The Movie...Let the Right One In
SPOILERS GALORE….Only Continue Reading if You’ve Already Enjoyed the Film!! The movie’s great and if you’re a fan of foreign, horror, coming of age, or vampires, I suggest you check it out.
But what bothered me was the unstated, though very present, undercurrents of sexuality related to a 12-year-old vampire. There is a shot in the film that shows a close up of Eli’s frontal, unpantied body. NUDITY IN A 12-YEAR-OLD GIRL? REALLY? Is that ever appropriate, except if we’re catering to degenerates? Though I didn’t recognize it as such, one of my NFriends thought the shot shows a scar. Twice during the film, Eli says that she is not a girl and her comments might be referring to the fact that she’s dead. But is that true?
We know Eli is old, surely too old to have gone through any type of surgery while she was alive for a sex change or intersexual condition. But if it is indeed a scar, that’s where the package would have been. ALSO THERE’S THE ISSUE OF HER “FATHER,” who can’t possibly be, because he isn’t old enough. So, was he selected when he too was 11 years old? As a grown man, are we to assume that their relationship is platonic or paternal? If Oskar is the chosen “father” replacement, will she become his girlfriend as he grows older? Though her body is 12, this girl has been around for a while and I think there is another aspect to this story that is only hinted at.
Ok, the sexual parts of this speculation are icky, but as many people have already mentioned, this is a dark story and I’m interested in what the filmmakers were striving for…because I don’t believe a story of this nature (12-year-old-vicious-monster-when-she-needs-to-be) would not dare to tread on such slippery, possibly tabooed, slopes. Or maybe I’m the degenerate, seeing sexual situations where none exist. Even if it’s to tell me I’m full of crap, what do YOU think?
But what bothered me was the unstated, though very present, undercurrents of sexuality related to a 12-year-old vampire. There is a shot in the film that shows a close up of Eli’s frontal, unpantied body. NUDITY IN A 12-YEAR-OLD GIRL? REALLY? Is that ever appropriate, except if we’re catering to degenerates? Though I didn’t recognize it as such, one of my NFriends thought the shot shows a scar. Twice during the film, Eli says that she is not a girl and her comments might be referring to the fact that she’s dead. But is that true?
We know Eli is old, surely too old to have gone through any type of surgery while she was alive for a sex change or intersexual condition. But if it is indeed a scar, that’s where the package would have been. ALSO THERE’S THE ISSUE OF HER “FATHER,” who can’t possibly be, because he isn’t old enough. So, was he selected when he too was 11 years old? As a grown man, are we to assume that their relationship is platonic or paternal? If Oskar is the chosen “father” replacement, will she become his girlfriend as he grows older? Though her body is 12, this girl has been around for a while and I think there is another aspect to this story that is only hinted at.
Ok, the sexual parts of this speculation are icky, but as many people have already mentioned, this is a dark story and I’m interested in what the filmmakers were striving for…because I don’t believe a story of this nature (12-year-old-vicious-monster-when-she-needs-to-be) would not dare to tread on such slippery, possibly tabooed, slopes. Or maybe I’m the degenerate, seeing sexual situations where none exist. Even if it’s to tell me I’m full of crap, what do YOU think?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Lester on -
I haven't seen Lolita for quite a while, but does Sue Lyons, as opposed to a body double, appear naked in film? The Production Code has nothing to do with it, it's generally considered child abuse under the criminal law for a minor to be naked on a movie set. If Lyons does appear naked at the age of 14, then maybe Kubrick had some connections, I don't know.
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Permalink Reply by thatboy on -
I loved Let the Right One In, with all of its sweet adolescent longing.
Yes, that's the thing. I haven't read the book, so I don't know it's focus, but I thought the movie was a beautiful exploration of coming-of-age/first love. I was charmed by it, and I'm surprised anyone could think of it as 'shocking.'
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Permalink Reply by jumpspeed on -
Yes those are all true. Plus you could see Bart's penis in the Simpsons Movie.
