Pajiba

The cat scene was ridiculously awful--I laughed my ass off, and I don't think I was supposed to. But I really would up admiring Virginia's character for choosing to die rather than live as a killer.

Eli's older companion really, really sucked at killing though. Maybe he wanted to get caught? I mean, he hung that one boy from a tree in a brightly lit public park with traffic zooming by in the background. He also had to set up a bunch of equipment to drain the boy's blood, so you'd think he'd want a little more privacy instead of a wide open park with no place to hide and lots of snow to show his tracks. By the time he was botching another attempt at the school, I was starting to wonder how they had survived for so long without getting caught.

Other than that, I liked it. I'd definitely consider it to be horror--Oskar has to witness some pretty awful stuff, and practically assists in the killing of Virginia's boyfriend. Eli letting her old companion drop out of the hospital window onto a dumpster after feeding on him was pretty brutal, and led me to wonder if Oskar would also be tossed aside when he got too old and slow to be useful.

I viewed the ending as happy. I have no problem with murderous little kids getting killed in films, and that shot of the legs kicking in the water as their owner is dragged backwards, followed by the severed head plunging into the pool, was awesome.

3. Though it was disconcerting and violent, I didn't see it as a horror movie. The progression seems to be that vampires alone are no longer significant enough to carry a plot. Initially, a vampire was by definition evil and villainous. Let the Right One In is a good example in that there is no clear villain, just differences in opinion caused by different perspectives. Horror needs a fight and villains. It seemed to me more an exploration of emotional masachism in abusive and socially damning relationships and an ode to the champions of incovenient love. Thriller, more like it.

7. I believe the need to be unique plays a large role in modern romance. Oskar was a target of bullies and felt seperated by his society, much like his father who had an unconventional relationship and (possibly as a result) lived in what appeared to be a secluded part of the country. This would obviously have broadened Oskar's view of friendship/romance and possibly encouraged him to go against convention. The background helped hoist Oskar up as the enlightened hero and Eli as the misunderstood damsel in distress.

1- Original subtitles.

2 - I don't think I would compare it to other contemporary Horror/Vampire films. I certainly haven't seen anything like it before. I definately wouldn't call it a Horror movie. I didn't feel any tension or apprehension, was at no time scared and didn't find myself going "gasp, what's going to happen next?" I woud call it a romantic thriller with blood.

3 - I must have missed the part where they dealt with Eli's origin. I think the basic cannon was similar to the traditional though.

4 - The Fuck? Missed it again.

5 - I'm pretty ambiguous about the ending. I would consider it a happy one but I was wonering why she let the one kid live?

6 - Actually, I found the love story quite effective. I think that the tension and insecurity of young love was done quite well.

7 - I didn't really think it did. They addressed it in, what, one scene. If it was to make us question Oskars sexuality (thereby working in Eli's castration) I would think that pretty heavy handed.

8 - The CGI cats were shitballs retarded. Totally ruined that scene for me. I'm sure they could have come up with another plot device. Hell, throw stuffed cats at her, it would have looked more realistic.

9 - I'm feeling pretty average about the movie. I think they did a good job with Oskar and Eli's relationship, but I found the pacing extremely slow and the horror element just wasn't there for me. Watch it if it happens to be on, but don't go out of your way.

10 - Meh, they could do worse but they could definately do better.

I loved this movie...I found it startling and creepy in a way only quiet delivery could muster! The only scene I thought the movie could do without was the campy cat scene, I found the emotional connections and the character development to be way to highbrow for such lame CGI cat-attacks.

I was really confused by the crotch-shot of Eli during the movie, but after thinking about the movie and the turbulence of preteen life, I think it's perfect that Eli is rather genderless. She doesn't even really know what she is, but she also feels amnesty and closeness to Oskar. Oskar's unconditional love extends to his father, who is suggested as gay.

Oskar, a loner, just wants what all kids want: attention, love, and to be loved. Taking the sexuality out of the relationship between Eli and Oskar makes it truly a relationship of trust and protection...a gift many junior high and high school kids would easily sell their souls for...And we find by the end of the movie that Oskar essentially does just that.

