Around the beginning of February, the rainy season was in full force. For me, the rain means rewatching the Twilight movies and, as luck would have it, the entire saga is currently up for streaming on HBO Max! Something you notice very quickly when watching the films in succession is the distinct voice that each one possesses. After some quick research, I learned that while Twilight was directed by Catherine Hardwick, New Moon was directed by Chris Weitz, Eclipse was directed by David Slade, and Bill Condon directed Breaking Dawn parts one and two. The shifts in director (and in funding) mean changes in the vision and production of each project, which are palpable to the audience. Which is why, while I feel very strongly about the first film, I don’t feel the same passion for the rest.
Catherine Hardwick was given a budget of around $37 million for Twilight and it earned around $400 million in revenue; in contrast, New Moon had a budget of $50 million and Breaking Dawn had a budget of $110 million. And while Twilight does have a sort of low budget indie feel to it, the indie movie vibe is more of an addition rather than a deterrence to the tone. Twilight is a bit funky, unserious (or maybe too serious) and campy, which is okay! I mean, just take a look at the vampire baseball scene; it’s great entertainment, but we can acknowledge the silliness of a group of vampires playing baseball in the middle of a thunderstorm so that they can use the sound of thunder to mask the crack of the ball on the bat. How I would best characterize that first film in just one word is dreamlike in the best way possible.
She makes some really interesting decisions, and when listening to her talk, you can tell that she is putting her heart and soul into her work. One of the most creative and iconic decisions was the coloration. I didn’t realize how instrumental the blue hue was to the movie until I was watching behind-the-scenes footage lacking that blue filter and it felt totally out of place. The blue coloring really lends to the otherworldliness and establishes the setting of Forks as dreary and gloomy. That choice would become so iconic that we feel it is missing from the rest of the saga. While I understand that decision to a certain degree, I think the gutsiness of making creative choices like that one is lacking moving forward. I mean everything from the music to the wardrobe and the camera operation was done in a way that was so perfect, but also just the right amount of weird and campy.
After taking a look at some interviews with Catherine, I saw that she chose to leave her post as director because she lacked the same passion for the story of book two as she felt for book one, as well as some creative differences. What I found really interesting is that she expressed a desire for the productions to continue using female directors, which didn’t happen. My goal is not to say that the other directors did terrible jobs or that just because they’re men, they are unable to adequately tell this story. However, I do find it interesting that despite the original director, who was a female, starting the franchise and totally shattering the expectations set for the film, another female director was not allowed to continue the story. And I don’t think it’s a coincidence that once the first film demonstrated potential, had hordes of fans and serious money on the line, it would become “man’s work”. ‘
Recently, Kristen Stewart was asked if she’d be willing to return to the Twilight franchise. And while she did express interest in returning as an actor, she also talked about working as a director and potentially making her own version of the first film. Which makes sense given that her most recent work has been behind the camera as a director and filmmaker rather than in front of it as an actor. This is a direction that I hope the film industry will take. Not only giving opportunities to female directors who demonstrate their competence and capabilities but also entrusting them with franchisees that have a history, have a fanbase, and are adequately funded. So, while I don’t know if there is a future where Stewert does direct her own version of Twilight, I am excited by the prospect, and if itis ever released in theaters, you can expect me in the front row.