When you think of Edward Norton and film twists, the first thing that probably comes to mind is David Fincher’s Fight Club. Three years before the cult film Norton made his film debut in a psychological thriller that also has a drastic twist. Tonight in Twilight you can experience what it was like when millions first discovered Norton’s talent.
In Twilight, lawyer Richard Gere defends the defendant Edward Norton
A popular archbishop is found dead, and the crime scene presents a grisly scene. The main suspect is 19-year-old Aaron Stampler (Edward Norton), a shy altar boy. The somewhat arrogant lawyer Martin Vail (Richard Gere) takes on the case because Vail is convinced that everyone deserves a proper defense, even gang bosses and the like. Vail believes in the innocence of his mandate, and gradually becomes Secrets uncovered that put the murdered Bischoff in a bad light…
Paramount
Edward Norton
Pretty Woman actor Richard Gere was a big star in the 90s, but opposite him was a virtual unknown. Edward Norton was working in the theater when casting agent Shirley Rich discovered him. She passed his name on to the Twilight team and that was just in time. A certain Leonardo DiCaprio had just left the project and they needed a replacement, according to a contemporary New York Times article. 2,100 actors applied for the rolebut when casting director Deborah Aquila saw Edward Norton, her decision was made:
This boy came in, and I could not believe it. He was a child prodigy. I picked up the phone, called the director and said, ‘Get on the plane right now.’
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The thriller lives from the acting duel between the two stars
After a screen test, Norton got the role, Twilight became a box office success in 1996 and it rained nominations, including for the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.
The twist in Twilight won’t be revealed here, but it certainly played a significant part in the hype that developed around the acting talent. Twilight also offers twists and turns exciting thriller entertainment and is one of the best legal films from the era. This is also due to Richard Gere, whose performance is less extroverted than Norton’s, but who skillfully further develops his image as a slick leading man here. The audience needs Gere’s lulling presence in order to walk openly into the clutches of the shocking twist.
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This is how you can watch Twilight
ZDFneo is showing Zwielicht on TV today, January 10th from 11:15 p.m. There is no repeat. If you’re counting sheep, you can watch the thriller at any time with a subscription to the Paramount+ streaming service.