Blood and Mirrors: Let the Right One In
The Vampire Myth Takes a New Turn in Swedish Horror Film
Mar 16, 2009
In the 2008 Swedish film Let the Right One In—released on DVD in the U.S. on March 10th—it is no coincidence that the protagonists are 12 years old. Using the folklore and cinematic metaphors of vampirism, screenwriter John Ajvide Lindqvist and director Tomas Alfredson explore themes traditionally associated with coming-of-age narratives: loneliness, isolation, burgeoning sexuality, and the development of the self.
Lonely Oskar Finds a Friend
Oskar, the male protagonist of the story, is a quiet and unconfident boy at school; at home, however, he clips newspaper articles of murders and acts out violent revenge fantasies against the bullies who terrorize him during the day.
When new neighbors move in to the apartment next to his, including one who appears to be a girl his own age, his interest is piqued. The two quickly become nearly inseparable, but only once the sun goes down; Eli, it turns out, is actually a vampire who has been living in the body of a 12 year old girl for centuries.
The Vampire Myth Reapplied
The two central metaphors in the film are well known to even casual fans of the vampire canon: blood and mirrors. In this instance, however, both are used to establish the ways in which people connect to themselves and each other, and specifically to show the ways in which young people become adults.
Mirrors and Glass
Reflective surfaces—mirrors, window panes, pools of still water—are the medium in which much of the interaction in the film takes place. They are used to great effect to establish the central alienation of the main characters; many of the film's most tender moments take place with a window pane between the participants, hands held up to each other over and over but never able to truly touch. Other moments also occur through windows—when someone, separate and unseen, watches others interacting. Finally, mirrors are used to show reaction shots of characters, unseen by anyone but the audience.
The Blood of the Young
Lindqvist and Alfredson use blood to great effect in the film to express the wonder, fear, and ultimate confusion associated with young people's transition into adulthood. The obvious metaphor is for a girl's menstrual cycle; this image is inverted in the vampire myth, as Eli draws blood from others for sustenance instead of losing it herself. In actuality it is Oskar who sheds blood at various moments in the film, further accentuating the relationship between the two: Eli is already fully developed, while Oskar is moving into the realm of maturity.
Growing Up Vampire
Let the Right One In is, at its core, the story of a young man finding the courage to stand up for himself—to become a man—through the confidence awakened in him by reciprocated love. Through images traditionally associated with vampire narratives, the movie takes a deep and engrossing look at the messy transition from child to adulthood.
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