I watched a version completely forgetting about the subtitle debacle, but was glad to see I had the original theatrical subtitles. It bums me out when stuff gets shuffled around in translation...

But anyway.

As a total scaredy cat, I wouldn't really lump this haphazardly into the "horror" genre. The vampire kid scared me way less than the bullies with the cane. But it was definitely suspenseful, if just to watch the relationship build up and coincide with the mayhem growing over time.

The vampire lore thing is definitely an interesting question, considering how much the vampiric myth has molded over time anyway. I'm reading Dracula right now and the mythical count could appear in sunlight, just not use his powers. But I definitely preferred that LtROI worked with the conventional vampire strengths and weaknesses, rather than getting all sparkly, or what have you, on us. Keeping Eli in the darkness and having to confine her to having a "Handler" of sorts makes this dangerous creature seem extremely vulnerable. Which, in turn, makes her romance with Oskar work. Both of them have this strength within them, but are limited heavily by their surroundings.

Eli's gender ambiguity was great. In fact, I found Oskar at times to be a little androgynous, as well. The blurring of the boy/girl boundaries helped solidified their alikeness for me. There was even one shot from over the shoulder, where Oskar's hair color was obscured that I could have sworn he was Eli. They moved similarly (shuffley, quiet walks), with similarly lean body types.

The romance was sweet and felt very real. They were so alike that they're immediate connection didn't feel forced, but fated.

I'd like to forget the cat scene.

1. I saw the el-sucko subtitled version, and I thought the movie was slow and bland. I looked up the subtitle comparisions on the Internet and I would have found the movie much more interesting with the theatrical subtitles.

EX. The young man is hanging upside in the gym waiting to be killed. His friends knock on the window and say:

My version: It's time to go home.
Other version: You can jerk off at home.

That makes a huge difference.

4. Eli was a castrated male? I couldn't tell that from the version I watched. I thought Oskar was just taking a peak at her snatch. Although, now that I think about it, when Eli crawls into bed with Oskar, Eli does mention that she's not a girl. I just thought she meant she wasn't quite human.

7. Now that I know that Eli was male, it makes more sense for Oskar to run away from his Dad and to Eli. I know that doesn't make any sense written down, but it made sense in my head, so suck it (vampire joke).

8. Those weren't CGI cats. Those were freaking muppets. And I thought it was hilarious. I think with the dark humor of the movie that it was supposed to be funny.

9. I'm NOT recommending this to anyone until the fix the freaking subtitles. Oh, and the dubbing is worse than the subtitles.

10. If they do a good job with the dark humor, I'm all for an American remake. But, you can bet they'd leave out the castration bit, which would change the whole tone of the movie. It did for me, just reading this post.

I'm curious what you guys make of the title, Let the Right One In.

It also implies to me that the writer has made a judgment about it. Does the author think the Eli is the right one for Oskar? Or, is a warning about letting a blood sucking savage in your heart? (We've all been there, amirite?)

There are two DVD versions circulating in the US. If you're looking to purchase this on DVD, look at the back cover information. The sucky subtitles say: ENGLISH, SPANISH. The original subtitles say ENGLISH (Theatrical), SPANISH.

I saw the original subtitle DVD at Target a week ago for $9.

1. Just to get the subtitle issue out of the way, has anyone seen both versions of the subtitles, and would care you care to explain the differences?
I watched whatever it was on Netflix's streaming service. I think it may have been the correct subtitles, but I dunno.

2. How would you compare Let the Right One In to other contemporary horror movies? Vampire movies? Would you even consider it a horror movie?
Well, Let the Right One In is not about shoving motive, blood and guts, and ignoring nuance like most current horror movies. There is no huge revelation, just a slow development of the relationship of Oskar and Eli and their impact on each other's lives. I don't know that I would call LTROI a horror movie, though. It was more of a supernatural coming of age movie. Or something.

3. How do you square the vampire lore of Let the Right One In with traditional vampire mythology?
Well, Eli wasn't able to go into the sunlight. Animals, specifically the cats, reacted negatively to her presence. She had to be invited in to Oskar's place or suffer some painful consequences. I think that it plays well with vampire tradition.

