If you’re a vampire, it’s all about you. Why is Edward Cullen obsessed to the point of erotomania by Bella Swan? Because she smells so yummy, but he doesn’t want to kill her. Here’s what he tells her: He must not be around her. He might sink his fangs in just a little, and not be able to stop. She finds this overwhelmingly attractive. She tells him he is the most beautiful thing she has ever seen. I don’t remember Edward ever saying that to her. Maybe once. He keeps on saying they should stay far, far apart, because he craves her so much.

Should a woman fall in love with a man because he desires her so much? Men seem to think so. It's not about the woman, it's about the man's desire. We all know there is no such thing as a vampire. Come on now, what is "Twilight" really about? It's about a teenage boy trying to practice abstinence, and how, in the heat of the moment, it's really, really hard. And about a girl who wants to go all the way with him, and doesn't care what might happen. He's so beautiful she would do anything for him. She is the embodiment of the sentiment, "I'd die for you." She is, like many adolescents, a thanatophile.

If there were no vampires in "Twilight," it would be a thin-blooded teenage

romance, about two good-looking kids who want each other so much because they want each other so much. Sometimes that's all it's about, isn't it? They're in love with being in love. In "Twilight," however, they have a seductive disagreement about whether he should kill her. She's like, I don't especially want to die, but if that's what it takes, count me in. She is touched by his devotion. Think what a sacrifice he is making on her behalf. On Prom Night, on the stage of the not

especially private gazebo in the public gardens, he teeters right on the brink of a fang job, and then brings all of her trembling to a dead stand-still.

The movie is lush and beautiful, and the actors are well-chosen. You may recall Robert Pattinson (Edward) as Cedric Diggory, who on Voldemort's orders was murdered in a graveyard in "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire." Maybe he was already a vampire. Pattinson is not unaware of how handsome he is. When Bella and Edward, still strangers, exchange stern and burning looks in the school cafeteria, he transfixes her with a dark and glowering - nay, penetrating - stare. I checked

Pattinson out on Google Images and found he almost always glowers at the camera 'neath shadowed brow. Kristen Stewart's Bella, on the other hand, is a fresh-faced innocent who is totally undefended against his voltage.

Bella has left her mom and stepdad in hot Arizona, clutching a potted cactus, to come live in the clammy, rainy Pacific Northwest, home of Seasonal Affective

Disorder. Her dad (Billy Burke) is the chief of police of the very small town of Forks, Washington (pop. 3,120). His greatest asset: "He doesn't hover." At high school, she quickly notices the preternaturally pale Cullen clan, who in some shots seem to be wearing as much Max Factor Pancake White as Harry Langdon. Edward is 114 years old. He must be really tired of taking biology class. Darwin came in during his watch, and proved vampires can't exist.

There are other strange youths around, including American Indians who appear not too distantly descended from their tribe's ancestors, wolves. Great tension between the wolves and vampires. Also some rival vampires around. How small is this town? The Forks high school is so big, it must serve a consolidated district serving the whole table setting. The main local Normal Kid is a nice sandy-haired boy who asks Bella to the prom. He's out of his depth here, unless he can

transmogrify into a grizzly. Also there are four grey-bearded coots at the next table in the local diner, who eavesdrop and exchange significant glances and get big, significant close-ups but are still just sitting significantly nodding, for all I know. Edward has the ability to move as swiftly as Superman. Like him he can stop a runaway pickup with one arm. He rescues Bella twice that I remember, maybe because he truly loves her, maybe because he's saving her for later. She has

questions. "How did you appear out of nowhere and stop that truck?" Well might she ask. When he finally explains that he is a vampire, he goes up from 8 to 10 on her Erotometer. Why do girls always prefer the distant, aloof, handsome, dangerous dudes instead of cheerful chaps like me?

"Twilight" will mesmerize its target audience, 16-year-old girls and their

grandmothers. Their mothers know all too much about boys like this. I saw it at a sneak preview. Last time I saw a movie in that same theater, the audience welcomed it as an opportunity to catch up on gossip, texting, and laughing at private jokes. This time the audience was rapt with attention. Sometimes a soft chuckle, as when the principal Indian boy has well-developed incisors. Sometimes a soft sigh. Afterwards, I eavesdropped on some conversations. A few were saying, "He's so hot!" More floated in a sweet dreaminess. Edward seemed to stir their surrender instincts.

