Twilight of the Idols
Well, I finally worked up the ovaries to see "Twilight" in film version. Having scanned the book and heard testimonials from other readers, I was less than keen on doing so. However, it is best that I be somewhat fair and see precisely the root of my distaste. And so I began possibly the worst waste of two hours in my short lifetime. So I thought as a result I would add some commentary so that I might feel a little bit better.
What Makes a Vampire?
I found myself thinking as I was watching the film:"What makes a vampire?" Well, as regards the tradition of vampire novels and films, I think a few things seem to remain constant.
1. Vampires Drink Blood
Taking Bram Stoker's Dracula as my starting point in this short history, it is clear that a defining point of vampirism itself is that the vampire drinks blood as a means of survival. Rarely, however, is it clear that if a vampire does not imbibe that he or she will in effect perish, though Rice mentions that a vampire might become gravely ill in drinking polluted blood of the blood of the dead (Interview with a Vampire) and Oldman's "Dracula" begins aged and decrepit, implying a lack of blood has aged him a la Elizabeth Bathory.
2. Vampires Feed from Humans
Vampires are often seen as demons (Dracula, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer") and as such natural enemies to humans. They take their sustenance from humans, usually via arteries in the throat (see Rice, Stoker, Buffy, Atwater-Rhoades, etc.) According to Stoker, they drain the blood slowly until death, after which the victim will rise as another vampire. Later sources (Rice, Buffy, Atwater-Rhoades, etc.) offer an option of death without vampiric life or a transference of blood between two parties which the Buffy mythos terms "siring." It is often referred to in parental terminology. Some vampires choose to refuse human "prey" and so resort to small mammals, like Rice's Louis.
3. Vampires Shun the Daylight
In Stoker's novel, Dracula makes sure to shut himself into his coffin during the day, though he can sometimes go outside but without his vampric strength and abilities. However, from "Nosferatu" on, vampires shun the light of day as it causes severe damage to death to them. Whether they hop into a coffin or find a sewer or dark bedroom without windows, vampires make sure to not let the light of day touch them. Often, the result of its doing so is a pile of dust (Rice, "Nosferatu," "Buffy").
4. Vampires are (Usually) Evil
From the beginning vampires are presented as evil entities. They seek human blood for their sustenance and have no qualms with killing or "turning" humans who are merely a means to sate their bloodlust. Dracula causes an orgiastic killing spree on the deck of his ship to England. He murders Lucy and aims for Mina not out of any true amorous desire for either, but because he wants them to possess and because he wants to sate his own lust for blood and property. Count Orlock ("Nosferatu") is a fiendish nightmare, with rat-like appearance and filthy long nails. Rice's Lestat, though glorified and glamorized is nonetheless a selfish and hedonistic killer who (regardless of how he tries to disguise his motives) is willing to resort to any vice to achieve his end. Similarly, Atwater-Rhoades's vampires present the characteristics of strength and ruthlessness. Of course, exceptions of evil vampires exist. The best example of this is "Buffy the Vampire Slayer's" Angel, who maintains a human aspect and refrains from preying upon humans because of the curse which restored his soul to him.
5. Vampires are (Conditionally) Immortal
Vampires are immortal. They live forever and ever amen. However there are yet several ways though which one might destroy them. Classics include beheading, burning of the body and the oh-so-useful stake to the heart. Deterrents to vampires include holy water, silver, and religious symbols (like crucifixes), though these have gone out of vogue with the exception of "Buffy." In some cases it is difficult to get rid of the vampire at all (see Rice's Vampire Chronicals as regards Lestat). Also, the light of sun (usually) destroys vampires.
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That being said, I thought I would write about a few things which came up as regards the "Twilight" (film) vampires.
The Cult of Beauty
I noticed that throughout the film not a speck of deformity or flaw can be seen on any of the main characters. Bella, though seemingly morose and shy, boasts a perfect complexion and Herbal Essence commercial hair. Naturally, she is thin. However, upon looking at the Cullen "family," we see an even more drastic display of the Cult of Beauty. Edward's "father" boasts of that rakish blonde hair which women find so intoxicating--slicked neatly back and styled impeccably. The ringlets of his "mother" echo this perfection of hair. Not a mark of imperfection besmears any of the Cullens. In fact, they all hold the piercing, vacant gazes and pouting lips of supermodels. Edward himself is no exception to this. He's flawless, his own locks styled with far more grace than a boy of his supposed age would care for. Nosferatu is nowhere to be found in this sweet perfection of appearance.
Though of course there is a tradition of beautiful vampires (see Rice [Lestat, Louis, Armand, etc.], Buffy the Vampire Slayer [Angel, Darla, Spike, etc.]), the purely modern look of these vampires seems to play more into a modern society's obsession with aesthetic rather than any deeper alluring and evil motive (of which I will speak later). The Cullens are everything desirable--sex bottled to sell, so to speak. And so, of course, is Bella.