4. Why do you think Eli was castrated? And how do you think the role of Eli’s gender played in the film?
I figured that Eli came from a different time and place that castrated poor or uneducated boys. Perhaps the castration was as much about punishing Eli as making her into a vampire was. I don't know specifics about her changes, so I can only speculate.

5. How do you feel about the ambiguous ending? A happy one? A tragic one?
I think the ending is happy for now. It seems that Oskar will continue to age and assist Eli with her day-to-day, killing to feed her and keeping her safe. They are both fine with this arrangement now, but there may come a time when things turn sour, as they did with Eli's companion in the movie.

6. Did you find the love story effective?
I felt so badly for Oskar throughout the movie. The kid comes from a broken home, suffers intense bullying at school, and then the kid falls in love with a castrated male vampire! I mean, damn kid! I felt that Eli had a real connection with Oskar and that their relationship would save them both. I'd call that effective.

7. Can you comment on the relationship between Oskar and his father? How does Oskar’s father’s sexuality play into the overall themes of the film, if at all?
Okay, I thought, "Is this Oskar's dad's boyfriend? Or is he a drinking buddy and the dad is an alcoholic?" Either way, it was clear that his sexuality or alcoholism came before his son. This probably contributed to his son's low self-esteem and is why the kid was picked on.

8. Did you feel the use of CGI during the cat scene was well done or jarring?
That scene was a frigging crack-up because it was so obvious that those cats should have been in Garfield 3: Another Shitting Sequel. Jarring is not the word. Dumb as a pixie stick is what that was.

9. Did you like the movie? Would you recommend it to friends?
I did like the movie. I'm not sure what friends I would recommend it to. As admin said, don't pass it up if you have the chance to see it, but don't go out of your way.

10. How do you feel about the American remake?
The American remake will likely lose the nuance of the original. The brutality of the bullies will probably be lesser but they'll probably curse more. It'll be crap.

I just want to say, I have read the book so my answers will be based on both that and the film. I dont know who else has so just to establish that =)

1. I have only seen one subtitled version but I've seen a dubbed version. Holee SHIT its bad voice casting. I mean DAYUMN

2. I would and wouldn't consider it a horror movie. It doesn't contain traditional scares or moments of horror, it is simply a movie where people die and ithappens to be because of a vampire. In...a way I'm not proud to make the connection but in a way it's like Twilight (but infinity times better) in that it is a movie of one genre that happens to contain vampires. Twilight is teen romance with a vampire in it. Let The Right One in is similary a tWeen romance with vampires in, but it's also a thriller. It's not a horror movie, if you ask me.

3.Well TBH there is hardly a traditional vampire mythology any more. All common vampire lore is either invented on the spot, bastardises Dracula or is a shaky and incredible watered down version of the ancient vampire myths that most cultures seem to possess.So LTROI is well within itsown right to have its own Mythology. In some ways its almost an STD. SPOILER In the Book Eli reveals HE was chosen by the Lord of his town as the most beautiful boy. He was made a sex slave and might have been infected by accident. It's almost an STD like those grim episodes of SVU where a kid catches chlamydia off their abuser. What makes it interesting is the fact that Eli is not an ancient adult mind in a childs body like say, Claudia from the Anne Rice novels. Eli was stopped in his tracks at twelve, in every sense. I mean it makes sense. The adult mind develops with the onset of puberty which is triggered by certain hormones. If the body doesn't age these hormones dont flood the system and cause the aging process. So no child vampire ever should have an adult mind. Wise beyond their years yes but this idea of little 12 year old vampire kids who have sexual urges is bullshit.

4. I think, as I said, based on the book, Eli's castration was a part of the sexual abusers fantasy. He was chosen as the towns most beautiful child. But he had a peen. So they removed it.
It happened before he turned, hence the scar. I think in the film it's relevant to showww....I guess that with true love, gender doesn't matter. That there's not some weird underage sexual relationship. Eli and Oskar have a pure love based on something way bigger than the physical attraction of two puberty hitting kids(becacuse of course Eli is not ever hitting puberty and Oskar gives no clue he has yet)

5. I think the ending is up for interpretation, definately. To me it was happy but bittersweet. Is Oskar going to grow up and be like her previous Guardian, physically obsessed and a slave to her demands because of that flimsy, tiny glimmer of hope that 'She' MIGHT let him touch her?
Or will it be different? Will She turn him?
It could go either way and that's whats interesting

6. Very effective. Like I say, what develops is pure, it has nothing to do with sex or puberty. It's two lost souls, two kids with no real connection to any one or any thing, incredibly lonely for their own reasons and seeking for any kind of happiness. They find it in each other and it's bloody luverly.

