Let the Right One In: the Final Scene
An Analysi of the Ending of the 2008 Swedish Movie
Mar 26, 2009
The ending of the 2008 Swedish vampire movie, Let the Right One In, has inspired much critical discussion. Although the director, Tomas Alfredson, is on record as saying he believes it to be a happy ending, he has gone to great lengths to create a sense of contrast: the ending is simultaneously sweet and creepy, poignant and filled with foreboding.
The Uneasy Interpretation
It truly is an amazing feat by both Alfredson and script writer John Ajvide Lindqvist that it's even possible to contemplate a happy ending for this film; the movie progresses through the growing relationship between Oskar—an awkward and bullied 12 year old in early 80's suburban Sweden—and Eli, a mysterious young girl who comes to live in the apartment next to Oskar's. The relationship reaches its apex of trust and connection when the two each save the other from certain murder, both in acts of extreme bloody violence. As the film concludes, Oskar has abandoned his home and family to travel with Eli.
Håkan, Eli, and Oskar
The sense of foreboding in the scene is clear due to the presence of a third character in the movie: an older man, Håkan, who lives with Eli posing as her father. He is, in fact, her partner and assistant; the way he helps her is by murdering teenage boys and draining their blood so Eli doesn't have to hunt as often as she otherwise would. As the movie ends, it is strongly implied that Oskar has become the new Håkan, who has died previously in the movie. Not only has Oskar chosen of a life of complete isolation from the rest of the world, but he will presumably become a psychopathic murderer.
The Happy Ending
What an accomplishment, then, that the final scene also contains such a degree of innocence and sweetness, even in the face of all the implications about Oskar's future. The sun is shining through the window of a train, and Oskar looks happy for the first time in the movie as he sits by himself in a seat. Next to him on the ground is a large chest; from within comes the Morse code for "kiss"; Eli is showing her affection for Oskar. He responds in kind, and the scene fades out.
Soul Mates Forever
This is the flip side of Oskar's future; he has found his other self, and is content and confident for the first time in his life. Both he and Eli have found another being who loves them unconditionally. The implication is that everyone has a dark side, and some terrible secrets; to find someone who knows all these facts about us, and then still accepts us and wants to spend their lives with us, is a rare gift indeed.
Ambiguous by Design
Let the Right One In achieves one of the rarest and most impressive of artistic feats; simultaneously sweetly happy and deeply sad. The film creates a sense of ambiguity from the beginning, as themes of unconditional love and personal development entwine with the darkest and most violent aspects of the human condition, and the ending encapsulates this conflict to perfection. Simple, elegant, and deeply complex, the final 60 seconds of the film answer many of the questions posed by the movie while simultaneously positing a whole new set. Critics and audience members alike have pondered, discussed, and argued what comes next for the pair; it is by design that the film leaves these questions open for myriad interpretations.
