Movie Comparison/Dissection #1: Love?

At the start of this Thanksgiving break I saw two movies - one that I'd heard a lot of and mostly enjoyed, and one that I hadn't heard too much of and really loved. They both were primarily romantic, and both had some great kisses. They're both kind of fairy tales, and they both end happily. And both movies have some flawed perspectives on love. Let me explain.

The first, you might have guessed, was Twilight, the ultimate teen fangirl dream film. I made sure to know what I was getting myself into when I saw this one. Yes, I've read all the books, and yes I enjoyed the read. (Cotton-candy romantic entertainment. I enjoyed Meyer's other book The Host even more.) And I read all the reviews I could find before seeing the film, so I really felt prepared for what I found: Cheese. Baseball-playing vampire cheese. And guess what? I was totally fine with it. Like I said, I mostly enjoyed it. There's a lot of nitpicky stuff I could go into, but I'd rather not. It was not a bad way to spend two hours and eight fifty.

The next night I went to Blockbuster with my cousins and saw the film Penelope, which my cousin Brad insisted on pronouncing in a way that rhymes with "antelope." He didn't really feel like watching it, actually, especially judging by the flowery, almost sappy looking DVD cover. Well, we did watch it, and it shattered my expectations. Yes, it was a fairy-tale-like romance where a girl is cursed with a pig-like face and only when someone "of her own kind" (that is, blue-blooded rich) loves her will she be turned beautiful. BUT! It doesn't go about it in the way you would expect. In fact, the movie did things in such unexpected ways I couldn't even turn away. In many movies you count the "wow!" moments; in this one even Brad was always saying "What?!?" instead. It was very surprising, quirky and different...but in a delightfully satisifying way. And while the ending might have been an obvious one, I really enjoyed how it got there.

But I didn't just want to review these movies, I wanted to look through a feminist perspective at the relationships they portray. Don't get mad - I'm not saying all guys are like this. I'm just saying this is one way it can be interpreted. Get ready for it.

Penelope

In Penelope her suitors come talk to her through a one-way mirror, until she comes right out and shows them her face. They either run away screaming or crash themselves out through the window to get away from her hideousness. Finally, though, there's one who happens to not see when she comes out, and when the rest have run away, he stays and talks to her through the glass. He comes back day after day and they get to know each other, have a chess game, even play music together while in separate rooms.

And I thought, isn't that just the way this guy would love to have it? It's like a self-absorbed-man's dream relationship: he only has to talk to himself! Sure, they have a conversation, but he's not really with her, is he? He's in a room with another version of himself. It's a very selfish way to look at a relationship, but sometimes that's all that's wanted: another You. Who did he really fall in love with? In that room he may be talking to her, but it's really all about HIM.

Twilight

Once I started thinking about it. I realized Twilight had a similar theme. And I admit, I didn't notice it myself: I read in other reviews that Edward never tells Bella she's beautiful. She, however, tells him he's perfect. Setting aside the book version, since it does allow for the relationship to be a bit more complicated, in the movie at least it seems that Edward and Bella aren't in love with each other. They're just in love with how much he's in love with her.

In the book it felt (slightly) less creepy, but the movie made it glaringly obvious that Edward is more obsessed with how much he desires her than with her, herself. Girls find it attractive to be wanted so badly: after all, everyone wants to be loved. But that's really the only thing holding them together. Again, it's not about her. He's not focused on Bella as much as he is focused on how much he loves her. So really, he's only focused on himself. Hey, even Bella herself is so focused on him she doesn't even take care of herself. So how is this good for her??

So, after seeing these two movies back to back, it really seemed like they would come out on the worse end when examined from a feminist perspective. It's not even about the girl. Most of the focus is on the guy - on his love, fascination, and obsession. It's strange, too, since Twilight was written, and both movies were directed, by women.

Other thought to ponder: what Marian the librarian sings in "The Music Man" that my stake performed this month. She wants a man "who is more interested in me than he is in himself, and more interested in 'us' than he is in me." Hmmm...

Also, I watched (an incredible Masterpiece Theater version of the classic novel) Jane Eyre tonight, and that's one that really gets you thinking. There are, of course, encyclopedias written about Mr Rochester and Jane, but I specifically noticed where he deliberately doesn't tell her that he's decided to marry her, and talks about the marriage preparations and plans directly to her, letting her think that he's going to be marrying someone else! So manipulative. Fun for him, I suppose, but HOW is that good for Jane, at all?

OK, now for the end disclaimer: No, I am not really as bitter as all this makes me seem. I was merely intrigued by the juxtaposition of these movies and wished to share my comments, as I hope you will. I really did enjoy the movies! And I really, really do enjoy dissecting them afterward!