Eli, on the Verge of Tears?

[a_contemplative_life]

In the bedroom scene, at about 57:30, Eli tells Oskar that they can go steady and Oskar says "good." Between this statement and Eli's touching of Oskar's arm, Eli has an expression that appears to me to be something very close to crying. Does anyone agree/disagree, or wish to venture a guess about what Eli is thinking at this moment?

[Nightrider]

Agreed. Eli does something similar in the deleted "slapping scene" right after Oskar slowly gets ahold of Eli's hand. She looks at him and her lower lip quievers very slightly...Very subtle and beautiful scene.

[TigerEyes]

In the bedroom scene, at about 57:30, Eli tells Oskar that they can go steady and Oskar says "good." Between this statement and Eli's touching of Oskar's arm, Eli has an expression that appears to me to be something very close to crying. Does anyone agree/disagree, or wish to venture a guess about what Eli is thinking at this moment?

actually, it's at 57:17, but i see it. I'm not sure, but it's probably due to thinking about how he/she was treated by others who wanted to do things to Eli. But also feels that this might b fore the first time that someone is actually liking Eli and not wanting to do things like Hakan wanted to do with Eli. I do think it seem like she is at the verge of crying. When Oskar asked if Eli wanted to be his girlfriend, Eli was afraid that Oskar might be wanting to do sexual stuff with him/her.

[TigerEyes]

Agreed. Eli does something similar in the deleted "slapping scene" right after Oskar slowly gets ahold of Eli's hand. She looks at him and her lower lip quievers very slightly...Very subtle and beautiful scene.

why ys it is. I've done a scene in the fanfic where i think of what Eli might have been thinking. In that delted scene was likely that Eli was afraid that Oskar wouldn't want to have anything to do with Eli and is afraid of Eli. It's a beautiful scene, and i feel that Eli was going through a lot. I do wonder if that is what the director wanted her to do, make that expression or it was Lina's.

[PeteMork]

I think it's the beginning of her love for him, and yes, she's probably close to tears as she runs through the gamut of emotions as she realizes it. After all, it's been 200 years since anyone's liked her. This scene, at least for me, completely puts to rest the idea that an Evil Eli is manupulating Oskar. Who's she acting for?

[Nightrider]

It's with moments like that unfortunately deleted scene and a few others in the film, Eli is shown as a loving, sensitive being that feels pain and is filled with doubt and vulnerability....just like any other human child and not a vampire creature....Perhaps Eli's human after all....for the most part.


PS. Just can't say enough great things about Lina Leandersson's miraculous performance. Full of complexity and character it's an amazingly mature work on many levels....I'm in awe....and possibly in love.

[Ash]

It's 55.01 on the Swedish DVD.
The crying is seen in Eli's neck movements, like she's choking back a sob. In a still you can't really see that.
And I have to agree for an inexperienced actor to nail every scene like Lina did, is astounding.
Perhaps Alfredson played a part in that.

[a_contemplative_life]

One of the things that I think LTROI does very well is juxtapose horror with beauty--put them side by side, mix them up, and thereby make your emotions the proverbial mouse being toyed with by a cat. This is one of those scenes that does this very well. Here we have Eli, having just flown from the hospital were she has killed Hakan, in Oskar's bed with Hakan's blood still fresh around her mouth. All Oskar had to do was turn over, and there would probably have been some very uncomfortable questions. But he doesn't; and so we have this very tender and innocent exchange. Thanks to Lina's fine acting, we (or at least, I) do not get the impression that Eli is acting in bad faith, or trying to trap Oskar and thereby make him her next familiar. Through only a few seconds of facial expressions we are led away from the obvious (and shallow) conclusion to something deeper, which pulls on our sense that we want these two to be happy. It is the small things like this that make LTROI my favorite film. But it is a film that you really need to watch closely to catch these nuances. Sometimes I think folks who adhere to the "evil Eli" view might not have been watching that carefully.

[a_contemplative_life]

It's with moments like that unfortunately deleted scene and a few others in the film, Eli is shown as a loving, sensitive being that feels pain and is filled with doubt and vulnerability....just like any other human child and not a vampire creature....Perhaps Eli's human after all....for the most part.


PS. Just can't say enough great things about Lina Leandersson's miraculous performance. Full of complexity and character it's an amazingly mature work on many levels....I'm in awe....and possibly in love.

Nnooo...really?

I'm still seeing new things, every time I watch her.

[Ash]

I hope you are not including me in the "evil Eli" crowd.
I suggested she was not beyond manipulation, which we clearly saw in her relationship with Hakan.
But I would never suggest she was evil in any way. Put that to bed right now.
If there was any distillation of "the essence" into small things, we can see it portrayed in the final pool scene.
All we see of Eli is her eyes and the top of her nose. But from that extreme close-up we know she smiles, and all is well in the world from that slight movement of a few minute muscles.
All the Hollywood shoot-outs and explosions and CG and over-acting, are put to absolute shame by a cinematographer and director who really knows their s***.
It's impossible to go back to Hollywood after seeing LTROI. All I do is laugh.