I am really enjoying the film nights! I'm inclined to say the films get better every week, but my heart still lies with 'The Diving Bell and The Butterfly.' 'Let the Right One In' comes in close second. Not usually one for vampires or a fan of suspending belief in the supernatural, but this was a cut above what I had stereotyped this film as. Instead it was an array of poetic imagery and scenes that addressed many social issues. Bullying, murder, romance, gender, pedophilia, prostitution and theft. Perhaps even loneliness? I would define it as quite an ambiguous film, I think it is largely down to how the viewer chooses to interpret relationships between characters and the motifs behind their actions. It may communicate notions of the dark side of humanity but it was delivered so poetically that it wasn't heavy viewing. It could easily have been gory and dark but it wasn't. There were notably a lot of contrasts within the film, significantly the snowy Swedish backdrop to emphasise the colours, often red, and blue. The reoccurring image of Eli's boarded up window next to Oskar's light filled room. The casting of Eli and Oskar, the dark hair and the blonde. Romance after murder. Birdsong.
I became fully engaged in this film. I didn't question the fact that Eli was a vampire, that she flew, that she was 200 years old. It dawned on me how immersed I had become when I realised I had been holding my breath as the bully held Oskar's head under water. (Three minutes... don't try it at home kids!) but it was ruined slightly by the fact that the bullies were then ripped to shreds. That and the scene where Ginia is attacked by the cats just before she goes up in flames. Just a little bizarre. But all in all I would definitely recommend anybody to watch this film!!
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