7. Are you asking if Oskar's dad was gay? Cos he wasn't. He's an alcoholic. That guy is his drinking buddy. He's divorced from Mrs Oskar because he's immature( the drinking)

8.It was jarring but couldnt be helped. It would be hard to have that many cats act that way. it was just unfortunate.

9. Loved it.I suggested it to my bf when all i'd seen was the trailer. He had the book and a dl'd copy before I next saw him in person.

10. I'm not over the moon. It's almost definately be total shit. But the cast doesn't look too bad, to be fair, there are some gifted actors getting involved. At least it might be well acted.

I watched the movie. I went in with high expectations because of the great reviews, mostly from Pajibans. I was extremely disappointed. The movie failed to create any tension. The characters were, for the most part, pathetic sad-sacks; I didn't really care about any of them. The whole movie was just depressing and weird. I have tried to block out most of the movie which wasn't really hard considering how forgettable this movie was. The America remake has nowhere to go but up.

"The whole movie was just depressing and weird."

That was kind of the vibe they were going for, androstar. It wasn't supposed to be a chilling a horror movie filled with dread and tension. However, if you didn't dig it, you didn't dig it. Ain't no thing.

As for me, the remake's gonna be fucking retarded. Period. The Cloverfield guy who's behind the whole thing has said they're gonna stay close to the original, except it'll be made "more accessible" to a wider audience. This is film-speak for "We're gonna take everything that was good about the film and fuck it right in the cornhole, delivering painful blows to the kidney the entire sodomy-slide." There's nothing good to come of a remake. Even the director of the original is pissed, saying "Remakes should be made of movies that aren't very good."

1. I have not seen the non-theatrical subtitles, but I did check out that link above posted by Agent Scully, and the distribution company's defense of the amended subtitles is pretty ridiculous. There's no debating that the theatrical version is better, but it does leave me wondering - as I don't speak the original language - how much of that good dialogue is faithful to the original script or a literal translation and how much of it was creative license in the theatrical translation.

2. I don't watch a lot of horror movies, but I certainly think it qualifies for the genre. What makes it transcend the genre for me, though, is that it does mix quality characterization and drama that the many representatives of the genre don't bother with. Thus, I think it can easily appeal to non-horror fans.

3. There have been so many different vampire stories now that I take each story's unique take on it as an interesting curiosity. For example, I just started watching True Blood and am enjoying the gradual reveal of what their "vampires" are and how they come to be. I like storytellers fiddling with the traditional conventions to give us something new if it's done in a clever manner. But, yeah, no sparkling.

4. The castration angle was completely lost on me the first time I saw it. It's such a quick cut that you don't really get a good look. Basically I had time to process that something was "off" about Eli's private area with some odd-looking stitches, and maybe that was a result of vampirism. And when Eli says that she is "not a girl," I did just assume that was a reference to vampirism. As such, I did spend the entire film just looking at them as a boy and a vampire-girl. I did not read the novel, but I did look up the circumstances after seeing the film. I haven't really pondered the gender ambiguity within the context of the film, as I have not revisited it. (Again, I'm a bad Pajiba movie clubber.)

5. I felt the ending was bittersweet - happy and tragic all at once. It does make me sad to imagine Oskar's ultimate fate as similar to the caretaker we see at the beginning of the film, but I'm not sure he would do things much differently with that foresight. He does love Eli in my mind.

6. "Love story" does not seem the exact right label to me as we usually define it, but I did very much buy into their emotional attachment and bond. I am left questioning at the end if Oskar is more special to Eli than any caretaker would be, but the power of the scene with the still used above (when Eli demonstrates the pain of entry without invitation) makes me think that there is something more there.

