and she not only gets her “man” and a night of unabashed sex, but something rather unexpected – a pregnancy.
A shock to not only Edward and Bella, but the Cullen clan as well, the couple returns to Forks, Washington, sequestered in the Cullen compound, hiding from the world. But word of the pregnancy does leak out – to the Quileutes, who are determined to kill the offspring once borne. But there’s a bigger problem at hand. The baby is growing at an alarming rate and killing Bella in the process. Calling on Jacob for help, Edward tries to convince Bella to abort the child, but she refuses both he and Jacob. As the Cullens and Jacob sit vigil over Bella, the Quileute are circling outside the compound waiting for the moment to attack, and what better time than when Bella is giving birth aided only by Edward and Jacob. And off in the wings, the Volturi loom.
The entire beloved cast of the Twilight saga return to the roles that made them so famous and so beloved. Particularly impressive is Kristen Stewart’s turn as Bella during the pregnancy and birthing scenes. I knew she had it in her to bring out this much gravitas and emotion (I saw her do it in The Yellow Handkerchief and Welcome to the Rileys.), but I wasn’t sure that Bill Condon was the man who could elicit it from her here. Thankfully, he did.
Robert Pattinson reprises his role as the lustful vampire Edward but, unfortunately, gives a lifeless indifferent performance. There is a great lack of emotion and desire both in Edwardfs attention to, and interactions with, Stewart’s Swan, that belie any sense of great love. Pattinsonfs dialogue delivery is flat and insincere. Is he tired of the role or was Condon’s direction that poor? Given that I again watched the original Twilight and New Moon last night and was so impressed with Pattinson’s energy, confidence and electricity in those chapters, that here, disappointing is an understatement.
I’ve already alluded to it via social media posts , but one of the best performances of the film, if not the best (outside of Billy Burke’s Charlie Swan), comes from Taylor Lautner. As Jacob, Lautner brings this great intensity, strength, confidence and devotion to the role and the film. In a crucial scene where Jacob imprints on Bella’s baby Renesmee, Lautner speaks not with words but with a physical presence that is overwhelming with emotion. This is undoubtedly the best I have seen from him and I welcome this growth in him as an actor. His scenes and chemistry with Stewart are undeniable and, in fact, resonate truer than that between Pattinson and Stewart. If Lautner keeps on going the way he has demonstrated here, he will certainly come into his own as a leading man in the not too distant future.
My guilty pleasure performances in the franchise, and in this film, particularly, come from Billy Burke, Peter Facinelle and Michael Sheen. As Charlie Swan, Burke steals every scene he is in, punctuating his performance with a very welcome self-deprecating, wry humor that propels each scene forward. Similarly, Facinelle brings a fascinating edge to Carlisle Cullen. With an ever present calm, controlled presence and equally soft-spoken but confident dialogue delivery, Facinelle is compelling and glorious to watch. He has you wondering what wheels are turning within his mind. But stealing the show is, and I trust will be in Part 2, Michael Sheen. As Aro, head of the Volturi, we get a snippet of him here that is absolutely delicious. His timing, tonal elocution and delivery are impeccable and just scream for more screen time. I for one cannot wait for BREAKING DAWN, PART 2 to see the turns taken by the Volturi in light of the birth of Renesmee.
Also notable is Ashley Greene. As Alice Cullen, Greene is a delight as Bella’s wedding coordinator, bringing a bossy fun lightness to the festivities and the film.
I am hard pressed to believe that Melissa Rosenberg wrote this screenplay. With a 756 page book to cull from, Rosenberg gives us dialogue which is, quite honestly, often very hokey, especially when it comes to Edward and Bella, not to mention entire sequences that are supposedly fueled by inappropriately placed songs where the camera just lingers longingly over Edward, Bella, Edward, Bella, Edward, Bella with intensifying close-ups. Stephanie Meyerfs book is rich with detail and dialogue that adds so much to the story and which is noticeably, and sorely, absent from the film. Bella, now age 18 and at a crossroads in life, together with Edward, face life altering events and decisions here with marriage, sex, a surprise pregnancy and the “turning” of Bella, yet dialogue necessary to inform the audience and the characters on those issues is either scant or rings untrue. These are confusing times for any 18 year old, let alone one marrying a vampire, but there is no real dialogue conveying this. A very sad omission. A big highlight though comes with the wedding and reception. Infused with humor be it scripted or ad-libbed, it lifts the entire film.
The fourth director to helm the franchise, Condon misses the boat when it comes to impactful emotion. This chapter, among all others, is filled with drama and high emotion, but Condon drops the ball with often hokey dialogue and missed visual opportunities. Looking at the film as a whole, it appears that all of his energies (and perhaps the budget) were concentrated on two things – the wedding and the birth of Renesmee – leaving the rest of the film in a disappointing free-fall, losing momentum and causing one to lose interest in what comes next. (I still maintain, as I always do, read the book! It’s always better!!)
Condon does more than satisfy Twilight fans everywhere when it comes to the wedding and the celebration of not only Edward’s and Bella’s love, but the fans’ love for the characters and franchise. He delivers in spades with exquisite cinematography, lensing, set design and editing. The story, and the fans, deserved nothing less. Some great comedic moments also come post-wedding night as Edward and Bella survey the damage to their bedroom following their first night of passion where Condon just lets the camera be our eyes. (And remember, wefve seen before what happens when vamps and humans consummate their love thanks to Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Buffy and Spike brought down a whole house while Angel turned into the evil Angelus.)
Likewise, Condon excels with the birthing scenes bringing us exciting, dramatic visuals, showcased with sharply honed editing intercutting not only what could have been some “gruesome” footage with dreamlike beauty. A technically superb sequence thanks to Guillermo Navarrofs cinematography and the editing of Virginia Katz which is electrifying at both the climactic birthing scene and equally soft and tender during the wedding.
A great saving grace for the entire film does come from Navarro who knows how to light and lense and gives us some magical and dramatic looks throughout the film.
Perhaps the worst, and most unforgivable aspect of BREAKING DAWN, PART 1, is the vampire make-up in certain scenes. Most noticeable on Kellan Lutz, the Cullen vampire make-up (but for Pattinsonfs Edward who has a powdery base) looks like poorly applied clown grease paint, ending at the chin line and leaving flesh tone necks. Did the budget not allow for enough, or better quality, consistent make-up?
And I would be remiss to not mention the gorgeous wedding dress designed by renowned designer Carolina Herrera specifically for Bella. A stunner, especially from the back, the dress and other wedding attire will now be available for purchase in stores across the world as part of a Twilight clothing line.
Carter Burwell’s scored compositions are classic and well suited to the film, however, individual soundtrack pieces often feel out of place, mismatched to a scene or the film, or totally inappropriate. Again, it makes me question Condon’s knowledge of the saga and its sensibilities.
Will Twihards and moviegoers around the world be satisfied with BREAKING DAWN, PART 1? Only time, and the box office, will tell. But while fans will undoubtedly be happy to finally see the wedding of the century (and again, it is spectacular), when viewing the film as a whole, one can’t escape all of its shortcomings and failures. The fans, the story and the Twilight franchise deserve better.
Bella Swan – Kristen Stewart
Edward Cullen – Robert Pattinson
Jacob Black – Taylor Lautner
Charlie Swan – Billy Burke
Dr. Carlisle Cullen – Peter Facinelli
Emmett Cullen – Kellan Lutz
Directed by Bill Condon.
Written by Melissa Rosenberg based on the novel Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyer.
