Hakan... why?

[dorkus]

Hi there!

Just saw the movie for the first time last night. I'm brand new. I really liked it. Never read the book.

One thing that bothered me was the character of Hakan. Why does he do the things he does? He murders. He asks for forgiveness when he screws up. He pours acid on his face to protect her. He lets Eli suck his life away....

There's only 3 things in my view that could justify his actions:
1) that he is responsible for Eli's being a vampire or
2) he is Eli's father or
3) Eli is using some vampire hypnosis power on him...

I gather that neither 1 or 2 is the case. Why then would he act like this? Just curious what other people think about it... or maybe there's something in the book that explains it. Did it bother anyone else?

[genie47]

Do you want to keep the interpretation of the character from your viewing of the film or do you want what the novel made him to be?

Since this is the film's folder, we try not to shove the novel into new viewers' interpretation though we'd be happy to tell you.

I would highly encourage others responding to "spoiler" the reply.

[almos]

Hakan's story had been fleshed out in detail in the book. In brief,prior to meeting Eli Hakan was a middle-school teacher who got fired for reading child porn. Having narrowly escaped from being lynched by his neighbors, he set out to kill himself in the most spectacular manner he could conceive - by drinking himself to death in the public park. During one of his drinking sessions he had been approached by a beautiful little girl who requested his assistance. The person in question was Eli. Eli literally took charge of the broken Hakan, for whom the situation was a fulfillment of his dreams - he could indulge in pedophilia without feeling remorse for actually having sex with a minor - once he realized who Eli really was, and how old she(he) was. Eli brought him out of the gutter, and Hakan paid off by providing her(him) with blood. In a way, Hakan envisaged his relationship with Eli as a perfect relationship - that is, before he paid a price for it.

Edit: spoilered!

[ked101]

I saw the film then read the book the book filled in a lot of missing detail. but yeah Eli found him and was willing to give him what he wanted in return for his help- it was a synergetic relationship to begin with until Oska?

[TΛPETRVE]

I wouldn't go as far as to call it a synergistic relationship. That's much more what can be said about Oskar and Eli, whose tie might even be described as "symbiotic" of some sort. Håkan had to pay much more than he eventually was given in return - an illusion, an empty promise.

[Wolfchild]

In the film, Håkan has obviously devoted his life to Eli - in the most literal sense. However, his motivations are left unclear. He is willing to kill for her and to dispose of bodies for her, but he is also afraid of her. He subtly uses his service to her to coerce her, but at the same time he seems pitifully grateful for the smallest gesture of affection or appreciation from her. As for Oskar, it is unclear in the film whether he views Oskar as a rival for Eli's affection or as a threat to her. As a plot device, I suppose it is an open question whether or not the ambiguities about the Håkan character make it better able to serve its function in the plot.

[lombano]

Hi there!

Just saw the movie for the first time last night. I'm brand new. I really liked it. Never read the book.

One thing that bothered me was the character of Hakan. Why does he do the things he does? He murders. He asks for forgiveness when he screws up. He pours acid on his face to protect her. He lets Eli suck his life away....

There's only 3 things in my view that could justify his actions:
1) that he is responsible for Eli's being a vampire or
2) he is Eli's father or
3) Eli is using some vampire hypnosis power on him...

I gather that neither 1 or 2 is the case. Why then would he act like this? Just curious what other people think about it... or maybe there's something in the book that explains it. Did it bother anyone else?

I really like interpretation 1, I hadn't thought of it before - Hakan driven by guilt for Eli's condition and fear of her revenge. The main objection one could find is that if Eli has been twelve 'for a long time,' as she says in the film, then it raises questions about why he doesn't act like you would expect an experienced killer to (on the other hand, his incompetence could be the result of old age or of an increasing reluctance to kill for her). About interpretation 2, apart from the lack of physical resemblance, the relationship is shown to be more like one of master-servant. almos has explained what his motives are in the book - there are hints of it in the film, for example his reaction when Eli caresses his cheek, his jealousy of Oskar. Oh, and welcome to our little club of infected.

[covenant6452]

This was one of the things that I thought was most disturbing about the film, the relation between Eli and Hakan, although more-so in the book. Because I read the book first I was definitely and extremely biased against Hakan when I first saw the film, then I watched again and tried to forget what I knew about him from it. But when I watched him overpowering then stringing up a guy like a deer on a hunting trip, I found there to be no redeeming qualities in him at all once again. Couldn't he have found a less brutal and sinister way of aquiring blood for Eli other than his emotionless way of slaughtering humans? Could he have found his way into the medical profession, or maybe joined the red cross and set up a blood bank and funneled some of the "proceeds" Elis way? He could give a pint himself every few days.
Then when he is getting ready to go out on his second and even less successful hunt, when he asks Eli not to see Oskar that night and she runs her hand along the side of his face, I saw the creep from the book again thinking about the things he wants. I know it is my bias from reading the book working again but the film leaves it up to us the viewers as TA and the author don't give us anything else to go on here like they did with a lot of the film, leaving it open to interpretation. Was it really love for Eli that made him pour acid over his face, or was he just a psycho who had been caught out? When Eli goes to the hospital window and Hakan sticks his neck out, in the literal sense, I could see how some might think that it was love for her that made him do it, but I just can't bring myself to see it. I see him hoping she will turn him, maybe so he can continue the killing forever. Is this another reason why he was there? I just can't see anything good in the man.
Just how much does Eli really need Hakan? Is she fully capable of killing? Of course, however, we know she is tired of it or just plain hates it when she sobs over the killing of Jocke. She needs someone to find the places to live, to pay the rent and bills, but does she need HIM? Surely there are other options or ways of living out there for her, in a citys underground maybe, or an abandoned building somewhere. Not pretty but viable? Has she had other Hakan/Renfields before? Most likely, but were they all like him? I hope not, doesn't she have enough to be guilty about?
Hakans' getting old now and screwing up, but Eli is also screwing up, the killing getting sloppy as we see when she is caught feeding on Ginia. I think that if Oskar hadn't been there for her at this particular moment in time I think her nights may have been numbered. Hoorah Oskar!
Did she need Hakan? I don't think so. She needed someone special...and she found him.

[lombano]

Has she had other Hakan/Renfields before? Most likely, but were they all like him? I hope not, doesn't she have enough to be guilty about?

Actually, I would imagine that some of her helpers would have been even worse than Hakan - we know little about him in the film, but in the book at least he is not wholly evil or, at least, he could have been even worse.

[ked101]

very true tape; that escaped me.