7. I do need to revisit the film, as the specifics of Oskar's father either went completely over my head or I have forgotten it.

8. The CGI cats were the only aspect of the film that marred it for me.

9. Yes, I enjoyed it and would recommend it.

10. As a rule, I'm not anti-remake, regardless of the title in question or the time since the original film's release. I prefer original ideas in general, but I find anti-remake frenzy over the top. If someone wants to try to tell a good story in a new way, then more power to them. It does not subtract from the quality of the original. That said, given the usual constraints of the American studio process, I have a difficult time imagining that the remake of this will be half as good as the original.

I really enjoyed the film. I felt it was beautifully shot and acted, with a quiet confidence from both the script and director. While it did move slowly, I feel the pace was necessary; this tale wouldn't work well as a mover and a shaker.

4. I feel the movie failed to provide any clue about Eli's castration, which I know is explained in the book. I believe the filmmakers included that shot to further the idea that Eli and Oskar have a truly sexless love. The fact that Oskar looks like a girl definitely adds to that idea.

5. I found the ending sad, simply because Oskar wasn't able to see what path he was steering himself towards.

A question for my fellow Pajibians: Do you think that if Oskar knew that Eli would never age, be unable to truly love him in a human or physical manner, and would eventually throw him away like her previous helper, would he still have run away with her?

7. Just like Eli's castration wasn't explained in the movie, Oskar's dad/mom situation isn't fleshed out either. I know he's not gay according to the book, but I feel the director deliberately left it ambiguous in this version to once again further the sexlessness of the relationships that are the anchor of the film.

8. Unintentional humor, and a scene that probably hurts the somber tone of the film more than it should.

9. This is one of my favorite films of the year, and I did recommend it to a number of people. It's a great one to watch with a mate on a cold winter night- just make sure your mate doesn't think fucking Twilight is a good vampire movie.

A question for my fellow Pajibians: Do you think that if Oskar knew that Eli would never age, be unable to truly love him in a human or physical manner, and would eventually throw him away like her previous helper, would he still have run away with her?

I think that maybe it's part of the reason she left one boy alive at the pool? Oskar is going to be incriminated no matter what--3 boys are dead and Oskar is missing. He has to go away with her or face the consequences of her actions. I think this provides more of an impetus for him to run away with her, regardless of what he may or may not realize about their relationship.

Hmmm... my thoughts are probably a little too scattered to address the questions via bulletpoint, but the first thing I have to say is: OMG those fucking CGI cats!!

those cats should have been in Garfield 3: Another Shitting Sequel.

HA!!!! Exactly.

As for a remake, well, it's gonna suck. First of all, they're never going to find American child actors who can do as good a job. They just aren't. Second, one thing I remember very clearly from the movie is how quiet it was. You could hear the snow falling, fer cryin' out loud. American version will have a flashy soundtrack and plenty of loud noises, which will provide exactly the opposite of the atmosphere of the original.

Is it a horror movie? I would say first and foremost, it's a movie about the relationship between two young people. But I think it's a great psychological horror movie too. The scene with Eli under the bridge is far scarier than most horror movies I've seen, more so the more you think about it. Something/someone pretending to be a weak, helpless creature lures you in and then attacks you - like Ted Bundy wearing a cast on his arm so women will help him carry his groceries.

@Wren: "Oskar, a loner, just wants what all kids want: attention, love, and to be loved. Taking the sexuality out of the relationship between Eli and Oskar makes it truly a relationship of trust and protection...a gift many junior high and high school kids would easily sell their souls for...And we find by the end of the movie that Oskar essentially does just that.

I totally agree with that analysis and think you put it very, very well.

The ending did totally sucker-punch me. At first, I thought, "Oh, they're on the train, they've gotten away, what will happen next?" It only took a couple of moments before I realized, "Wait. I know what happens next. Oskar stays with Eli, takes care of her, grows up, gets old, she finds a new caretaker." So what seems like a happy ending (Oskar is saved from the bullies, Eli has someone to take care of her, they've both found a friend) is really not that happy, at least for Oskar. Hence the "selling his soul."

