Let The Right One In

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Postby fish » Wed Apr 08, 2009 4:19 am

I think I agree with you Ian. I like the film even more for leaving that interpretation open.
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Postby Ian » Thu Apr 09, 2009 3:41 am

I say something sensible occasionally. :wink:

My 'official' copy of LTROI arrived today. I'll check it out later, though I am resigned to it most likely being the version with the crap subtitles. :cry:
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Postby Ian » Thu Apr 09, 2009 11:18 am

It is. BOO. :cry:
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Postby Agnes&Elin Forever! » Thu Apr 09, 2009 9:24 pm

fish wrote:
And like Bruno says the old man is a pedo in the book


Does the book give him any more background, like how long he had been with Eli and how they came together in the first place?


This I don't know
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Postby Agnes&Elin Forever! » Fri Apr 10, 2009 12:37 am

What do you think of the stuff about Eli being a castrated boy?

Not this thing in itself, but the idea that this is a love story between two boys, and that this would be proof that such a thing could be just as sweet as one between two girls like in FÅ

There was some talk earlier about this on the board

My opinion is that since Eli quite clearly is played by a girl this never becomes apparent, thus this is more or less like a straight love story

Even though it's between a boy and a vampire girl, or almost girl :lol:

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Postby Ian » Fri Apr 10, 2009 3:03 am

I'm inclined to agree, Magnus. If they'd wanted to go that down road, they should perhaps have got a boy with an androgynous quality (like Jaye Davidson in The Crying Game! :lol: ). As it is, Lina Leandersson is clearly a girl!
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Postby fish » Fri Apr 10, 2009 3:45 am

As it is, Lina Leandersson is clearly a girl!

I agree. Perhaps I'm a bit simplistic but I enjoyed the film very much for what it was without venturing down the pedo/castrati line.
I figure if the film makers had wanted us to know that they would have told us to read the book first.

Ian, my previous offer still stands if you want a loan/copy of my dvd.
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Postby Ian » Fri Apr 10, 2009 3:51 am

I did like the card they sent with the dvd. One of those things where if you look at it from different angles, you see different things. If you look at from one direction, you can see Eli behind the door, completely dark, but if you look at it from another, you see her face all covered in blood. It's rather cool. I've put it up on my wall in order to freak out any visitors! :lol:
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Postby mpox » Fri Apr 10, 2009 11:39 am

fish wrote:I agree. Perhaps I'm a bit simplistic but I enjoyed the film very much for what it was without venturing down the pedo/castrati line.

Well they did want you to know about Eli which is why they showed the scene where she was dressing. They just didn't want you to know about it until you'd already made some decisions about the characters and their relationship.

The director has said he left our the pedo angle because he didn't want to distract from the story he was trying to tell.

What makes the movie interesting is it doesn't tie everything up in a neat little bow. Like with Ian's card the movie changes based on the direction you're looking at it. It's likely that Oskar will end up the new tender but I could make a case for Eli being trapped in a life she hates watching her companions inevitably grow older and change, wanting different things perhaps, and eventually die while she stays the same, doomed to repeat the same thing over and over again if she wants to live.
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Postby fish » Fri Apr 10, 2009 12:04 pm

You know mpox, I had completely overlooked that scene where Oskar peeks at Eli changing... I noticed something a bit strange about her anatomy but as looking at kids is not my thing, I thought no more about it.

This movie seems to just get sadder and sadder, deeper and deeper the more I think about it.

Now you've made my brain hurt. Its not used to too many conflicting ideas. I'll just go and have a bit of a lie down now. :?
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Postby Ian » Fri Apr 10, 2009 12:31 pm

As mpox says, though, you can read it a lot of ways. For instance, if I hadn't known from reading things on the net about the BOOK (which, strictly speaking, is irrelevant) I would have almost certainly interpreted that scene as possibly being indicative of some kind of abuse.
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Postby bruno » Sat Apr 11, 2009 9:52 pm

The film is based on the book but it has to stand on its legs, too.
So the scene when Oskar peeps at Eli changing gives us a necessary explaination: but it's very explicit (very too much explicit and shocking). You can see Eli has a scar where his male equipment should be. Too morbid for my taste.
I'd prefer every other way to be shown this castration thing, sincerely.

As for the pedo guy, I didnt read the book but I know he was with Eli for quite some time, a whole different subplot the film didn't have the time to explore.
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Postby fish » Sat Apr 11, 2009 11:36 pm

Way back in the Neolithic Peter O'toole starred as Don Qixote in one of my favourite films, Man Of La Mancha. His character was being persecuted because he chose "to see life not as it was, but as it should be".

I have decided to ignore the thought that the guy is a pedo, and to just close my eyes at the peeking scene and go on believing that Eli is/was just a girl who is now a vampire. In the way I wish to see life this will give me a much more enjoyable viewing experience.

Now I might be able to sleep at night without worrying about this damned movie.
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Postby mpox » Mon Apr 13, 2009 12:32 am

bruno wrote:The film is based on the book but it has to stand on its legs, too.
So the scene when Oskar peeps at Eli changing gives us a necessary explaination: but it's very explicit (very too much explicit and shocking). You can see Eli has a scar where his male equipment should be. Too morbid for my taste.

It's disturbing but hardly the most graphic thing in the movie, the body parts dropping into the pool and scattered dead bullies is much more gruesome.

I'd prefer every other way to be shown this castration thing, sincerely.

Well, how? Oskar's actions are hardly all that shocking and it's not like it's played for exploitation or titillation. Did you ever see This Is England? The scene when the boy makes out with the older girl made me much more uncomfortable because it was sexual in nature and the kid seemed like he was too young for that sort of thing. I mean, maybe a kid that age wouldn't think so, there was that story in the English tabloids and all, but yeesh. :lol:

As for the pedo guy, I didnt read the book but I know he was with Eli for quite some time, a whole different subplot the film didn't have the time to explore.

I didn't read it either so maybe it's an important element we're missing out on but the movie doesn't seem to suffer from its omission and it casts the old guy in a slightly more sympathetic light. It also puts the relationship of Eli and Oskar in a more sinister context because the obvious conclusion is that Oskar is going to end up his replacement and raises questions about what Eli's motivations were for becoming Oskar's friend.

As for the wish to think of Eli as a girl, that's fine. I mean, that's how Eli seems to identify herself too. I think the age of the characters suits that idea, they're too young to really be all that concerned with what goes on in a more mature relationship so Eli's lack of actual girl parts doesn't really matter.
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Postby fish » Mon Apr 13, 2009 3:52 am

I agree with you mpox that the movie doesn't seem to suffer from its omission, so I will continue with my own distorted view to enjoy this film.

I'm happy to see life not as it is, but as it should be. :T
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