Is Eli more human or vampire?

[jonjon_z]

If we assume that film Eli had the same arrangement with Håkan as book Eli, then on some level she was probably glad to be rid of him.

I can live with that.

[a_contemplative_life]

After watching Hakan and his attempts at getting blood for Eli it seems to me he never got enough to satisfy what Eli needed. Now was this intentional or just his lack of not being good at it?

When I watch the film I usually associate what I see with the novel. In the novel, Hakan just isn't cut out to be a killer. He's freaked out by the whole process, scared and reluctant. He even offers his own blood at one point, rather than go out.

[drakkar]

If we assume that film Eli had the same arrangement with Håkan as book Eli, then on some level she was probably glad to be rid of him.

Look at Elis facial expression when (s)he hears (deduces from) the radio news Håkan has been caught. I see sign of sorrow or grief, only determination...

[ricc9]

If we assume that film Eli had the same arrangement with Håkan as book Eli, then on some level she was probably glad to be rid of him.

Look at Elis facial expression when (s)he hears (deduces from) the radio news Håkan has been caught. I see sign of sorrow or grief, only determination...

Yeah, she showed nothing. Maybe she wanted to get to him to insure he wouldn't reveal who she was. Him being a weak miserable man, she may have been a little worried he may tell about her. So, she made sure he couldn't. Again on the ledge at the hospital after she fed on him, no emotion.

[a_contemplative_life]

Yeah, she showed nothing. Maybe she wanted to get to him to insure he wouldn't reveal who she was. Him being a weak miserable man, she may have been a little worried he may tell about her. So, she made sure he couldn't. Again on the ledge at the hospital after she fed on him, no emotion.

I don't know if I agree with that. I have always thought that after watching Hakan fall, and before she flies away, Eli looks rather dejected with herself. As if to say, 'this whole thing sucks.'

[rgh]

Yeah, she showed nothing. Maybe she wanted to get to him to insure he wouldn't reveal who she was. Him being a weak miserable man, she may have been a little worried he may tell about her. So, she made sure he couldn't. Again on the ledge at the hospital after she fed on him, no emotion.

I don't know if I agree with that. I have always thought that after watching Hakan fall, and before she flies away, Eli looks rather dejected with herself. As if to say, 'this whole thing sucks.'

I'm glad you mentioned this. I've seen many people say she shows no emotion here, but I have always felt she shows sadness about the situation, as she hates killing. I still think she was, on some level, glad to be done with him, although he was likely not the worst she has had to endure.

[N.R. Gasan]

I can't help but think that, for Eli, both of these are a curse. Being a vampire in and of itself wouldn't be so bad for her. After all, she has superhuman abilities and a potentially infinite lifespan. What truly makes her condition a curse is, ironically, her humanity. She hates killing. She tries hard not to infect others. But she does have to kill; she doesn't know any other way. So she loathes herself. Life for Eli would be so much easier if she were devoid of conscience, empty of compassion. As has been pointed out, Eli is more "human" towards Oskar than just about anyone else in the story. Tape put it well when he said, "Eli is a human being in a vampire's body." ^5 Tape.

[a_contemplative_life]

In terms of TA's great filmmaking, another thought about Hakan's death scene occurred to me...the shot down from the hospital window at Hakan's body includes the back of Eli's head--you can see her black hair blowing in the wind. So instead of just a straight shot down, we know that Eli is looking, too.

[gattoparde59]

Getting back to the original question in this thread, I think ricc9 has hit on one of the things that makes this story so attractive for me. We know that Eli is at least partly human. What strikes me about the character is that she has to struggle to be a human being. Even though her situation looks pretty hopeless, she is willing to at least try and make an effort to be more human. You can see the effort in different scenes, but especially when she keeps herself from killing Oskar when he lends her the Rubik's cube.

Trying to hang on to your humanity under difficult circumstances: that is how I see Eli as a character.

[a_contemplative_life]

Getting back to the original question in this thread, I think ricc9 has hit on one of the things that makes this story so attractive for me. We know that Eli is at least partly human. What strikes me about the character is that she has to struggle to be a human being. Even though her situation looks pretty hopeless, she is willing to at least try and make an effort to be more human. You can see the effort in different scenes, but especially when she keeps herself from killing Oskar when he lends her the Rubik's cube.

Trying to hang on to your humanity under difficult circumstances: that is how I see Eli as a character.

I agree, and this is why I care for Eli so much. She among all of the characters in the story has the biggest excuse to be a monster, and tries the hardest not to be.