Feminist Analysis

[gattoparde59]

I also didn't like the Queen reference. That simply does not fit your style, which is more cerebral.

A great review! I really liked it. You managed to pack a lot into your 13 plus minutes of video. As you say in the video, this is not an easy story to apply feminist analysis. The most interesting part for me is the pairing of a feminine, soft spoken male with a flinty "female" character. Oskar does acquire or more masculine kind of swagger after he gives Conny what for, only to lapse into his "damsel in distress" mode at the end in the swimming pool.

Given your interests (and your infection) you really should read the novel. I think it is a gold mine for gender analysis.

For Lacke, I seem to remember it being pronounced by Virginia like the English "Lock-ee."

[Ingenting-ing]

Hey Dragonclaws --

Great to see your face. Wow! You covered a lot of bases in 13 minutes. Well done. One thing I was going to suggest is that, since your review is definitely an after-you've-seen-the-movie affair, you might want to post some kind of spoiler notice in case any newbies find it. But in any case, glad you put it out there.

@gattoparde59:

Oskar does acquire or more masculine kind of swagger after he gives Conny what for, only to lapse into his "damsel in distress" mode at the end in the swimming pool.

Yeah, this is interesting, isn't it. What catches my attention is that by then, as far as he knows, Eli has left. Without his muse, he reverts. To paraphrase followers of Malcolm X, Eli is his manhood.

EDIT: Corrected quote attribution from bore to gattoparde59.

[rgh]

Oskar does acquire or more masculine kind of swagger after he gives Conny what for, only to lapse into his "damsel in distress" mode at the end in the swimming pool.

Yeah, this is interesting, isn't it. What catches my attention is that by then, as far as he knows, Eli has left. Without his muse, he reverts. To paraphrase followers of Malcolm X, Eli is his manhood.

I always felt that Oskar only tried to better himself by working out and standing up to the bullies so he could feel worthy of Eli's affection. (After all, in the novel, he asks himself what does Eli see in me?) Once he thought Eli had left for good, he no longer had motivation to stand up. No reason to try.

[bore]

Oskar does acquire or more masculine kind of swagger after he gives Conny what for, only to lapse into his "damsel in distress" mode at the end in the swimming pool.

That is a misquote. I am in no way qualified to to a gender role analysis of this movie.

Herpa derp derp, bork bork bork.

Would be closer to something I would say.

[Ingenting-ing]

Oskar does acquire or more masculine kind of swagger after he gives Conny what for, only to lapse into his "damsel in distress" mode at the end in the swimming pool.

That is a misquote. I am in no way qualified to to a gender role analysis of this movie.

Herpa derp derp, bork bork bork.

Would be closer to something I would say.

Sorry bore (and gattoparde59, who is the actual author). Fixed it in the original post. Can't figure out how that happened. Maybe blame it on still being in kind of a fog of love over this movie...

[lombano]

Strictly, 'but you're a girl' is from LMI only, in LTROI Oskar doesn't protest at Eli's offer of help and there is no mention of gender.

I always felt that Oskar only tried to better himself by working out and standing up to the bullies so he could feel worthy of Eli's affection. (After all, in the novel, he asks himself what does Eli see in me?) Once he thought Eli had left for good, he no longer had motivation to stand up. No reason to try.

He asks how Eli sees him, rather than what Eli sees in him. But yes, after Eli left he had no more motivation to try - I don't think he was, at least consciously, trying to make himself worthy of Eli, but rather that the relationship was a source of strength for him.

[Dragonclaws]

Strictly, 'but you're a girl' is from LMI only, in LTROI Oskar doesn't protest at Eli's offer of help and there is no mention of gender.

Yeah... I was just thinking I messed that up. Whoops.

[rgh]

Strictly, 'but you're a girl' is from LMI only, in LTROI Oskar doesn't protest at Eli's offer of help and there is no mention of gender.

