Which side are you on?
As of late I have noticed that there are a lot of comparisons being made between the Twilight Saga franchise and Harry Potter. Despite being Team Twilight I was intrigued by the fascination with both enterprises and their elaborate attempt to bring back the dichotomy of magical and traditionally violent creatures.
Harry Potter which was released in 1997 established a format for imagination and the spectacular within both the human and wizard world. J.K did not isolate just the enviornment of Hogwarts as being the only inhabitation of these teenagers but included good and bad experiences that had happened in the mortal realm. This crossover of worlds led to Harry's memories of both living with an indulgent and mean aunt and uncle but also having time spent with the Weasley's in their small but homely house. These patterns gave dimensions to the character, book and movies and allowed audiences of all ages to enjoy the adventures of Harry Potter and the expident trio in which Hermione and Ron create. However, it has taken years for the movies to be realesed and with the last to be in two parts. Despite the importance this novel has played since it's release it has less of an affect personally once I read Twilight and became overwhelmed like all those who believe in romance.
Twilight which was released in 2005 has taken the world by storm. Their are those in America who have tattoos of quotes such as "The lion fell in love with the lamb" or the symbolism of the hands holding the apple which also appears in the first film. However the popularization of vampires began with Bran Stokers Dracula and contnued with the 90's series of 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' and the spinoff 'Angel'. Although the world has been introduced to allusive and conjured up view of vampires through the X files and Supernatural, it is Edward Cullen and family who are a different description to those previously created. So Edward does not drink human blood, can go out in sunlight but crystallizes instead of dies or is horribly disfigured, does not have a vampire face like angel, can read minds and has fallen unconditionally in love with the most plain Jane of forks high school, Bella Swan. His struggle to control himself around Bella makes it even more heart wrenching when he decides to leave in the second book to allow her the freedom and life he think she deserves and would have if he were not in her life. This view changes when through false news of her death he realised he has one love and without her the life of immortality he is leading is worthless.This move shows that though he his the undead he is not without a heart. The franchise is phenemonial in money made and the book sales and has had two sucessfull movies with a third to be released next year. Whilst Harry Potter was good when you were 12-14 it is Twilight that is aimed at teenagers and an older generation willing to accept that Love even if imaginary can come in many forms.
But I also see the advantages and disadvantages to the film through critical analysis. I did my final assignment on the topic of 'Genre' and the misrepresentation given to films by their labelling. Twilight for example is classified as being horror and yet their are little sequences that make an individual shriek or shut their eyes in fear. The simple classification of a film helps an audience member decipher their enthusiasm towards that film and if their afraid of mythical creatures who suck blood which is only a partial part compared to the love story then their less likely to see that film. However, the sequencing in which Twilight is labelled can be complicated through sub categorization which may include romance, comedy and become ambiguous in what the plot is actually directed towards. Harry Potter which was established as a sem- teenage film has become darker with every director and release causing children who like the books to be disbaled in their attempt to see the film because it is rated according to national standards of content. There is another element that complicates how we categorize films, special effects. In cinema studes there is a term called 'Mise en scene' and it includes costuming, lighting, shot angles and so forth and when a director has a specific image in mind for a scene these techniques are used to establishe the overall effect which is meant to add character and depth to an otherwise childrens fairy tale and due to this Harry Potter has become about darkness, Power and the invetiability of death.
But I also see the advantages and disadvantages to the film through critical analysis. I did my final assignment on the topic of 'Genre' and the misrepresentation given to films by their labelling. Twilight for example is classified as being horror and yet their are little sequences that make an individual shriek or shut their eyes in fear. The simple classification of a film helps an audience member decipher their enthusiasm towards that film and if their afraid of mythical creatures who suck blood which is only a partial part compared to the love story then their less likely to see that film. However, the sequencing in which Twilight is labelled can be complicated through sub categorization which may include romance, comedy and become ambiguous in what the plot is actually directed towards. Harry Potter which was established as a sem- teenage film has become darker with every director and release causing children who like the books to be disbaled in their attempt to see the film because it is rated according to national standards of content. There is another element that complicates how we categorize films, special effects. In cinema studes there is a term called 'Mise en scene' and it includes costuming, lighting, shot angles and so forth and when a director has a specific image in mind for a scene these techniques are used to establishe the overall effect which is meant to add character and depth to an otherwise childrens fairy tale and due to this Harry Potter has become about darkness, Power and the invetiability of death.
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