Eli at the Hospital Window

[jetboy]

In vino veritas.

Most definitely...hiccup.

I think the key scene here is when Eil learns from the radio news that Håkan is hospitalised.
Does he show any sign of anxiety, sorrow or compassion? No, just plain determination.
He shows some compassion when he enters the situation on the window ledge, but doesnt hesitate much upon biting Håkan.
Then a glimpse of content before the vampire brain steps back, letting Eli realise that he now once again is utter alone, save one person.

There's something else to consider and thats Hakans willingness to hand his neck over. This aspect influences my take in that there is a friendship and an understanding. I think there was an agreement that if something went wrong, Hakan would offer his blood as his last gift and Eli went there to accept the gift and to say goodbye.

I'm sorry you see it as 'tainted' if Eli was slightly under the influence of a pain relief drug.

If it helps, I see the effect of the drug on Eli as no more than a couple of glasses of wine, just enough to take the edge off. I know I suggested that Eli was 'high' but that was a tongue in cheek comment and wasn't meant to be taken literally. Witness the effect of the cancer woman's meds on Eli; unable to stand, hallucinating, total failure of reality. Now compare that to what we see in the film, in the bedroom ... none of that. I'm guessing Håkan wasn't on morphine. The inhibitions I was referring to was her guarded approach to everything. She was guarded out of concerns for safety. This was a self imposed inhibition, not at all like a socially awkward inhibition which is not desired or sought after. I'm sure there is a bit of fear of opening up mixed in for good measure.

I guess it makes sense because she was shy after the bedroom scene also. Im not saying Im making it a part of my vision but Ill buy it as an option.

[sauvin]

In the novel, Cancer Lady's presumably opiated blood looped her out. Having limited experience with morphine specifically, I simply bought it without question. However, unless my memory plays tricks, weren't there also other places in the novel where Eli had brief episodes of disorientation?

Even if not, though, her experience at the Cancer Lady's house brings out a child who is haunted on top of being cursed.

[cmfireflies]

In the novel, Cancer Lady's presumably opiated blood looped her out. Having limited experience with morphine specifically, I simply bought it without question. However, unless my memory plays tricks, weren't there also other places in the novel where Eli had brief episodes of disorientation?

Even if not, though, her experience at the Cancer Lady's house brings out a child who is haunted on top of being cursed.

More optimistically, the experience shows WHAT is haunting Eli. It was just the wig man, suggesting that it's possible for Eli to move on. She didn't see a vision of all her victims or anything like that. So emotionally speaking, Eli handles the killing better than her past trauma, which means that she could be happy with Oskar in the future.

[Jameron]

I think the key scene here is when Eil learns from the radio news that Håkan is hospitalised.
Does he show any sign of anxiety, sorrow or compassion? No, just plain determination.
He shows some compassion when he enters the situation on the window ledge, but doesnt hesitate much upon biting Håkan.
Then a glimpse of content before the vampire brain steps back, letting Eli realise that he now once again is utter alone, save one person.

There's something else to consider and thats Hakans willingness to hand his neck over. This aspect influences my take in that there is a friendship and an understanding. I think there was an agreement that if something went wrong, Hakan would offer his blood as his last gift and Eli went there to accept the gift and to say goodbye.

I see it slightly differently. In the book, there are passages that show a limited 'friendship' between Eli and Håkan. In a way, I guess there must be some kind of mutual dependency in most relationships, not just emotional ones, and that could be seen as a friendship. In Eli and Håkan's dynamic, I see it much more as a one way relationship, in terms of emotion. There is a key sentence early on in the book that captures Håkan's romanticism "Real love is to offer your life at the feet of another...", that sentiment was repeated with planned the use of the acid. And this is exactly what Håkan does at the hospital window, he offers his life at the feet of another. Håkan's love for Eli was all encompassing, total, real. Did we see Eli making any kind of sacrifices that came even close to that, for Håkan? An important thing to remember is that this is all before Eli opens up to Oskar, and so she is still the guarded closed off trauma victim. Yes, she opens up a little to Håkan but to be honest, I think that is out of necessity and as a distraction from her self hatred.

In the film, the relationship is much less obvious as everything between them is played down, and it becomes more of a working partnership. The only sign of compassion we see from Eli to Håkan is more a form of coercion; Eli strokes Håkan's cheek when he asks her not to see "that boy" tonight.

I'm sorry you see it as 'tainted' if Eli was slightly under the influence of a pain relief drug.

If it helps, I see the effect of the drug on Eli as no more than a couple of glasses of wine, just enough to take the edge off. I know I suggested that Eli was 'high' but that was a tongue in cheek comment and wasn't meant to be taken literally. Witness the effect of the cancer woman's meds on Eli; unable to stand, hallucinating, total failure of reality. Now compare that to what we see in the film, in the bedroom ... none of that. I'm guessing Håkan wasn't on morphine. The inhibitions I was referring to was her guarded approach to everything. She was guarded out of concerns for safety. This was a self imposed inhibition, not at all like a socially awkward inhibition which is not desired or sought after. I'm sure there is a bit of fear of opening up mixed in for good measure.