The Aristocrat
The film does follow the vampiric tradition in the sense of the aristocratic vampire. This, of course, we can trace back to Stoker, with Dracula presenting himself as a Count. It becomes more apparent with the adaptations of Lugosi, Langella and Oldman. Fine clothes, ornate jewelery and elaborate furnishings help to set the scene for the vampire as aristocrat. Naturally, the assumption is that the vampire obtains such wealth through his or her elaborately long lifespan. Like dragons who live for thousands of years, vampires have time to accumulate (even through murder) a hoard of wealth for their own purposes. In this, "Twilight" does not deviate from the grand mythos.
However, "Twilight" updates the myth with a tremendous number of vehicles, an expansive house on a large plot of land and various other creature comforts like the flat screen that can be seen in Edward's bedroom. Instead of a count, however, the head of the household is a doctor, modern day America's equivalent to the wealthy upper classes of the eighteeth and nineteenth centuries. Unlike the entitled aristocracy of yore, though, the doctor is expected to work to receive his due, which is a dramatic departure.
In this departure, however, the vampire becomes a harbinger of good rather than evil. He seems to work to heal humans rather than to kill them. However, this occupation of mercy castrates him of his own monstrous nature. He may as well be a veterinarian soccer parent.
Sparkles are Not Just for Fairies!
Naturally, "Twilight" is infamous for the vampires sparkling in the sun. As I was watching, I was waiting for something amazing to happen, for something symbolic. And yet it didn't. Instead I saw badly edited Swarovski crystals glued to Edward's chest and face. I didn't sign up for this.
So I asked myself, why sparkles? These are certainly not Lisa Frank vampires. It runs completely against the tradition. If "Twilight" wished to turn the vampires from the demonic presences of yore into messianic figures, this might be a good symbol.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What Is a Vampire?
What, then, is the point of a vampire? As a longtime reader of vampire fiction and viewer of vampire films, my best conjecture as to what a vampire represents is the fallen aspect of humanity. A vampire is temptation personified. We are always seduced by the thoughts of sex, violence, greed, power, and vanity. A vampire is all of these things. He is rich, he is sinfully attractive, commits violence without repercussions, has the strength of many full grown men, and immeasurable speed. All that is dark within our own souls the vampire brings to life. The vampire is a good moral reminder of what can happen should we wallow too fervently in such dark things. He is a warning of what we could be.
"Twilight" misses this completely. It attempts to create a moral vampire, which is an oxymoron. If the vampires are good and wholesome even against their instinct (which they admit many times in the film), they would have been more realistic as humans or sugarplum fairies. All things about vampirisim become good when you can just "hold it back."
Naturally, I had more qualms with the film than these. However, being tired and quite worn from the posting of this blog, I shall save them for later.
What Makes a Vampire?
I found myself thinking as I was watching the film:"What makes a vampire?" Well, as regards the tradition of vampire novels and films, I think a few things seem to remain constant.
1. Vampires Drink Blood
Taking Bram Stoker's Dracula as my starting point in this short history, it is clear that a defining point of vampirism itself is that the vampire drinks blood as a means of survival. Rarely, however, is it clear that if a vampire does not imbibe that he or she will in effect perish, though Rice mentions that a vampire might become gravely ill in drinking polluted blood of the blood of the dead (Interview with a Vampire) and Oldman's "Dracula" begins aged and decrepit, implying a lack of blood has aged him a la Elizabeth Bathory.
2. Vampires Feed from Humans
Vampires are often seen as demons (Dracula, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer") and as such natural enemies to humans. They take their sustenance from humans, usually via arteries in the throat (see Rice, Stoker, Buffy, Atwater-Rhoades, etc.) According to Stoker, they drain the blood slowly until death, after which the victim will rise as another vampire. Later sources (Rice, Buffy, Atwater-Rhoades, etc.) offer an option of death without vampiric life or a transference of blood between two parties which the Buffy mythos terms "siring." It is often referred to in parental terminology. Some vampires choose to refuse human "prey" and so resort to small mammals, like Rice's Louis.
3. Vampires Shun the Daylight
In Stoker's novel, Dracula makes sure to shut himself into his coffin during the day, though he can sometimes go outside but without his vampric strength and abilities. However, from "Nosferatu" on, vampires shun the light of day as it causes severe damage to death to them. Whether they hop into a coffin or find a sewer or dark bedroom without windows, vampires make sure to not let the light of day touch them. Often, the result of its doing so is a pile of dust (Rice, "Nosferatu," "Buffy").
4. Vampires are (Usually) Evil
From the beginning vampires are presented as evil entities. They seek human blood for their sustenance and have no qualms with killing or "turning" humans who are merely a means to sate their bloodlust. Dracula causes an orgiastic killing spree on the deck of his ship to England. He murders Lucy and aims for Mina not out of any true amorous desire for either, but because he wants them to possess and because he wants to sate his own lust for blood and property. Count Orlock ("Nosferatu") is a fiendish nightmare, with rat-like appearance and filthy long nails. Rice's Lestat, though glorified and glamorized is nonetheless a selfish and hedonistic killer who (regardless of how he tries to disguise his motives) is willing to resort to any vice to achieve his end. Similarly, Atwater-Rhoades's vampires present the characteristics of strength and ruthlessness. Of course, exceptions of evil vampires exist. The best example of this is "Buffy the Vampire Slayer's" Angel, who maintains a human aspect and refrains from preying upon humans because of the curse which restored his soul to him.
