Let the Right One In
Rated: R
I don't mind films getting hyped. In fact, in the case of smaller films with no stars or marketing powerhouse, I actively encourage it. Without strong word-of-mouth for real independent movies (as opposed to studio indies like Little Miss Sunshine), great films go unnoticed and new voices in cinema go unheard. The flipside is that hype can build to the point where a film can't meet expectations and it becomes difficult for the viewer to accurately gauge where the film went wrong and how much of the negative feeling is simply disappointment. I wish I could share in the joy some of my colleagues and trusted friends feel over Let the Right One In. I'm happy to jump on a quality bandwagon. The problem is that the voices cheering this film proclaim it to be a "masterpiece" and the best film of the year. I think it's a very good film with many strong qualities but the X-factor that propelled them to come away from the movie with such love eluded me. However, I also feel like there are flaws that are over-looked and elements that are over-praised and perhaps this is where the disconnect comes in. The film takes place in 1982 in Sweden. I know it was Sweden because I caught a glance at a newspaper with the word "Stockholm" at the top of the page (I can't identify Swedish by ear because most people in Georgia don't speak Swedish and if they do, we run them out of town), and I know it's 1982 because I looked it up online. However, the setting is irrelevant since director Tomas Alfredson is trying to establish a timeless quality to his film, he succeeds in that regard. In this timeless and snowy abyss, we meet twelve-year-old Oskar, a lonely boy who is slipping further into darkness as he fantasizes about retaliation towards bullies at school and spends his nights studying news articles about grisly murders. He's either about to stab up his school or become the basis for a new CBS procedural drama. It could go either way. But into his world glides the enigmatic Eli. While Eli looks like a normal 12-year-old girl, she's not exactly twelve and she's not exactly a girl. Eli is a vampire and where Let the Right One In deserves its acclaim is in taking the stale genre in a desperately needed new direction. While tweens are shrieking at the screen this weekend at the table scraps of Anne Rice with Twilight, Let the Right One In has a fascinating and different approach to the character of the vampire: vampire as animal. Alfredson gives his version of the vampire by comparing it to a wolf: You can't say a wolf is a cruel animal. You can say it does cruel things, but it's not cruel. It's the same thing with the vampire, she does things that are necessary for her to live, but she is not a cruel character.* However, for me, this also positions Eli's character in its weakest position—she essentially becomes a pet. She's a pet that, in an interesting twist, encourages Oskar in his violence. She's a protector yet she also needs protecting. The dynamic is familiar but the players have changed. What's reassuring is that you've never seen a vampire film quite like this and the two young actors are absolutely sublime in playing these totally unique roles. I've seen Let the Right One In billed as "horror" but I don't think that label fits. Horror, as a genre, must at least attempt to be horrifying and I see no such attempts in this film. What I see is a sweet coming-of-age drama with horrific moments. Make no mistake—there are a couple scene of absolute brutality in Right One, but it's hard to be terrified when the one engaging in the brutality is the character who earns your empathy and the villager she's destroying earns complete indifference. Some may argue that we're meant to be scared of Eli's behavior yet sympathetic to her needs, thus creating a conflict in the viewer. But I would argue, coming back to Alfredson's argument that no one holds a grudge against a wolf for trying to survive. That being said, I think it's a missed opportunity to develop the adults/victims surrounding the tale which also leads into the film's largest failing. All the scenes with Eli and Oskar are wonderful. They're sad, touching, uplifting, and all-together beautiful. But any time we're away from both of them, the film deflates completely. When watching Eli's caretaker try to find her some fresh blood, his actions seem clumsy and I felt that Eli might be better off on her own rather than having some inept old man try to perform elaborate serial killings across a small town. Then there's a group of adults trying to discover their friend's killer. I'm willing to accept an argument about the lack of police presence owing to the film's otherworldly quality, but there's no excuse for why the adult characters are so painfully dull and underdeveloped. At best, they provide dark comic relief like when their friend's body is pulled out of the ice or when another is attacked by a barrage of CGI cats. If Alfredson was attempting comedy with these moments, then he succeeded. But because so much of the film is quiet, cold, and forbidding, it's difficult to discern if these moments are intended for laughs or if that's just my fucked-up sense of humor struggling for a moment of levity before being plunged back into the tundra where two awkward souls struggle for a connection. Let the Right One In is not at fault for the vocal cheers of its supporters and my lessened enthusiasm should not indicate that I think it's a complete failure for not living up to these high expectations. On the contrary, I think Let the Right One In is a deep and interesting film albeit one with some obvious flaws that deserve acknowledgement. Still, if I find myself on the outs with those whose opinions I respect over my judgment on the film, I'll get over it. That or hang myself in the shower. But probably get over it. *From a must-read interview with Alfredson. Words by |