I guess it makes sense because she was shy after the bedroom scene also. Im not saying Im making it a part of my vision but Ill buy it as an option.

And I'm not trying to convince you that your vision is wrong in any shape or form.

If anything, I'm thinking aloud in a place where someone can correct me if I make assumptions or factual errors without it getting nasty.

I'm not trying to prove anybody wrong, just discussing this new viewpoint, for a better understanding of the story.

.

[a_contemplative_life]

Hakan's devotion was dog-like. I'll do this for you if you'll give me "one night." Sickly obsessive. His willingness to die for her was the "good" counterweight to the thing he turned a blind eye to: that the focus of his attraction was pedophilia. An ultra-devoted pedophile is still a pedophile. Eli knew the true basis of Hakan's attraction and that is why she never showed genuine emotion towards him. The rest of their relationship was window dressing.

[jetboy]

Hakan's devotion was dog-like. I'll do this for you if you'll give me "one night." Sickly obsessive. His willingness to die for her was the "good" counterweight to the thing he turned a blind eye to: that the focus of his attraction was pedophilia. An ultra-devoted pedophile is still a pedophile. Eli knew the true basis of Hakan's attraction and that is why she never showed genuine emotion towards him. The rest of their relationship was window dressing.

You may get that but do you get that with help from the book? I didnt see it that way, I saw a man who repeatedly sacrifices himself in horrible ways, not only for little gain but for little sympathy. The only certain thing we know is that he sacrifices himself in horrible ways (not even a dog would do what Hakan does), his pedophelia is merely a general feeling we get if we only go by the movie.

[Ash]

Well, Hakan certainly had the hots for Eli, but at the same time, as we read in the novel, his concept of beauty (desirability) did not encompass every boy of Eli's age. It was quite specific. The Hakan character is perhaps more hard to nail down and is more complex and paradoxical than that of Eli. And with most novels dealing with similar characters and subjects, there is not much attempt to explore it in any depth.
It seems strange that we can be satisfied by labeling Hakan as simple "pedophile", end of story, but see Eli's character as rich and interesting and worthy of exploration, when we could also just label him as "vampire."
To JAL's credit, he did attempt to flesh out the Hakan character beyond the cardboard cut-out his like are usually portrayed as. And Eli's relationship with him perhaps more endearing than we would like it to be.
Eli pulled herself up onto the window ledge, took his hand between hers and kissed it. Whispered: "Hello, my friend."

[drakkar]

Hakan's devotion was dog-like. I'll do this for you if you'll give me "one night." Sickly obsessive. His willingness to die for her was the "good" counterweight to the thing he turned a blind eye to: that the focus of his attraction was pedophilia. An ultra-devoted pedophile is still a pedophile. Eli knew the true basis of Hakan's attraction and that is why she never showed genuine emotion towards him. The rest of their relationship was window dressing.

Im not so sure Eli knew the true basis of Håkans attraction, like I and you see it. Even from the film, I get the impression of a pre-sexual Eli, not knowing what paedophilia is, except that what he shares with Oskar is much better than his experiences with Håkan.

[metoo]

Well, Hakan certainly had the hots for Eli, but at the same time, as we read in the novel, his concept of beauty (desirability) did not encompass every boy of Eli's age. It was quite specific. The Hakan character is perhaps more hard to nail down and is more complex and paradoxical than that of Eli. And with most novels dealing with similar characters and subjects, there is not much attempt to explore it in any depth.
It seems strange that we can be satisfied by labeling Hakan as simple "pedophile", end of story, but see Eli's character as rich and interesting and worthy of exploration, when we could also just label him as "vampire."
To JAL's credit, he did attempt to flesh out the Hakan character beyond the cardboard cut-out his like are usually portrayed as. And Eli's relationship with him perhaps more endearing than we would like it to be.
Eli pulled herself up onto the window ledge, took his hand between hers and kissed it. Whispered: "Hello, my friend."

I agree. I also see Håkan as a lot more complex and less horrible character than is often expressed here. I think it's safe to say that he basically was a decent guy, albeit with an unfortunate sexual drive, who became rather ruthlessly seduced by Eli.

Im not so sure Eli knew the true basis of Håkans attraction, like I and you see it. Even from the film, I get the impression of a pre-sexual Eli, not knowing what paedophilia is, except that what he shares with Oskar is much better than his experiences with Håkan.

Although Eli didn't know sexuality from the inside, so to speak, he likely had a lot of knowledge of it as an observer. The fact that he could pinpoint Håkan's peculiarity so quickly (as it seems), may indicate a quite considerable knowledge of human sexuality. Håkan probably wasn't Eli's first pedophile helper, either.

[drakkar]

Agreed, in large. Book Eli at least, seems to recognise a paedophile immediately, probaly with the limitations lying in being mentally and physically a non-sexual child.