It had vampires. It had werewolves. It had teen drama, and it offered an unconventional love story that resonated with us. The five-part film series, The Twilight Saga, a cult classic vampire love story that marked the acting debut of Hollywood star Kristen Stewart, completed 14 years on November 21.
Twilight, the first instalment of the series, hit theatres in 2008 and became a craze with millennials overnight. Actors Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner and Stewart also carved a niche in their acting career with this film series, an adaptation of books written by Stephenie Meyer. We pick five memorable scenes from the five Twilight films.
1. Twilight (2008): Edward sees Bella in the biology class
Twilight marked the beginning of the love story between Bella (Kristen Stewart) and Edward (Robert Pattinson). Some of our favourite moments from the first film remain Edward and Bella’s prom night together as well as the first time Edward reveals his secret to Bella. But the most memorable scene is the one where Edward sees Bella in biology class and gags at her, confusing Bella even more about the mysterious Edward. He later reveals that Bella’s scent was so alluring that he wanted to kill her immediately.
2. The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009): Bella shields Edward from the sun
After the events of the first film, Edward and Bella barely reconcile before the Cullens leave Forks for Bella’s safety. Bella falls into depression after her break-up with Edward and finds herself in the arms of her best friend Jacob (Taylor Lautner). Bella keeps getting glimpses of Edward while being in near-death scenarios and jumps off a cliff in an attempt to make Edward come back.
Edward, on the other hand, thinks Bella is dead because Jacob doesn’t let her speak to him on phone. Edward then attempts to reveal his true identity to humans in front of the Volturi lair in Tuscany, Italy. This leads to the best scene in the film in which Bella races through the streets of Italy, jostles through the crowd and jumps into the arms of Edward to shield him from the sun, which would have revealed his shimmering vampire self.
3. The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (2010): Jacob riles up Edward
As a string of mysterious murders takes place in and around Forks, the Cullens realise that the motive behind the disappearances and killings is to ultimately take revenge on Bella. Edward decides to let his family and Jacob’s werewolf clan deal with the killers while the trio move to safety in the mountains. Our favourite scene is the one where Jacob pops into the tent where Bella is shivering from the cold. Jacob delivers his punchline — ‘I am hotter than you’ — to Edward and slides into the blanket with Bella while Edward glares at the two.
4. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part I (2011): Bella-Edward’s wedding
After Edward proposes to Bella, she constantly gets nightmares before her big day. As their wedding date approaches, Bella is full of anxiety but takes her father’s hand and walks down the aisle to a charming Edward waiting for her at the altar. While there are a number of memorable moments from the fourth film, it’s Bella and Edward’s wedding scene that stands out. As the vampire-human duo exchange their wedding vows, you can feel the immense love the two have for each other. It makes you believe that Bella and Edward are truly made for each other.
5. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part II (2012): The fight between the Cullens and the Volturi
After the birth of Edward and Bella’s daughter Renesmee, Bella transforms from a human to a vampire. Jacob, on the other hand, imprints on the baby which leads to Bella screaming at him while the Cullens watch. However, danger looms in the form of the Volturi who find out that the young couple might have given birth to an ‘immortal child’ and set out to vanquish the clan for breaking the rules. The fight scene between the Cullens and the Volturi remains unparalleled.
