The Twilight Saga: New Moon

By Bidisha Bagchi
St Joseph, Michigan, USA

The motion picture based on Stephenie Meyer’s 2nd novel 'New Moon' in the Twilight Saga series is all ready to set the silver screen on fire. Come 20th November 2009 and the world would witness hordes of cinegoers, majority of whom would definitely be teenagers & youngsters, swarming into the theatres to watch the film and more importantly the two most unusual kind of heroes battling it out for a simple ‘human’ girl. The heroes, a vampire and a werewolf…phew!!
 The first novel/film in the series ‘ Twilight’ introduced mankind to the two young men and a lady... Edward Cullen, the dazzling vampire played by Robert Pattinson (also known as Cedric Diggory of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire) Jacob Black, the handsome werewolf played by Taylor Lautner & Bella, the human girl, played by Kristen Stuart.
 Twilight was an unusual kind of a love story between a human girl and a vampire boy. The tale was narrated very dramatically yet limiting the sensuousness of the affair. Smitten by the charming and the exceptionally good looking vampire, lots of teenagers, especially girls, quickly shifted base to the ‘Twilight’ camp from the world of Hogwarts, witchcraft & wizardry. But the film did not do justice to the story….which has now become a pattern and I guess it should not even be expected that a mind blowing novel can be made into a equally gripping film. Poor editing, poor screenplay, bad selection of heroine and Edward’s loud make up to make him look like a vampire did not make much impact on the audience…..only the topaz colored contacts would have worked wonders as Robert Pattinson is in general quite good looking and his natural pale look added to his charm. Even then the film was a hit...courtesy, the box office collections and the benevolent readers who ensured a dekko at the Vampire.
 I remember the time when everyone expressed concern over 'Da Vinci Code' being made into a successful film and some critic had commented that ''if all the people who read the book watches the film once...it is a super hit.' The same theory applied here.. ' Twilight' got saved 'coz the book was a bestseller!
 New moon has a different director and again a very strong storyline. A minor accident happens at Bella’s birthday being celebrated at Edward’s place. Temporarily saving the situation, Edward realizes that his presence in Bella’s life would only harm her and decides to leave her, forever, leaving her all alone in the cold and dark world…with only his thoughts.
 As the book lover, a movie goer and a critic by my own choice, I am not sure how well Kristen Stuart (Bella) can enact the feelings of emptiness and loneliness…I sincerely wish she does not mess it up as those are the important moments in the story when Jacob Black, who till now was just Bella’s friend comes into her life and she grows closer to him only to forget Edward and starts using him to keep away the thoughts of Edward.
 Jacob’s link to the werewolves were only believed to be myths till then even though he was aware of the fact that someday the curse will impact him and he would have no choice left. Bella is attacked by another vampire Laurent and gets saved by a pack of werewolves. The vampires and the werewolves are sworn enemies and I hope that the enmity is portrayed well in the film. The descriptions of the fights in the book are thrilling and the trailers don’t say it’s bad either.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYBF3HKzrmE&feature=related
 I am not here to write a spoiler so i will leave it to the audience to go to the theatres and find out the rest. There are certain scenes which if picturised well can have mind blowing effects and are worth looking forward to:

1.Jacob's transformation to a werewolf.
2. Bella trying to drown herself and the underwater scene
3.Edwards attempt to expose himself as a vampire among the humans.
4. Scenes with the Volturi coven of vampires... the largest and most powerful coven of Vampires who enforce the laws of the Vampire world.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bs79_5n848Q&NR=1