Around the World in 24 Frames 01.29.10: Let The Right One In

Posted by Len Archibald on 01.29.2010

"Around the World..." takes a look at more "modern masterpieces" as I tackle a good ol' new-aged vampire film from Ingmar Bergman's home turf…washes the taste of Twilight right out of your mouth. I hope you know Morse Code.



Good Friday!!!

First things first...

BEATING TRAFFIC Trailer:


...All that's left is to finish the film score and we're ready to rock.

THE RANT

A question for the loyalists of this column: Why do people leave comments that have nothing to do with the article at hand? This is one of those unsolved mysteries…like how do they put the caramel in the Caramilk Bar and the whole "How much wood would a woodchuck chuck…" fiasco. Best answer will win a prize (well, no, you won't – but I will give you a shout-out next week.)

***************************************

I love movies. They represent escapism, art, intellect and spirituality. Some are nothing more than popcorn flicks, designed to ease the burden of "real-life" for a couple of hours. Some bring important issues to the forefront that challenges how we perceive our surroundings. The most important thing for me – if one is a serious filmgoer – is to constantly expand and discover new movies. This includes experiencing stories told outside of North America.

Yes, I know: "I don't like to read while I watch movies". Well, neither do I, but I won't use that to prevent me from finding a great story within the screen. It is important, as human beings to discover other cultures and expand our perceptions of those different from us and how they see the world. There are reasons that Bergman, Kurosawa, Fellini, Ozu and Truffaut are important in the movie world – They are just great at what they do.

I intend to highlight a new film every week that is considered "foreign-language"; now that definition is simple, yet broad and complex. For example, if you need subtitles to understand the events of the plot, I will discuss it. If it is a film from a primarily English-speaking nation, but is *NOT* in English (i.e. Leolo or Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner from Canada), I will discuss. If it is a film from outside the U.S. and it *is* in English, I will not discuss (sorry, Brits & Aussies) – for now. My goal is to shed light on some of these gems, and help quell the insatiable appetites for those who can't live without seeing a new movie. Enjoy!

Låt den rätte komma in: Let the Right One In

Country: Sweden
Release Date: January 26th, 2008
Distributed by: Magnolia Pictures, Sandrew Metronome and Momentum Pictures
Directed by Tomas Alfredson
Runtime: 114 minutes
Cast:
Kåre Hedebrant
Lina Leandersson
Elif Ceylan
Per Ragnar
Henrik Dahl
Karin Bergquist
Peter Carlberg
Ika Nord
Mikael Rahm
Karl Robert Lindgren
Anders T. Peedu
Pale Olofsson
Cayetano Ruiz
Patrik Rydmark

I will come right out and say it now so there is no debate on how I feel: Sweden's Let the Right One In, directed by Tomas Alfredson is point #1 as to why I can't stand mainstream American film studios and a good chunk of mainstream American film audiences. This is a film that is practically perfect the way it is, and is told best because of where and when it takes place, that any spin that defends the "Contemporary" and "Americanized" version is full of shit. Drizzling, nasty shit. It wouldn't be this way if 1) the U.S. based studios pushed harder when it came to the distribution of foreign-films and 2) if the majority of the U.S. based audience could get past their pathetic quasi-jingoism and actually consider that – yes – there are mainstream stories that DO exist and CAN be told from outside of the United States with non-English-speaking characters.

That was my mini-rant, but it is well-justified; Låt den rätte komma in is about as close to a perfect "contemporized take on vampire lore; a look into the world of those blood-sucking scoundrels that have haunted us for over a hundred years in print and film – and a well-written parable that washes the taste of Twilight (or as I call it, McDracula) out of the mouths of those who desperately search for a tale worthy of Bram Stoker's grand mythology surrounding Vlad the Impaler…all done in the guise of a not-so-typical "coming of age" story.



Oskar (Kåre Hedebrant) is a meek, blond and shy 12-year-old boy that lives with his mother in the western Stockholm suburb of Blackeberg in 1982. His classmates regularly bully him, and he spends his evenings imagining revenge with a strange Travis Bickle-like glee via switchblade. He isn't dumb, and isn't really a "geek", but just the one that the bullies decide to impose their insecurities on because it's obvious he was never taught the will to stand up for himself. His mother (Karin Bergquist) is oblivious to him as she lets him roam freely whenever he wishes and rarely communicates with him. His father, a nice enough sort – is pretty much in the same boat. By the time the pale-skinned protagonist first jams his knife into the wooden post, playing out his murderous fantasies, it is a given that we are witnessing either a wounded soul with no one to relate to or a Columbine-type sociopath.