Right now, Eli is a good source of love and acceptance and companionship for him, but he'll grow old, and she won't. He'll never have a normal life or any other friends or companions, wife, sexual relationship, etc. And when he's too old to get blood for Eli effectively, she'll discard him. And find another. Because she has to. And she's going to live a long, long time.

Yes, I keep referring to Eli as she. Whatever. I can't help it.

Basically, I loved the movie, but I think you do have to have the right mindset to appreciate the tone, and if it was just too damn slow and quiet for you, then that's fine. I'm predisposed to like it because I like Scandinavia. And snow. And quiet.

"Do you think that if Oskar knew that Eli would never age, be unable to truly love him in a human or physical manner, and would eventually throw him away like her previous helper, would he still have run away with her?"

Awesome question. I think Oskar would run away with her regardless. Eli's his only touch of color in an otherwise grey existence. He's had a life of prepubescent suck, and the one thing he's even remotely got going for him is the vampire-next-door he happens to have a crush on. He's too young to think of anything but running away with her. They're both absolutely reliant on each other. For fucked up reasons, but still...

I don't have much to add. I didn't think the father was gay; it was much more "What's the weirdness?" followed by "Oh" after the bottle came out.

The scene with the two kids in bed together was interesting. It was very adult and sexualized the way no other scene was. Even Oskar watching Eli change was more curiosity than desire.

The pool scene was just heartbreaking - the way none of the younger kids wanted to be there, and especially the way Oskar moves forward to let the older kid grab his hair at the crook of a finger. That's the type of personality that will always seek out a dominator.

I really want to know what happened after the movie ended. Will Oskar ever be able to kill for Eli, and what will she do if he can't?

OK, I watched the el-sucko DVD version last week, and I just streamed the Instant Netflix version with the theatrical subtitles.

It's a completely different movie. The conversations actually make some sense in the theatrical version.

I also slo-moed the crotch shot, and caught the castration scar this time around. They had that go by so fast that I just thought "she" was growing hair or something. I didn't realize it was a scar.

5. I was horrified at the ending the first time I saw the film, assuming that Eli's first caretaker was recruited in the same way. So I suppose it registered as tragic for me, all the way. In fact, I thought it was that ending that made it a really great horror film- the cycle continues, and violence aside, the real horror is the psychological power Eli holds over the caretaker- everything he was willing to do for her approval (the acid! good lord!). Oscar is heading for the same fate. After reading the book, I came to really appreciate the ambiguity of the film ending. My boyfriend thought the ending was really sweet- it made for some great discussion.

I wanted to throw a question out to the film buffs out there. Its been a long time since my film studies classes in college, but watching this film I felt it had a strong thematic similarity to the films of Ingmar Bergman, another Swedish film maker. Am I way off the mark here? Because I think the reason an American remake is doomed to fail is that it is going to lack that Swedish melancholy that perfectly balances the horror. Any thoughts?

And if we decide the films are similar, then: Why are the Swedish so sad???? (I'm pretty sure my film prof told us it was because it is so friggin' cold in Sweden, but there has to be a better reason, right? I call on you, Pajibans, to help me solve this mystery)

Actually if I'm going to go ths far I'll self correct; The night Eli and Oskar meet, while they meet her Guardian is out killing that kid. They just meet and talk. I think she's just curious. It's after that that she is going to kill him, but then changes her mind. Just to be clear =)

Sorry for the tangent, but for the record it's not a safe bet that "everyone here" thinks that Infernal Affairs is superior to The Departed. I realize some of it is lost in translation for me, but I think the remake is a big improvement in terms of dialogue, performances, the combination of the two female characters in the original into one strong, memorable character, and the ending. For me it's a better and much more rewatchable movie.

Nadine >> I don't disagree. As I said, it will likely be inferior for many if not all of the reasons you mentioned. In terms of tone, style, and the actual content there will likely be some vast differences. And I might pose the question: what would be the point in doing it again if you aren't going to bring a fresh take to it in at least some respects? (See: Gus Van Sant's Psycho.) Still, I don't begrudge the attempt. There have been some awful remakes, but there have also been many very good ones. (See The Thing, The Fly, The Departed, etc.) I prefer new stories, but the basic story itself is not all that makes a film. Again, if the remake sucks, at least for me it won't detract from the quality of the original. If anything, the remake even might bring some attention to the original that it otherwise might not have received from the average theater goer.