The movie, based on the Stephenie Meyer novel, was directed by Catherine Hardwicke. She uses her great discovery, Nikki Reed, in the role of the beautiful Rosalie Hale. Reed wrote Hardwick's "Thirteen" (2003) when she was only 14. That was a movie that knew a lot more about teenage girls. The girl played by Reed in that movie would make mincemeat of Edward. But I understand who "Twilight" appeals to, and it sure will.

Joe Morgenstern

? twailait] n.黎明；黄昏? [pri?tend] v.假装；借口；妄求

? si?ri:z] n.连续；系列；丛书 ? [??:nist] a.认真的 n.认真；诚恳 ? [r?u?m?ns] n.中世纪骑士小说

? me??] n.量度；范围 vt.测量

? fi?f?l] a.可怕的；担心的 ? [??lai?ns] n.联盟；同盟

? [,p?:s??n?liti] n.人；个性；人品；人物

? [,simp??θetik] a.同情的，有同情心的

? [?sivilaizd] a.先进的；文明的 ? [?l?vi?] a.爱的，有爱情的 ? temp?r?ri] a.暂时的 n.临时工

? [?plezntli] ad.令人愉快地；舒适地

? [i?fi??nt] a.有效的，有能力的

? [?epis?ud] n.插曲；一段情节

? [?traii?] a.难堪的；费劲的

? ?d?vent??r?s] a.冒险的；惊险的

? [?fr?nt?aiz] n.选举权；特许权

? wintri] a.冬天的；荒凉的

? [?spi:ki?] n.说话 a.发言的

? [?p?ust?] n.招贴；贴标语的人

? ?u?ei??n] n.毕业(典礼)；刻度

? d?bli] ad.加倍地，双重地

? [?bl?ntli] ad.钝，迟钝地；直率地

 

第二篇：暮光之城影评 英文

To preface this review, I read all four Twilight books in one weekend (last weekend, actually) when I picked the first one up at the airport, and could not put it down. I zipped through the other three and went to the midnight screening on opening day. To say the least, I was captivated by Twilight (and I'm in my 20s...).

I was anxious to see the movie because, like so many other people, I felt really invested in Bella and Edward's story. Not only that, but I love the vampire premise - it just never gets old, especially when you put a new spin on it, as Meyer did in her books. The events of each book really ran together for me, so in a way, I felt like a non-Twilighter coming into this film. I really didn't care if the movie deviated from the book - in fact, I was kind of hoping it would, since you can't expect a book to translate directly to the screen. I heard a lot of serious Twilight teens complaining about "major things" missing when I left the theater, but I honestly didn't notice any major omissions.

Overall, the film was better than I expected (based on previews, I expected it to be extremely cheesy, low-budget, and awkwardly filmed). It definitely grew on me as it went on, especially Pattinson's performance. His introduction was extremely awkward - not sure if that was Hardwicke's fault or Pattinson's acting. In any case, as soon as he settled into his character, he was absolutely captivating. Stewart plays a great brooder, and she certainly did that here. I loved the scenes with her father; in my opinion, these were some of the gems of the movie.

The romance between Edward and Bella, which was obviously the crux of the film, was fueled by their chemistry, but not much else. Where was the development?! I really wish Hardwicke or the screenwriter or somebody had taken more time to delve into the roots of their relationship. It all just happened way too fast. I feel like this happened because of the James story, which to me was almost completely unnecessary (yeah, I know, it's a big part of the book and obviously needs to be here). But even so, the film would have been a more moving romance, and probably a more poignant, emotional film, if that cheesy, goofy subplot hadn't existed.

Hardwicke dealt exceptionally well with teen angst, which was evident in the high school shots. Unfortunately, she really struggled with the vampire side of things. I have to put most of the blame on the director because the characters were all spot-on, very well-acted and well-cast. I also think a higher budget would have done wonders for this movie, and I'm hoping that becomes a reality for the sequel. The special effects were embarrassingly bad, and nearly ruined the movie.

Overall, I enjoyed "Twilight" for what it was - a romance that probed the timeless dilemma of wanting what you can't have (and despite Meyer's Mormon beliefs, this whole series is basically a metaphor for sex). It makes for an interesting, compelling story, and I expect more from the sequels, because the potential is certainly there.