Say what one might about theTwilightfranchise as a whole, but the first installment in the series is no where near as bad as some might say. The firstTwilightmovie set the stage and tonefor the entire franchise, and there isn’t a single still image shot in the whole movie that viewers won’t instantly recognize as being from theTwilightworld. That’s because of the eye catching and signature cinematography. Also, the soundtrack is on another level—definitely ahead of the times and trends within pop music culture.
Although there are some hit or miss moments (and maybe even entire movies) in the series that don’t quite meet the mark, the first movie is the quintessential essence of the franchise andeverything fans loved about the worldand the story from the dreary, blue-colored palette that oozed gothic romance, to the mundane aspects of every day teenaged life. Not only wasTwilightvisually stunning, but it was a literal snapshot of the late 2000s and early 2010s in terms of speech patterns, clothing, atmosphere, and hairstyles. The franchise used to get a lot of hate, but many are now realizing that this hate was unwarranted and was a result of society’s past mentality of so called “female” entertainment.
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If there is one scene that evenTwilighthaters can’t help but grin at and enjoy,it’s the baseball scene. Anyone who has seen the film or even been on the internet in the last 10 years knows exactly the scene in question without any further explanation. Everything about this scene is iconic. There are several things that add to the charm and memorability of this particularTwilightmoment including the costuming, dialogue and one-liners, music, setting, and acting. And don’t forget theslow-mo treadmill walking vampire baddiesthat enter at the end of the scene. The baseball scene is also just a really cool and unique premise that’s never been seen in any other movie. It’s cute and fun, so why not?
As mentioned before,Twilightdefinitely has a unique lookthat fans deemed “theTwilightaesthetic”—a phrase that’s used to describe movies or shows (or pictures) set in a rainy, moody town with mountains and trees, or possibly with a blue filter. And that aesthetic perfectly sets the mood for the baseball scene, which takes place in a forest during a thunderstorm (it can’t get anymoreTwilightthan trees and stormy weather). As fans have said, when the music for the scene starts (Supermassive Black Hole by Muse), they are immediately hooked into the playful moment that demonstrates how even vampires enjoy America’s favorite pastime.
This is the first time viewers really get to see Bella bonding with her future family, and the chemistry between all the actors is on fire. Even though it is subtle, the audiencealso gets to see the personality traitsof each of the Cullen family members from the things they say to their actions during the baseball game. Alice and Jasper are just about the coolest vampire couple ever, and both demonstrate abilities that steal the scene—like Alice’s high kick when she is pitching or Jasper’s skillful bat twirling (a stunt actor Jackson Rathbone performed himself).
All the different camera angles, zooms, and quick cuts in this scenereally make the characters pop off the screen, and makes it seem like they are performing a larger-than-life act. And they are, as the Cullen family is so strong and fast that they need the cover of thunder to play the game. As described in the book, the vampires' bodies are like frozen stone, and the sound of them tackling one another sounds like an enormous crack of lightning (as does the sound of the bat hitting the ball from their strength). When Emmett and Edward collide in the scene, it is a little goofy. Butviewers are having such a fun timethat it doesn’t matter.
The baseball scene heavily relies on the Dutch Angle, which is a photography technique that involves tilting the camera to the side.The best uses of the Dutch Anglein this particular scene have to be the shot of Edward when he turns around just before running off to catch the baseball, and when Carlisle steps up to the plate to bat. The director of the film, Catherine Hardwicke, added several changes to the script for the movie. One of those changes appears in the baseball scene as a line delivered by Rosalie. She says, “my monkey man” approvingly after Emmett climbs a tree to catch the baseball.
This isn’t the first spider-monkey reference used in the film, and although at first many may have cringed at this line, it is now (13 years later) a part of what makesthis otherworldly scene so iconic. There are so many great moments in theTwilightseries (especially the first film), and rewatching the film will definitely provide fans with some throwback nostalgia and laughs from their 2008 lives.
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