5. Vampires are (Conditionally) Immortal
Vampires are immortal. They live forever and ever amen. However there are yet several ways though which one might destroy them. Classics include beheading, burning of the body and the oh-so-useful stake to the heart. Deterrents to vampires include holy water, silver, and religious symbols (like crucifixes), though these have gone out of vogue with the exception of "Buffy." In some cases it is difficult to get rid of the vampire at all (see Rice's Vampire Chronicals as regards Lestat). Also, the light of sun (usually) destroys vampires.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
That being said, I thought I would write about a few things which came up as regards the "Twilight" (film) vampires.
The Cult of Beauty
I noticed that throughout the film not a speck of deformity or flaw can be seen on any of the main characters. Bella, though seemingly morose and shy, boasts a perfect complexion and Herbal Essence commercial hair. Naturally, she is thin. However, upon looking at the Cullen "family," we see an even more drastic display of the Cult of Beauty. Edward's "father" boasts of that rakish blonde hair which women find so intoxicating--slicked neatly back and styled impeccably. The ringlets of his "mother" echo this perfection of hair. Not a mark of imperfection besmears any of the Cullens. In fact, they all hold the piercing, vacant gazes and pouting lips of supermodels. Edward himself is no exception to this. He's flawless, his own locks styled with far more grace than a boy of his supposed age would care for. Nosferatu is nowhere to be found in this sweet perfection of appearance.
Though of course there is a tradition of beautiful vampires (see Rice [Lestat, Louis, Armand, etc.], Buffy the Vampire Slayer [Angel, Darla, Spike, etc.]), the purely modern look of these vampires seems to play more into a modern society's obsession with aesthetic rather than any deeper alluring and evil motive (of which I will speak later). The Cullens are everything desirable--sex bottled to sell, so to speak. And so, of course, is Bella.
The Aristocrat
The film does follow the vampiric tradition in the sense of the aristocratic vampire. This, of course, we can trace back to Stoker, with Dracula presenting himself as a Count. It becomes more apparent with the adaptations of Lugosi, Langella and Oldman. Fine clothes, ornate jewelery and elaborate furnishings help to set the scene for the vampire as aristocrat. Naturally, the assumption is that the vampire obtains such wealth through his or her elaborately long lifespan. Like dragons who live for thousands of years, vampires have time to accumulate (even through murder) a hoard of wealth for their own purposes. In this, "Twilight" does not deviate from the grand mythos.
However, "Twilight" updates the myth with a tremendous number of vehicles, an expansive house on a large plot of land and various other creature comforts like the flat screen that can be seen in Edward's bedroom. Instead of a count, however, the head of the household is a doctor, modern day America's equivalent to the wealthy upper classes of the eighteeth and nineteenth centuries. Unlike the entitled aristocracy of yore, though, the doctor is expected to work to receive his due, which is a dramatic departure.
In this departure, however, the vampire becomes a harbinger of good rather than evil. He seems to work to heal humans rather than to kill them. However, this occupation of mercy castrates him of his own monstrous nature. He may as well be a veterinarian soccer parent.
Sparkles are Not Just for Fairies!
Naturally, "Twilight" is infamous for the vampires sparkling in the sun. As I was watching, I was waiting for something amazing to happen, for something symbolic. And yet it didn't. Instead I saw badly edited Swarovski crystals glued to Edward's chest and face. I didn't sign up for this.
So I asked myself, why sparkles? These are certainly not Lisa Frank vampires. It runs completely against the tradition. If "Twilight" wished to turn the vampires from the demonic presences of yore into messianic figures, this might be a good symbol.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What Is a Vampire?
What, then, is the point of a vampire? As a longtime reader of vampire fiction and viewer of vampire films, my best conjecture as to what a vampire represents is the fallen aspect of humanity. A vampire is temptation personified. We are always seduced by the thoughts of sex, violence, greed, power, and vanity. A vampire is all of these things. He is rich, he is sinfully attractive, commits violence without repercussions, has the strength of many full grown men, and immeasurable speed. All that is dark within our own souls the vampire brings to life. The vampire is a good moral reminder of what can happen should we wallow too fervently in such dark things. He is a warning of what we could be.
"Twilight" misses this completely. It attempts to create a moral vampire, which is an oxymoron. If the vampires are good and wholesome even against their instinct (which they admit many times in the film), they would have been more realistic as humans or sugarplum fairies. All things about vampirisim become good when you can just "hold it back."
Naturally, I had more qualms with the film than these. However, being tired and quite worn from the posting of this blog, I shall save them for later.