I watched this tonight. Ben suggested it a while back. I was a little freaked out by its 'horror' classification - the last horror movie I saw was nightmare on elm street in the early 1990s - but there were no chain saws and not really anything gruesome at all in let the right one in.As a vampire movie, it invites comparison with Twilight. Both are beautiful movies. Both have an underlying sadness about them. Both movies are sympathetic to the plight of vampires, they are not really the baddies. They don't want to hurt people, it's just that they need to eat... Both involve an attraction between a vampire and a non-vampire. Both movies have limited dialogue.
Contrasts? Let The Right One In has a 12 year old female vampire, whereas Twilight has a 17 year old male vampire. This, of course, means that the sexual tension is turned up much louder in Twilight. LTROI is more about friendship - which is nice. The striking thing about LTROI is that apart from the main characters (who are 12) and the school bullies, the rest of the cast is middle aged. I wonder if the writers did this so that we wouldn't care so much when they get killed?
Another interesting contrast is in the outcomes of each movie. Oskar is a better kid because of his contact with Eli the vampire. He learns that he doesn't want to hurt people, even if they hurt him. Bella, on the other hand, is much weaker at the end of Twilight. She wants nothing but Edward and to be with him forever and ever...
No doubt I'll think more about Let The Right One In in the next few days. I actually stayed awake for the entire movie (which is rare) and even enjoyed it. I give it 4 and a half stars.
Have you seen it? What do you think?
Cool. I'm really pleased that you didn't hate it. A good review. I'll check out Twilight one of these days, when the hype has blown over.
ReplyDeleteI loved the friendship aspect, and the non-sexual and innocent way it was portrayed.
You know at the end when Eli's in the box on the train, and she taps something to Oskar in morse code, and he taps the same thing back? It's 'kiss'. So sweet and understated.
I'm dreading the Hollywood remake. I bet the characters will be a few years older so there can be a sexual aspect. Unneccessary.
I wondered what that was, but my morse code is a little scratchy! How sweet. I, too, dread the hollywood remake. I can only imagine it will be much worse.
ReplyDeletesimone
not really anything gruesome at all in let the right one in.
ReplyDeleteYGTBJ! Just remind me what that was plunging into the swimming pool towards the end??
That said, a fine film. Watched it in Swedish, on the back of a plane seat on the way back from Sweden.
Oskar: I don't kill people.
Eli: No, but you'd like to. If you could... To get revenge. Right?
Oskar: Yes.
Eli: Oskar, I do it because I have to.
I guess that end bit was a bit gory. But it was from a good distance so we didn't see much.
ReplyDeleteI loved it. For me, it was as much about loneliness about anything, and I especially liked the sympathetic approach to the bullies- even the ringleader was in fear of his hardened brother in the end, as much a victim as perpertrator. And the central character's loneliness is almost palpable. Not sure if i want to read the book, though... i believe the character I took to be her father was in fact a pedophile she was using, and the end of the novel is different from the movie, I'm glad they played that down. And as Ben comments, why a US remake? (Or, generally, why any US remakes of superior foreign films?) Matt Cardier
ReplyDeleteGreat film, but the aspect that chilled me the most which many people seem to miss was the realisation that the character mentioned above assumed to be the father was in-fact the previous 'Oskar' who would quite literally kill for her.
ReplyDeleteIn the book this vampire may look 12 but she's actually well over 200 years old (she's met many 'Oskar's' in that time) and it's only natural for her to be lonely and fall in love with someone her own age physically. But as she stays eternally 12 and Oskar eventually grows old his relationship with her from the outside would eventually seem pedophilic. I’m certain Eli would not willingly wish her curse on others especially someone she loved in that familiar vampiric dilemma.
As this dynamic changes over time I'm sure that eventually she will end up using Oskar to kill for her too either through design or Oskar's wish to protect her as he becomes old and far removed from the young boy she first met.
There are many comparisons to Twilight but in the end it surpasses it completely with a mix of beauty, love & chilling horror that just can't be compared. Although the characters are very young this is far more adult in tone than twilight and it works so well because Oskar is so innocent.
I wondered what was said in morse code at the end (kiss) thanks for clearing that up.
Welcome Matt.
ReplyDeleteGreat comment. I hadn't realised that. How horrible.
Yes. It is much more adult than Twilight, isn't it?