Twilight's thematic complexity thus far surpasses the complexity of Vampire Diaries. It offers a sustained critique of the contemporary American family, and in doing so, offers solutions. Twilight reflects on the nature of family and motherhood in a way that Vampire Diaries doesn't even scratch the surface of.
Part of what makes Twilight so brilliant is Bella and Edward's old-fashioned courtship. The series explicitly values abstinence before marriage, an unusual point of interest that the Vampire Diaries does not share. What other contemporary narrative film or TV show simultaneously places value on abstinence before marriage and sexual desire? Think about it. It is quite interesting in this respect alone: just as Edward exercises self-control over his desire to drink Bella"s blood (clearly analogous to sexual desire, not just in Twilight but in vampire lore generally), he refuses to give in to Bella"s persistent desire for sexual contact. Twilight thus offers bizarre take on male/female romance. The thematic complexity here becomes even more interesting after Bella's transformation into a vampire. It is at this moment, after her desire for her father's blood manifests, that viewers become distinctly aware of the way that her sexual desire for Edward is symbolically the same desire she has for her father, not as a lover but as a father. In other words, Twilight ventures into potentially Freudian territory, speculating on the nature of fatherhood in male/female romance. These are extremely complex themes that don't have clear answers. The idea here is that Twilight offers an exceedingly complex network of motifs relating to family, motherhood, fatherhood, and sexual desire that offer great entertainment value as well as deep interpretive challenges for critics.
Another thing I love about the Twilight films which I think sets them apart from Vampire Diaries are the unusual layers of irony that pervade the films. The social interactions in Twilight, for example, are often bizarre and in themselves pose masterful examples of irony. One of the really great scenes in Twilight occurs when Bella calls her mom after the first day of school. If viewers might recall, the students are extremely welcoming, treating Bella almost as if she were a celebrity. Yet when she speaks to her mom later that day, and her mom asks how the first day of school went, Bella replies in a tone of total and utter sarcasm: "they were very welcoming." It is a great moment of ironic genius, as Bella's sarcasm suggests the students weren't welcoming whereas viewers are privy to the knowledge that the students were in fact very welcoming. It turns out that Bella speaks the truth even at the same moment that she is totally oblivious to it. The layers of irony here are performed flawlessly, they remind viewers of the great ironies in Shakespeare's plays. Yes, Twilight is THAT good.
What is so impressive about this scene, however, is that the irony doesn't end there: Bella's mother asks if there are any boys Bella liked. This adds another layer of irony because the viewer of the film knows the real reason Bella is upset is not because the students weren't welcoming but because the one person who wasn't welcoming was a boy, Edward. Bella's mother emphasizes this point for viewers through her question, and in doing so, brings out yet another register of meaning and irony. The film is filled with scenes like these that provide both comic relief and critical commentary on the experience/representation of youth and adolescence within the family unit.
Returning to Pro's criticisms, Twilight is more thematically complex, multi-dimensional, interesting, and entertaining than Vampire Diaries. Pro claims Vampire Diaries introduces new characters each season but this actually is one of the reasons that Vampire Diaries is worse than Twilight: since Twilight focuses on just a few characters, it is able to develop those characters more fully. Moreover, Twilight's exploration of the thematic complexity involved with family, motherhood, and sexual desire cannot possibly be matched. Vampire Diaries is a superficial show compared to Twilight. Pro's claim that Twilight is not as heavy on murder is irrelevant, as many great films don't have any murder whatsoever. And Pro's claim that Vampire Diaries is better because it focuses on multiple relationships is actually false as well, since none of the relationships in Vampire Diaries are nearly as developed as the single relationship in Twilight. Twilight ventures into themes regarding eternal life, family, sexual desire, and motherhood that Vampire Diaries barely recognizes. Twilight is as such without a doubt the better series.
Part of what makes Twilight so brilliant is Bella and Edward's old-fashioned courtship. The series explicitly values abstinence before marriage, an unusual point of interest that the Vampire Diaries does not share. What other contemporary narrative film or TV show simultaneously places value on abstinence before marriage and sexual desire? Think about it. It is quite interesting in this respect alone: just as Edward exercises self-control over his desire to drink Bella"s blood (clearly analogous to sexual desire, not just in Twilight but in vampire lore generally), he refuses to give in to Bella"s persistent desire for sexual contact. Twilight thus offers bizarre take on male/female romance. The thematic complexity here becomes even more interesting after Bella's transformation into a vampire. It is at this moment, after her desire for her father's blood manifests, that viewers become distinctly aware of the way that her sexual desire for Edward is symbolically the same desire she has for her father, not as a lover but as a father. In other words, Twilight ventures into potentially Freudian territory, speculating on the nature of fatherhood in male/female romance. These are extremely complex themes that don't have clear answers. The idea here is that Twilight offers an exceedingly complex network of motifs relating to family, motherhood, fatherhood, and sexual desire that offer great entertainment value as well as deep interpretive challenges for critics.
Another thing I love about the Twilight films which I think sets them apart from Vampire Diaries are the unusual layers of irony that pervade the films. The social interactions in Twilight, for example, are often bizarre and in themselves pose masterful examples of irony. One of the really great scenes in Twilight occurs when Bella calls her mom after the first day of school. If viewers might recall, the students are extremely welcoming, treating Bella almost as if she were a celebrity. Yet when she speaks to her mom later that day, and her mom asks how the first day of school went, Bella replies in a tone of total and utter sarcasm: "they were very welcoming." It is a great moment of ironic genius, as Bella's sarcasm suggests the students weren't welcoming whereas viewers are privy to the knowledge that the students were in fact very welcoming. It turns out that Bella speaks the truth even at the same moment that she is totally oblivious to it. The layers of irony here are performed flawlessly, they remind viewers of the great ironies in Shakespeare's plays. Yes, Twilight is THAT good.
What is so impressive about this scene, however, is that the irony doesn't end there: Bella's mother asks if there are any boys Bella liked. This adds another layer of irony because the viewer of the film knows the real reason Bella is upset is not because the students weren't welcoming but because the one person who wasn't welcoming was a boy, Edward. Bella's mother emphasizes this point for viewers through her question, and in doing so, brings out yet another register of meaning and irony. The film is filled with scenes like these that provide both comic relief and critical commentary on the experience/representation of youth and adolescence within the family unit.
Returning to Pro's criticisms, Twilight is more thematically complex, multi-dimensional, interesting, and entertaining than Vampire Diaries. Pro claims Vampire Diaries introduces new characters each season but this actually is one of the reasons that Vampire Diaries is worse than Twilight: since Twilight focuses on just a few characters, it is able to develop those characters more fully. Moreover, Twilight's exploration of the thematic complexity involved with family, motherhood, and sexual desire cannot possibly be matched. Vampire Diaries is a superficial show compared to Twilight. Pro's claim that Twilight is not as heavy on murder is irrelevant, as many great films don't have any murder whatsoever. And Pro's claim that Vampire Diaries is better because it focuses on multiple relationships is actually false as well, since none of the relationships in Vampire Diaries are nearly as developed as the single relationship in Twilight. Twilight ventures into themes regarding eternal life, family, sexual desire, and motherhood that Vampire Diaries barely recognizes. Twilight is as such without a doubt the better series.
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