Darth, damn good point and damn well put, it might be one of the good ones, and if not, we know the original is fantastic.
Aside from those damn cats =)

late to the party but....reading people's comments about the book, it sounds to me like the director made several things deliberately more ambiguous. I did think both kids were a little androgynous, and I did notice the scar, but I gotta admit, I've never seen a castration scar before so it just confused me. Like a lot of people who haven't read the book, I assumed that the first care-taker had been with Eli since he was a child like Oscar, so the ending had a bitter-sweet tone, which I actually kind of like. I imagine the remake will reverse all that.

Loved the movie. I've only seen it once and it begs multiple viewings. However, I have only one admission to note, regarding it:

I saw this with the English overdub. It was...disastrous. I apologized to God and switched to the subtitled version halfway through because it was so...so distracting. I didn't even realize there was an alternate "theatrical" version of the subtitles.

Androstarr: Of course "lack of sunlight" makes it a holiday spot for vampires.

I am late to the discussion but I have read through the comments and I just want to thank Dustin for opening it up, as well as everyone else for their contributions - you have all brought a lot of additional food for thought on this cool film with such fun discussion.

I saw this movie and LOVED it - but reading all this, I realize I (like a few others) missed the whole castration thing. (Guh!?) I will re-watch this or better yet read the book for an additional take on a very captivating story.

Anyway, regarding question #4, Why do you think Eli was castrated? And how do you think the role of Eli’s gender played in the film? Some comments have mentioned here that Eli's gender was deliberately presented as ambiguous in the movie, however I noticed on my first viewing that there was a change in the actor playing Eli during the scene (in a basement?) where Oskar cuts himself and bleeds and Eli goes all blood-lusty... The person playing Eli went from Lina Leandersson to what was pretty clearly a middle-aged (albeit gnarly looking) woman for a few moments. The credits do note an "Eli aldrad" or "older Eli" played by Susanne Ruben, and I believe she is in another scene as well. Because I was oblivious to the castration thing at the time, I assumed that the supposed appearance of an older female actor as Eli in that scene was intended to be a glimpse or representation of the true, sinister, older and, specifically, female vampire creature that was "inside" of a 12-ish year old body. I am therefore led to think that Alfredson wanted to imply in the film that Eli identified herself (or had been identifying herself for some time) as a dangerous and wily female: an unconventional femme fatale but a "femme" nonetheless.

That's not to say that the other bits given in the film, such as Eli's scar (which I missed) and her line, "I'm like you" couldn't drive the ambiguity angle, but it is interesting that the director specifically cast an older woman.

I was under the impression that the older actress was used in scenes when Eli needed to look hungry and haggard. I didn't realize it was a different actress while watching it, but I was amazed at how good the makeup was. Now I know different.

Awesome. I just stumbled this. Please keep writing more of this sort.

I have searched the internet for years looking for people who see down the road, who witness the now and are proactive about the future of our American society and the world community as a whole.When you take in all the turmoil and yes it's snowballing over the years, don't you want to say~ hey! Back up, back off, and breathe a little at least. Hard to put all this in a nutshell but after raising 5 kids and working with families disassociated (ignored) by the communities they live in, my eyes are wide open to how ill even our smallest townships have become. How unlike the very words that are supposed to warm us when we hear them, home, community they have evolved to be. I don't blame anyone but our own human nature but also claim my birthright as a human being to help create a community that I can live in, can teach in, can learn in and can blossom in.

Dev was the standout vocalist on FEM's Like a G6 and she now already has her own songs! Her first single from her debut album (which has yet to get a name) also features the producers The Cataracs, who also were on Like a G6! The track, titled Bass Down Low, sounds similar to her other works, such as Fireball and Booty Bounce! I wish Dev good luck in her singing career!

Please, can you PM me and tell me a few more thinks about this, I am really a fan of your blog...

I will, and i mean it... i will tell my friends about this site. He is so into this topic he will be ultra happy!