Håkan

Although we don't literally see Håkan's hand on a window, the film still finds a way to weave him into a theme of hands and barriers.

As Håkan and Eli move into their apartment, we see a shot of Håkan from outside their apartment window. Instead of having Håkan's hand on the window, instead the film shows us an image of someone else's hand in the window - a hand in a rather foreboding pose. In this shot we see Håkan constructing a barrier. It is behind this barrier where he seeks to protect Eli and preserve his life with her.

However, Eli will not remain behind Håkan's barrier. She seeks contact with Oskar and goes out into the courtyard to be with him. After Oskar and Eli's fourth meeting, where Oskar gives Eli the Morse code key, they run off together. We are shown that Håkan has been watching them from behind his barrier. While Eli has escaped his barrier, he has not.

As Håkan is preparing for his last ill-fated foray to procure blood for Eli, the film shows us Eli entering the scene. As she does so, the film gives us an image of her hand on yet another window. The film seems to be telling us that the barrier that Håkan was erecting earlier is now a barrier between he and Eli.

Although Eli has entered the scene, she does not actually enter the kitchen where Håkan is. Instead she stops just at the threshold. She has not passed the barrier between she and Håkan.

However Håkan asks her to promise not to see Oskar that night. Eli then enters the kitchen and touches his face, but as she does so her face betrays no emotion at all.

Although this touch has great meaning for Håkan, it seems to have little or no meaning for Eli. Håkan has asked her to come back within the barrier he intends to keep between the two of them and the rest of the world. Eli gives her assent with a brief nod, but it is clear this barrier will hold her only as long as she allows it to.

As the final act in the theme of barriers regarding Håkan, Eli visits him at the hospital. The film reminds us one final time of the barrier between he and Eli with a shot of Eli with her hand on the window. Indeed, that is the purpose of her visit: to put the barrier of death between them.