We, The Infected

A bit over a month ago I got interested in a visual theme that I saw in this movie. I sat down to watch the film to look specifically for it, and I started writing about it, and the thing kind of got away from me. Sometimes when I get into these things I can over-think them, so some of the things that I write may be a bit of stretch. Some of them may be utter crap, but I know that there are enough intelligent and brutally frank people to keep me honest about these things.

You can read my article here.

Read through it. It is not crap. It is your view/idea on our "Mona Lisa".

BTW, if we can collate all these including cmfireflies "Sympathy" posts, we can come up with analysis of scenes like the Fucking Åmål page.

See for yourself here:

http://www.fuckingamalsts.com/

Most detailed look into this coming-of-age film which is listed in BFI's recommended viewing list. Its from 1998 and LTROI is from 2008. I wonder if all Swedish good movies comes in years ending with 8.

Back to your analysis of the use of hands and also of the scenes. It is brilliant. The egg and giving of cash scene is very close to that of the novel. Oskar asks Eli "the purpose of this alliance". He does not want to be some "Reinfield" to Eli just as Håkan is.

Nice read Wolfie!

Looking back, the egg scene is really similar to what happens in The Glass Menagerie. I haven't read that since scene high school. Heh, my old English teacher was right, I did remember something from that class later in life.

Edit: Oh and genie, avg blocks your link for some reason. It's a free anti-virus/safe surf thingy so it's probably just a false positive. Just thought you should know.

cmfireflies wrote: Edit: Oh and genie, avg blocks your link for some reason. It's a free anti-virus/safe surf thingy so it's probably just a false positive. Just thought you should know.

Nevermind. It is a VERY GOOD site which details this earlier Swedish phenomenal movie. The scene-by-scene breakdown is very detailed. Even down to the choice of words Agnes types on her Mac.

That's a good thoughtful article While I knew that there was a theme of hands and barriers in the film, I didn't realise how prevalent it was throughout the whole film.

Well done. You know my opinion about analyses, but I have no reason to shun you for what you wrote. You summed up one of this movie's most important pieces of symbolicism that should cross everybody's mind sooner or later.

Wolf, you are truly a person of great perception.

Hey Wolfie!

I'm listening to the UK commentary. Alfredson and JAL recalls the "hands" every now and then. Your perception is dead on.

Of special interest to everyone.

The book cover for Handling The Undead is a hand pressed on glass. The novel is also about a need for contact. Contact with "the other side" and the "other side's" need to contact us.

What a wonderful and thoughtful analysis of the hands in this film. I had not understood the meaning of the egg before, and I think you are right on target with that. A couple of things caught my eye about the hands before I read your commentary that I would like to share with you, and see what you think:

(1) When Eli is at the window of the gym/pool looking in, her hand drops down off the window like a dead weight. I found it peculiar and full of meaning. It seemed to me to reinforce the idea of how isolated and lonely Eli really is, how cut off from the normal world of human beings on the other side of the glass. It is as if Eli is dead to this other world, or perhaps is in despair that he might ever be a part of that world.

(2) When Eli reaches into the pool to pull Oskar out of the water, her hand is noticeably blood-stained, even under water. One would think the blood would not remain under water, but it is on there, almost like paint. I am wondering whether TA did this to reinforce (as if it needed to be reinforced) how terrifyingly violent Oskar's new friend/protector (savior, one might daresay, at this point) really is. Or perhaps as a reminder that, however much these two might come together in a true, loving relationship, Eli will always be tied to bloodletting?

(3) Rarely do we see Eli's hands or fingers when they do not appear ... dirty? bloodstained? Was this done just to make it clear that Eli is a vampire, or is there more to it? Maybe that he has no reason to concern himself with the appearance of his hands, since he has not had a normal relationship with anyone for so long?

(4) The blush of red in Eli's hand when coupled with Oskar's in the bedroom scene contrasts sharply with Oskar's paleness. I couldn't help but think--that's Hakan's blood in there. I know this is off topic of hands breaking down or putting up barriers, but one of the amazing things about this movie is how the horror is thrown in right on top of the unfolding love story in such a straight-forward, almost pragmatic way. It's as if it is all utterly normal, which, of course, it is not.