At this moment, Eli (Lina Leandersson) enters Oskar's life at the snowy playground. Eli is a skinny girl-like (this is important to know later) child who looks the same age as Oskar. They share a moment. They don't formally introduce, but indulge in a simple game of territoriality. For the first time, the audience sees a minor glimpse of Oskar possibly standing up for himself. Then Eli abruptly announces that they can't be friends.

Life continues; the we are given clues to Eli's life: Håkan (Per Ragnar) - the man who arrives in the apartment with her slashes the throat of a victim at a nearby park, hangs him upside down on a tree and drains his blood through a dirty funnel into an even dirtier jug. Who is this man? Is he Eli's father? Protector? Just a deranged killer? We know why he kills (the draining blood is obvious) but we don't know who he is. I think the answer lies in the film's title. I'll explain later.



What makes Let the Right One In special – and what sets it apart from other vampire films created this decade is the low-key nature of the story. I mean, if you were a vampire in the real world, you probably would want to keep to yourself as well? Especially since you can't go out in the daytime, and such. Alfredson leaves only the essential bare-bones of the vampire mythology (the rules of sunlight, blood and the oft-forgotten rule of ALLOWANCE OF ENTRY apply) and focuses the story not on the perceived gore-factor or some sort of "chase", but instead on the relationship of two vulnerable people.

That is the other great aspect of Let the Right One In - make no mistake about it, even though Eli (this isn't a spoiler, please) is a vampire, she is not some super-powered supernatural who can let loose the fierce winds of the tide with one blow from her fist – yes, she has some uncanny abilities (walking on walls, etc), but we never see them as a glorified gift to show off "ooh, look how cool these vampires are!" Alfredson wisely chooses to keep these elements in the background, lingering in the shadows and away from the attention of the eye. This keeps the film grounded in a bleak reality.



Eventually, Eli and Oskar form a bond, mainly over a Rubik's cube – and from there, the story is uplifted into something that is a bit of an anomaly. Since Oskar is only twelve years old, his hormones have not begun to rage – but he asks Eli to be his "girlfriend". This is an innocent gesture, one that Oskar only understands from a platonic nature. Eli stresses at a key moment, "...I'm not a girl…" and in a quick cutaway, it is revealed that Eli was…castrated? Suffered from a hernia? What is that scar? Is she really a he? We're never given an answer – and it becomes even more baffling when Eli appears one night, undresses (it is implied, perverts and pedophiles) and lays behind Oskar, stroking his shoulder with the caress of a mature lover. Even though she *looks* the same age as Oskar, we know she isn't, so Eli probably perceives relationships at a more mature level than Oskar does.

There is some absolutely brilliant acting going on in this film, and continues a trend that really hit it with me upon the viewing of this movie: child actors are VASTLY superior when they are from outside North America (or primarily, mainstream American-based films.) For some reason, foreign-films are more open to putting children in more mature films, and having the storytellers demand more emotionally and psychologically from their child actors than their U.S. counterparts. The best child-performance from the U.S. – for me, was Max Records in Where the Wild Things Are - but then compare that to the town of children that Michael Haneke assembled for The White Ribbon. Usually when we see a group of children in a mainstream film, they either ham it up in a horror film (Children of the Corn) or ham it up in a family-comedy (The Bad News Bears.) Wow, that was a tangent.



Kåre Hedebrant and Lina Leandersson needed to be every bit as intelligent and nuanced as any great adult actor for Let the Right One In to work, and they achieved that in spades. Lina plays Eli as really a normal child in an extraordinary circumstance. One can tell the burden she bears as a vampire, but she doesn't pout, or is "Emo" about it. She understands her lot in life and accepts it, while Kåre as Oskar draws a sympathetic ire as nothing more than a lonely little boy who just wants a friend. The exteriors of the characters are simple, but the two children play with so much characterized layers and share such a strong chemistry with each other that it is a shame that their performances were not hailed more by critics when the film was released. It reminds me of Brigitte Fossey and Georges Poujouly in Rene Clement's French masterpiece, Forbidden Games (1952) - playing two children thrust in the woes during World War II with such vulnerability and maturity that it's scary.

Eli learns of Oskar being bullied at school and immediately encourages him to stand up for himself. He does in a scene that almost – almost feels like the storyline's climax – and again, is handled in such a low-key and matter-of-fact way that by the time it's over, Let the Right One In takes the form of a near pseudo-parable, than just a run of the mill movie played for shits and giggles. There is a quiet power – an intangible and quality that resonates from the screen while observing Let the Right One In where all the words in the world can't do it justice, but Alfredson is able to evoke the perfect emotional storm for the audience without going too over the top with gore, too melodramatic with the story or too ridiculous with the special effects (suffice to say, there are no glittering vampires in this film.)



