The Music

[Sam]

Oskar is, as you interpreted, closing the doors to his childhood and past. Tellingly, he also blocks his mother out with the cane/stick preventing her from opening his door. She's not the right one now.

Oh, good that you mentioned that. This is a strong scene. The cane symbolizes that the door will stay shut. She will not be the right one ever again.

The picture fits. He closes his old life. The author said the last cut string was his teacher looking away from him at the pool. That means we should have step by step lots of cut strings that lead to him abandoing his old life for Eli. It might be interesting to shed some light to that later.

Your "Bloodying" observation is pertinent, not only in a "future Hakan" interpretation, but also as in loss of innocence/corporality symbol. Which brings up an interesting question - Has Oskar been accidentally infected? Not the director's intent I am sure, but ...

Oskar did not kill Lacke and did not really help. He stopped him from harming Eli by "being in the way", however exactly that happend. I remember some yelling. When Eli woke up, she did the rest. I remember Oskar forming "Sorry" with his lips, before leaving the room. In the movie he just silently closes the door. This is basically the same: He doesn't join, but he accepts what Eli is doing.

He did his part, even if it was only a small one. And he got his share of the blood with the kiss.

This is so beaufiful...

Then again: What is Elis intention here, methaphorically speaking. Why is she bloodying him? What does it mean that it's her giving him the blood and in this fashion. Does she remind him what it means to be with her? Oskar is certainly realizing something. When she says goodbye with a kiss, he is not just looking into her eyes for the remaining scene, he looks down at himself, confused, and then he sees the corpse. He might realize that he actually WAS part of the team. He killed Locke. Is it that?

But I really never thought about him being accidentally infected... The symbol is strong though. It's like Eli made him a "honorary vampire". Why not a real one. Depends. HOW wet was this kiss? And IF that is true, what does this mean for the reasons why she came back in the end.

There was a scene when he thought he was infected. Right after the basement scene, I believe. He is in bed and repeats the sentence "I will be a vampire". But I dismissed it as a filler of some sort. What do we make of that?

Furthermore, that was something I am thinking about for days now but I did not come around analyzing it. She asks Oskar twice in the book if he wants to be like her, am I right? Oskar thinks at least once he is infected, he gets infected after the book ends and now the story with that kiss. I wonder when Eli made a decision that Oskar would be a good partner for her. And if she pursued that somehow.


BTW: I dont know how you handle that in this forum. This is incredibly off topic, moving to another threat?

[Marlow]

I just brought up the accidental infection as an unintended aspect of watching the movie with "a fine toothed comb." I don't think the director was trying to slip in an infection possibility, but it is possible.

I also think that Oskar and Eli are in the hall and Oskar looks down before committing to see Eli as he is. We, the audience, see a very dead Lacke, but I don't think Oskar is looking to the corpse.

[Sam]

I know what you mean. But the camera shows us Oskar with blood, looking down and then the corpse. Why showing us the corpse?

[dongregg]

I know what you mean. But the camera shows us Oskar with blood, looking down and then the corpse. Why showing us the corpse?

I think it means Oskar would at least see the body before he leaves Eli's apartment.

[gattoparde59]

With this scene I always felt that Oskar was very gingerly tasting the blood left on his lips.

Maybe the cut back to Lacke dead in the bathroom is there to show us the paradox that is Eli. The same Eli that killed Lacke also loves Oskar. Perhaps this is meant to show Oskar trying to comprehend this intimate moment.

The following scenes show a forlorn Oskar playing with his toy cars. Loss of innocence seems to be the theme here.

[Marlow]

I think the "Dead Lacke" is one of the icy cool moments of humor in the film; young love contrasted with an exsanguinated corpse.

[a_contemplative_life]

The glorious music. Have been playing the soundtrack over and over. Simple, plaintive themes all with a touch of underlying sadness and hope. Subtle variations conveying fear, love , pathos . I've been scared more by a couple of tracks than the actual film or book. Shows that classical music can be mixed with modern techniques and samples to astounding affect. I am constantly listening to it in my head. Even when reading the book and watching the film. Listening to it now. I'd love to be able to get the sheet music for it although I'm scared that I might murder it..lol. Playing slow stuff is harder in reality to playing fast. Slow demands emotional input. If I was able to play it properly I'd be a blubbering mess. Listening to it makes me cry. Having seen the movie first, the music for me is intrinsically linked to the story,
but even if you haven't seen or read it the music certainly stands alone as glorious.

Don't wear it out!!

[dongregg]

...I'd love to be able to get the sheet music for it although I'm scared that I might murder it..lol. Playing slow stuff is harder in reality to playing fast. Slow demands emotional input. If I was able to play it properly I'd be a blubbering mess. Listening to it makes me cry. Having seen the movie first, the music for me is intrinsically linked to the story, but even if you haven't seen or read it the music certainly stands alone as glorious.

Hey, that may be why we are well represented on the forum with musicians. You get the film (story, whatever) on additional levels. I mean, the soundtrack speaks to any of us, but it adds something when you aware of the music "from the inside." Literally from the inside, if you are performing it.

[Sam]

You know, it's always interesting to observe how differently you guys see all this.

[a_contemplative_life]

I know what you mean. But the camera shows us Oskar with blood, looking down and then the corpse. Why showing us the corpse?

I would suggest that dead Lacke is the perfectly suited witness for a kind of marriage. He (and his blood on Eli's face) also symbolize the final unveiling of all the Eli is, and that the kiss represents Oskar's unconditional acceptance of the same.