Holloway mourns death of student - The Founder

The Founder | Monday 8 December 2008
E X T R A
11
Twilight: promotes unrealistic expectations
Jessica Benn
This vampire love story is adored
by the hordes of screaming preteens
and the now infamous ‘Twimoms’
alike, something about this book
has captured the imagination of
millions of people (mainly rabid
fangirls wanting sexy vampire Edward
to bite them). But after seeing
the much- awaited film adaptation
I was finally able to place my finger
on what it is that concerns me about
such representations of love.
This classic boy meets girl story
changes slightly into, boy meets girl
and girl likes boy but boy is a vampire
and wants to suck girls’ blood
from her body because she smells
like freesias. No. Seriously. Like
Freesias. “You have a very floral
smell, like lavender… or freesia,” he
noted. “It’s mouth-watering.” There
is no need to make anything up with
this book. But strangely, Edward being
a vampire is not the most worrying
part, but instead the absolute dependence
of Bella on Edward. This
is not a strong, independent girl
who finds love and then finds herself;
Bella literally becomes obsessed
with Edward losing all semblance of
identity in the process. Perhaps, it is
not the sloppy characterisation that
is the problem, but that millions of
preteen girls view this relationship
as the epitome of love. Indeed, much
Ingram Hill
“
Myer has allowed
a generation of
young girls to view
a relationship that
is impossible to
achieve
”
like children who watch Disney stories
and expect the same romantic
twists in their lives, Stephanie Myer
has allowed a generation of young
girls to view a relationship that is
impossible to achieve.
Because essentially, any way you
look at it, this relationship is impossible
to achieve, even if you did manage
to somehow find a vampire to
begin with. Edward saves Bella’s life
on more than one occasion, mainly
from her own stupidity, but is only
able to do so because he doesn’t
sleep and spends all his time watching
her. All his time. He watches her
sleep for about two months before
finally admitting to it. Bella is okay
with this because Edward is super
A Beginner’s Guide to...
Far, far away from the comic book
convention, the force of science fiction
has burrowed deep into modern
culture. None more so, one could
argue, than the visions of future
worlds: the gigantic vistas, steaming
conurbations and ominous heights
which continue to mesmerise audiences.
The appeal of the future
world is simple, providing a glimpse
into the familiar unknown, often
presented as a terrifying alternative
to the comforts of today. This
is questioning cinema, probing the
recurrent problems of our times
and demanding a response from the
viewer.
The futuristic vision of Metropolis
(1927), in all its sprawling glory,
has been hard to match. Fritz Lang’s
film is essentially a tale of class and
hot. Edward literally stalks Bella to
the point where she has no autonomy,
not that she wants it - because
Edward is super hot. Even when Edward
admits he might accidently eat
her because she smells so good (got
to love those freesias) Bella is okay
with this because Edward is super
hot. Spot a running theme here?
All this leaves a bit of a dilemma
for anyone wanting to maintain that
Futureworld Cinema
their relationship is realisti: the only
time she makes an independent decision
she is by herself and it nearly
results in her death.
The time for radical feminism has,
in some ways, already passed, representations
of strong females are still
needed. Aspiring to be Bella Swann
is no aspiration at all, and placing
her in the coveted position of love
object to the overly Byronic Edward
capitalism, and has left us with some
of the great cinematic images of all
time. The gothic skyline looms over
the plight of the workers in a technological
world far from any promised
paradise. The more earnest
Things to Come (1936), penned
by the great H.G. Wells, played it
straighter and cleaner. A cautionary
portrait of a world ravaged by conflict,
the film aims to startle viewers
from their self-interest and destruction.
What it achieves for cinema, it
failed to prevent in the battlefields of
the twentieth century.
The anti-authority streak of 1960s
and 70s film-makers found a stronghold
in the broad scope of the future
world. Farenheit 451 (1966) reflected
the disillusionment towards selfinterested
government which had
been growing throughout the decade.
A time when free-thinking was
discouraged, books burned, and television
lifestyle imprisoned minds
seemed an ever-likely possibility.
What Farenheit 451 did for dystopian
theory, Logan’s Run (1976) did
for mass conspiracy. Michael York,
as the titular runner, must escape
the confines of a ‘sanctuary’ from
nuclear holocaust; the paradisiacal
‘promised land’ holds a hideous secret.
The idea of government sanctioned
murder, to allow for smooth
administration, is as potent in today’s
nihilistic world as it was to the
post-Vietnam mindset of the time.
Misuse of power became a staple
of the genre, from the relentlessly
grim Hong Kong actioner The Final
Test (1987), to the well-received and
largely forgotten Dark City (1998).
Indeed, action has always had a
special relationship with science fiction.
Mad Max (1979) gave the world
a memorably sadistic anti-hero who
is as much hurtling towards oblivion
as the biker gang he pursues. If
Mel Gibson’s seething performance
tended to blur the lines of good and
bad, Robocop (1987) can be seen as
a re-dress of the balance. But what
could have been a mere crowdpleaser
ends up as Paul Verhoeven’s
gruesome and satirical side-swipe
at modern lifestyle. Both films have
become cult favourites that, whilst
possibly lacking in focus, possess a
raw imaginative energy which is impossible
to deny.
But the most remarkable cinematic
visions of the future are undoubtedly
Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner
has the possibility of giving millions
of preteens ideas of love that are unrealistic.
In saying that though, I do
recommend seeing the film, if only
to watch Robert Pattinson play Edward
(he is actually super hot, but I
doubt that would make it okay for
him to stalk you). See it, make your
own decision and if possible take a
younger sister or cousin, odds are
on that they’ll love it.
(1982). Scott’s film dazzles with its
fully-realised cityscape, seductive
atmosphere and Rutger Hauer’s
wonderfully poised performance.
Its profound questions about life,
love and creation continue to confound
audiences, with the film becoming
a greater puzzle and Harrison
Ford’s character more of an
enigma with each newly released
cut. The choice of a ridiculously
exaggerated future reveals the farce
of contemporary life in its plainest
colours. Through the lens of the
future world, our world is brought
into sharp focus.