Those who have followed the Twilight Saga movie franchise saw how Breaking Dawn Part 1 was significantly different from the previous Twilight films. Whether you're a fan or not, the movie was surprisingly good in many ways (see my movie review). The first half of the final installation was character-driven, with superb visual effects, and an amazing wedding production. Oscar-winner Bill Condon was able to translate the passionate mythology of the novel into the screen, that even a non-fan like me was impressed.
No one can forget the jaw-dropping last act of the film where Bella gave birth, died, and was reborn. I was perplexed by the intensity of the scenes, and the whole time I was astonished by the remarkable and highly realistic visual effects of the scenes-- the sudden shift of the movie to such palpable horror. It was one of the most emotional and realistic death scenes in a movie that I have ever seen. The editing was glorious, and for the first time, a Twilight movie emotionally connected with me.
And the wedding scene...when I first saw Bella's wedding gown revealed in all its stunning period/modern beauty, surrounded by a mass of pure white flowers, with a profound musical score, I wanted to know the details and the inspiration of that important scene.
So this morning, I finally popped in the Disc 2 of my Breaking Dawn Bella's Wedding Dress Edition DVD set (from C-Interactive Digital Entertainment) into my player and watched the bonus features, which include the best bonus of all: the 6-part making-of documentary: A New Beginning, The Wedding, The Honeymoon, The Wolf Pack, The Pregnancy, and The Birth.
Regardless of whether you're a Twi-hard or not, as long as you're a cinephile or a film student, or simply curious how they pulled off the gaunt and stick-thin Bella so realistically, the docu is a pleasure to watch. The fast-paced, precise, and detailed explanations of the significant scenes in the movie are engaging, all from the visions of the talented Bill Condon-- from the stunning wedding production, to the locations, to the creation of the Island of Esme, to the romantic scenes, to the artistic and technical visions of the production team, and to their love, meticulous care, and hard work to deliver an engaging cinematic storytelling to the fans.
The Pregnancy and The Birth are my favorite parts of the documentary; they revealed the secret of how they pulled off the deteriorating Bella so horrifyingly realistic, revealing to us movie magic that is the combination of raw talent, creativity, old school filmmaking and digital filmmaking. I can't give spoilers, though. You have to purchase the DVD. I know how it feels to be a fan and how awful it is when you're excitement is ruined by spoiler reviews.
The cinephile that I am, utterly impressed by the visual effects of the movie, I was wowed by the behind the scenes movie magic revealed in the docu. It was actually what made my copy of the DVD so valuable.
For the those who are less interested in the technical aspect of the filmmaking, the bonus features also include:
- Jacob's Destiny - an analysis and the evolution of the Jacob Black character.
- Edward and Bella's Wedding Video - as if you borrowed their personal video of the wedding.
- Edward Fast Forwad and Jacob Fast Forward - a clever feature where you get to watch the Edward-only or Jacob-only parts, and watch them over and over again.
- Audio Commentary of Bill Condon - Of course, who wouldn't want to hear from the man behind the movie?
And if I were a Twi-hard, I couldn't imagine a better DVD collection. Seriously. If you're a Twi-hard, a writer, a storyteller, and a film enthusiast, the DVD set is a must-have.
If you want to get a copy of the same DVD that I have, visit
If you want to read my review of the movie:
My coverage of the Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn DVD Release Party and the Unboxing of my Wedding Dress DVD Edition:
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