Let The Right One In

At it's core, Let The Right One In (Låt den rätte komma in) is a quiet, understated film about two lonely children trying to find someone to connect with in a world that has cast them aside. It also just happens to be a vampire movie. If that last sentence causes you to disregard this movie, it shouldn't. This is no Twilight or The Lost Boys. This is an intelligent and yes, beautiful film from Swedish director Tomas Alfredson. With a background in comedy and drama, Alfredson was drawn to the themes of alienated youth, cruel bullying by classmates and coming of age romance found in the novel of the same name by Ajvide Lindqvist. Lindqvist also adapted the novel into a screenplay. Alfredson and Lindqvist were introduced by the production company with the film rights and the two discovered that they had very similar ideas about the kind of film they wanted to make. The end result is a wonderful, multi-layered film that I can't wait to watch again.

Set in the early 80's,the plot involves a pale, fair-haired 12-year-old boy named Oskar who is mercilessly tormented by a roughneck group of fellow students at his school. As the film opens he is already harboring fantasies of vengeance with a hunting knife he keeps hidden under his bed. Into the apartment next door moves Håkan, an elderly man and a dark-haired little girl named Eli. The man, goes out at night to fetch blood for his young companion and it quickly becomes clear that he is the servant to her master. Oskar and Eli meet in the playground outside the apartment building and a tentative friendship ensues with the two mysteriously drawn to each other. Soon thereafter, Håkan is caught in the act of bloodletting and Eli, now alone turns to her new friend but Oskar, when presented with the reality of her situation is unsure if he can continue the relationship.

That synopsis may make it sound like any other vampire movie but Alfredson's direction and stirring performances from the two lead actors elevate the film far above its genre and make it a rare gem of a movie, vampire or otherwise. Consider Alfredson's use of steady cam, crane and dolly shots to compose his narrative. In a time when shaky, hand-held camera work is in vogue, Alfredson chooses to use a more restrained and studied approach to the material. There are no quick cuts or music video editing here. Alfredson's camera may linger too long on a face or an arched underpass for many viewers but I found the camera work and dark cinematography to be a special treat. The story is told through beautiful medium to long range shots mixed with closeups of the actor's to reveal a depth of emotion in their subtle expressions. Lina Leandersson as Eli especially speaks volumes through her eyes, although I suspect they are digitally altered in several scenes. Kåre Hedebrant as Oskar gives the character an air of silent suffering. He is a boy with a deeply repressed rage but also a desperate longing to be loved and understood.

While the movie is dark, Alfredson injects moments of dry humor such as when one victim's corpse, stuck in the frozen surface of a lake, must be cut out and is hauled up by a crane. The image is both grim and laugh inducing for its audacity. The film does contain its share of violence but it is sparse, used to punctuate the human drama and dare I say, artistically presented. All of Eli's attacks are viewed from a distance in wide angle to underscore the the isolation that such an existence must bring with it. One scene in particular is probably the most strikingly original, visually arresting vampire attack scene ever filmed. The camera sits, perfectly sill under the water of a swimming pool while all the carnage happens above the surface. I'll say no more lest I rob you of the scene's impact.

What you've got here is a movie about characters and relationships in different phases. The exact nature of Eli and Håkan's relationship and exactly how long the relationship has lasted is left ambiguous but we get the impression that he's been with her for a long time. Håkan's age is beginning to make his job increasingly more difficult and Eli is becoming impatient with him. There is a scene in which Eli tenderly touches the side of Håkan's face and you can tell that at one time she cared for him deeply, but that time has long passed. Oskar presents the chance for a new relationship. Oskar who is on the cusp of young adulthood and can sense that Eli's youth belies a world-weary wisdom of several centuries. The prospects for their romance is given a new layer with a secret that I shall not reveal here.

Suffice it to say that this is an amazing movie that anyone who loves film will find a new favorite in. It's a film you and your friends can discuss for hours at your local coffee shop and its haunting images and story of doomed love will stay with you long after the credits roll.

Apparently Matt Reeves, the director of Cloverfield (which is a good movie) has been signed to direct an English language, US remake of this film. All I can say in response is, "why?" Cloverfield is a perfect example of the shaky-cam style I mentioned earlier. While that style was perfect for Cloverfield it would completely remove all of the emotional impact that makes Let The Right One in so good. If you have a great foreign movie, why make it into something stupid for American audiences? Just release the original film to a solid theatrical run in the states and show American movie-goers what a good movie really is.