The technical aspect of Let the Right One In is outstanding. The film holds shots, and with rarely any handheld moments, gives the film a more otherworldly experience. I consider this a film akin to The Godfather in regards to overhead lighting (not as dramatic, but using the same technique) that splattered rays harshly giving the film a hard look. Cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema and director Tomas Alfredson invented a technique they called "spray light", described as "capture[ing] dull electrical light in a can and spray[ing] it like hairspray." according to van Hoytema. Light diffusion was also prevalent as well as the dull interior color schemes that contrasted with the bright snow exteriors.

The author of the original novel from which the film is based on, Ajvide Lindqvist, insisted on writing the screenplay himself. Alfredson, despite the lack of familiarity with vampire and horror genres, initially expressed skepticism at having the original author do the adaptation – but at the end, it was the right call to make. I have heard the rumblings in regards to the remake being more "faithful" to the novel, which is hogwash – because I don't know how much more faithful a project could be by having the original author be involved. There were particular scenes and moments from the book that were cut out, primarily Håkan's specific relationship with Eli as well as the details of Eli's gender and backstory, but I feel the ambiguous nature of the film enhances the story. Eli's gender (or lack thereof) is not important to the story – the friendship and bond between Eli and Oskar is paramount. Håkan is used more as a stepping stone and catalyst for the events that eventually transpire between the two leads, so his backstory isn't needed in full detail. What is important, is visualizing how much he cares for Eli – and what a stunning couple of moments they are: terrifying and heartbreaking at the same time.



Tomas Alfredson was born in 1965 in Lidingö, Stockholms län, Sweden and is the son of comedian, writer, and director Hasse Alfredson. Alfredson's career started at Svensk Filmindustri, where he worked as an assistant and was involved in the creation of the Swedish television channel TV4, where he worked in the entertainment department. His feature film, Bert: The Last Virgin, based on the series was made in 1995, for which Alfredson received a Guldbagge nomination for Best Direction. After finishing Let the Right One In, Alfredson publicly announced that he would not be making any more films in the "foreseeable future", stating that he had grown tired with the Swedish film and television industry. In March of 2009, he announced that he would partake in a Hollywood film production, as he was signed on to direct a film adaptation of John le Carré's 1974 novel, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.

Let the Right One In received widespread acclaim from critics and audiences from around the world. As of August 2009 the film had a 98% "fresh" rating at Rottentomatoes.com based on 144 reviews, including a 96% "Cream of the Crop" rating from top critics, based on 26 reviews. It has been recognized for its pacing, acting and cinematography. There was some confusion and controversy about not being nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the Academy Awards, though. Being released on October 24th, 2008, the film would normally be eligible for submission for the 82nd Academy Awards. However, the producers decided to release it on September 24th as a seven day limited run only in Luleå. This would be exactly enough to meet the criteria for the 81st Academy Awards instead. When the Swedish Film Institute announced that Jan Troell's Everlasting Moments had been selected instead of Let the Right One In, the Luleå screenings were canceled. Despite the fact that the film was released within the eligibility period for the 82nd Academy Awards, it wasn't among the films considered because the Swedish Film Institute doesn't allow a film to be considered twice. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Many people thought this film was a lock at the time.



So…about that title – and what it has to do with Håkan; I think this is one of those titles, like Vitorio de Sica's The Bicycle Thief that has a dual meaning. Some has interpreted Let the Right One In as the explanation of the whole "vampires must be allowed entry into someone's home" rule of thumb, which isn't wrong. I have an interpretation that carries a deeper meaning. Now, this isn't based from the book – but here's my theory: since Eli has been twelve for a LOOOONG time, how possible is it that perhaps she and Håkan met when he was around that age? Maybe they got together and for how many decades now, he has been her provider of the blood of life from other poor souls who just so happen to be in his wake? Is it possible that Håkan came from a broken home and had violent, even murderous tendencies, similar to Oskar? I mean, if you were a vampire – that would be some pretty deep important information to entrust to someone. They would have to truly understand, empathize and be willing to HELP you with living out your curse – and have such a bond with you that - if need be, they are willing to sacrifice themselves to protect you. I think that it isn't Oskar that's on the hunt to let anyone "in", but he was the "right one".

Trailer for Let the Right One In


{Film Passport Stamped]

Coming Attractions: Around the World… travels to Germany to tackle a fast-paced, super charged story that explains the simple mystery of life: "The ball is round. The game lasts 90 minutes." Get your best pair of sneakers.

Questions or comments? Completely disagreed with any of my picks? Are you in love with me? Leave comments below or email me at [e-mail]!!!

Bookmark 411mania.com on your computer!

-or-

Check us out at Twitter!

TWITTER

http://www.twitter.com/411mania
http://www.twitter.com/411wrestling
http://www.twitter.com/411moviestv
http://www.twitter.com/411music
http://www.twitter.com/411games
http://www.twitter.com/411mma