(This feels kinda weird, making a list of movies with naked kids in them. But whatever)
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Permalink Reply by The Continental on -
(This feels kinda weird, making a list of movies with naked kids in them. But whatever)
Yeah just one miss step little Red riding Hood's deep into the woods on this one,,no comment,, ah shit this is a comment,,,,,,,,,,,In the immortal words of the reverend Billy F. Gibbons (of ZZTOP) ,I wouldn't touch it with a 10 foot pole.
Good discussion by the way.
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Permalink Reply by Lester on
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Maybe I wasn't clear. The issue involves the actor, as a person, not the characters in films. Minors as film characters can be nude, which usually involves body doubles or CGI. However, using a real minor risks violating criminal laws about child abuse. Those laws exist for the protection of the minors and have nothing to do with the viewer. No filmmaker would use a real minor in a nude scene and risk all the legal crap.
If you see nude shots of a minor in a mainstream movie you can be sure that they are not real. The nude shots in Let the Right One In were not of a minor.
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Permalink Reply by e manderthal on -
See my post above.
Perhaps in Sweden they're more lax with regards to that segment of the law, but Melinda Kinnaman was 13 or 14 while shooting "My Life...", and that was her taking off her shirt in the film.
And the film was nominated by the Academy for multiple awards.
That seems kinda mainstream to me.
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Permalink Reply by beeswax on -
Yeah, Lasse Hallström isn't exactly "underground."
And My Life as a Dog continues to be critically respected, as I imagine Let the Right One In will be 24 years down the road. (Damn. Thanks for reminding me I'm old, manderthal.)
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Permalink Reply by beeswax on
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Speaking of Oscars and nudity, I believe the star of The Tin Drum was only 11 when he was in that film (13 when it was released). The movie won the Best Foreign Film Oscar and also continues to be well-respected.
Much harsher scenes than those that prompted this discussion. And Tin Drum was the subject of controversial bans in Oklahoma (U.S.) and Ontario (Canada). According to Wikipedia and the IMDb, federal courts in the U.S. held the ban to be unconstitutional.
And again, Volker Schlöndorff is not exactly some fly-by-night or particularly avant-garde filmmaker.
I think Lester's statement would be much more accurate substituting "no respected filmmaker" with "in this business climate, no studios will allow..."
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Permalink Reply by thatboy on
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I'm fairly certain John Waters didn't use CGI or body doubles. Now, you can debate whether he's a respected filmmaker, and you can argue that film wasn't mainstream, but he's now had two films made into Broadway musicals and attracts some very respected talent to star in his films, so it didn't exactly hurt his career. The movie in question continues to play at film fests and retrospectives, and is available on DVD at Amazon, where it has a rating of 4.5 stars.
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Permalink Reply by Microwaved on -
How about Ladies and Gentlemen: The Fabulous Stains which featured a topless 16 year old Diane Lane, not exactly underground either.
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Permalink Reply by Lester on
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I perhaps I should not have used the word "reputable;" maybe "prudent" would have been better. The point I'm making has nothing to do with the quality of the film or the filmmaker's work. It also has nothing to do with whether a movie is banned or anything related to the viewer.
The point is simply that if a minor is unclothed on a movie set, there is a significant risk of a criminal charge of child abuse. For example, the North Carolina authorities invested the filming of Houunddog as a result of allegations that Fanning was nude on the set. They found no evidence and the matter was dropped. Had she been nude, the filmmakers could well be facing prison time.
The laws may be different in other countries and the authorities, having prosecutorial discretion, do not always pursue every posible crime. It still remains that it would be foolish to use a real minor and risk criminal prosecution when other legal methods, body doubles or cgi, can achieve the same effect.
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Permalink Reply by Donna Loves Movies on -
Thank you, that is exactly my point. I have no idea what the laws are in other countries about nudity in minors. When I saw the spot in this film, I didn't know it wasn't real and started this conversation to find out more and to discuss what others' feelings are on the topic.
It has been an interesting experience and if I've learned nothing else, I know this....you guys really know your films!
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