I always felt that Oskar only tried to better himself by working out and standing up to the bullies so he could feel worthy of Eli's affection. (After all, in the novel, he asks himself what does Eli see in me?) Once he thought Eli had left for good, he no longer had motivation to stand up. No reason to try.

He asks how Eli sees him, rather than what Eli sees in him. But yes, after Eli left he had no more motivation to try - I don't think he was, at least consciously, trying to make himself worthy of Eli, but rather that the relationship was a source of strength for him.

I guess I slightly misrepresented that, didn't I ?

Oskar is clearly concerned about how he is seen, as demonstrated by the question how does Eli see me. The bullies see piggy and mom sees her little darling. He looks at the wound on his face and wonders what he will tell Eli. What she thinks of him matters. His self esteem is low and he sees the opportunity to appear different (better) to her, because she is new and doesn't know him well. He asks himself "What do you do anyway? To make people like you?" Maybe he wasn't shooting for something as lofty as being worthy, but I think that he was at least doing it so she would like him. In his mind, I imagine, he had to stand up to them as Eli advised. That is what she expected of him.

[Ash]

Speaking as a feminist myself , I'm a bit torn between JAL's portrayal of females.
Hakan, the evil one, was very much opposed to sexist exploitation-

"It was crazy. Naked skin wherever you looked. Why was it tolerated? What effect did it have on people's heads, on love?"

And JAL's views on pornography are quite evident-

"The girl was pressing her breasts together with her hands so they stood out like two balloons, had pursed her mouth into a pout. It looked sick."

But Yvonne and the mums are all weak and ineffectual.
And others-

"....their massive breasts were bouncing like cheery bowling balls under their T-shirts. The women jumped and skipped, lifting their knees so the flesh trembled in their too-tight workout pants."

He gave, possibly the weakest character of all, Gosta, his love of cats. A characteristically female trait. (though I do love them myself).
And he turned Eli, initially seen as a very powerful female, into a boy, midway through the story. And gave him "the curse" (menstruation type condition) where his life was bound to a blood cycle.

[Dragonclaws]

Speaking as a feminist myself , I'm a bit torn between JAL's portrayal of females.
Hakan, the evil one, was very much opposed to sexist exploitation-

"It was crazy. Naked skin wherever you looked. Why was it tolerated? What effect did it have on people's heads, on love?"

And JAL's views on pornography are quite evident-

"The girl was pressing her breasts together with her hands so they stood out like two balloons, had pursed her mouth into a pout. It looked sick."

But Yvonne and the mums are all weak and ineffectual.
And others-

"....their massive breasts were bouncing like cheery bowling balls under their T-shirts. The women jumped and skipped, lifting their knees so the flesh trembled in their too-tight workout pants."

I finished the book. Considering that anti-porn thoughts are had by Hakan, Oskar, and Tommy, I think it's reasonable to conclude it's the author's own view. Hakan's musings on the value of love were mostly there for irony, though, considering his sexual practices. The negativity surrounding sexuality is perhaps to be contrasted with Eli and Oskar's platonic relationship.

Yvonne's pretty passive, especially considering the tense relationship of Steffan and Tommy, where those two are active. Virginia's gone into a bit more than the film, though. I liked that. Plus, she gets to narrate the reason why the book's called "Let the Right One In".

He gave, possibly the weakest character of all, Gosta, his love of cats. A characteristically female trait. (though I do love them myself).

Was he supposed to be gay? My gaydar could be off considering he's not American, but I thought that could be an implication.

And he turned Eli, initially seen as a very powerful female, into a boy, midway through the story. And gave him "the curse" (menstruation type condition) where his life was bound to a blood cycle.

Yeah... I have to agree about the gender surprise. It would be one thing if they made it clear from the onset what's up with Eli's gender, but it seems like a surprise tossed in to just be a weird twist. I mean JAL revealed Hakan wasn't Eli's father with a jump to his perspective early on, so why not have Hakan narrate about it? I don't know about the menstruation comparison.