Aged Eli?

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BurgerPrince
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Aged Eli?

Post by BurgerPrince » Tue Feb 23, 2021 4:16 pm

According to Wikipedia, a third actress (Susanne Ruben) was hired to play an "aged Eli."

I don't remember Eli's voice or appearance changing at any point in the film (unless one counts the feeding and bleeding scenes.) Did I miss something, or is Wikipedia pulling our leg?
...But if you meet a friendly horse, will you communicate by Morse?

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metoo
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Re: Aged Eli?

Post by metoo » Tue Feb 23, 2021 4:34 pm

BurgerPrince wrote:
Tue Feb 23, 2021 4:16 pm
According to Wikipedia, a third actress (Susanne Ruben) was hired to play an "aged Eli."

I don't remember Eli's voice or appearance changing at any point in the film (unless one counts the feeding and bleeding scenes.) Did I miss something, or is Wikipedia pulling our leg?
It's in the basement scene. It's quite obvious, you'll find it easily if you have access to the movie.
But from the beginning Eli was just Eli. Nothing. Anything. And he is still a mystery to me. John Ajvide Lindqvist

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Siggdalos
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Re: Aged Eli?

Post by Siggdalos » Tue Feb 23, 2021 4:57 pm

I assume it's in the "be me a little" scene when Oskar closes his eyes and a close-up an old version of Eli is shown.
De höll om varandra i tystnad. Oskar blundade och visste: detta var det största. Ljuset från lyktan i portvalvet trängde svagt in genom hans slutna ögonlock, la en hinna av rött för hans ögon. Det största.

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sauvin
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Re: Aged Eli?

Post by sauvin » Tue Feb 23, 2021 7:00 pm

During the "bli mig lite" scene, just from memory it's possible an older voice says it just once, kinda breathy, kinda softly crying. It'd be hard to tell, at least with hearing like mine.

What metoo is talking about is in the moment or two immediately after Eli drops to all fours to lick the blood up at Oskar's feet. She doesn't say "go away" loudly, she commands it, saying (what sounds to me like) "Goa!" and "Verschwin!"
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Jameron
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Re: Aged Eli?

Post by Jameron » Tue Feb 23, 2021 7:42 pm

Both Siggdalos and Sauvin are correct, Susanne Ruben makes a fleeting appearance in both of these scenes.

Image

Image

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"For a few seconds Oskar saw through Eli’s eyes. And what he saw was … himself. Only much better, more handsome, stronger than what he thought of himself. Seen with love."

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Siggdalos
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Re: Aged Eli?

Post by Siggdalos » Tue Feb 23, 2021 8:32 pm

Hm. I assumed that the CGI on Eli's face in the basement scene just made him look generally older, but I guess it makes more sense that they'd superimpose Susanne's face over Lina's.
sauvin wrote:
Tue Feb 23, 2021 7:00 pm
What metoo is talking about is in the moment or two immediately after Eli drops to all fours to lick the blood up at Oskar's feet. She doesn't say "go away" loudly, she commands it, saying (what sounds to me like) "Goa!" and "Verschwin!"
He says ("Go") and Försvinn ("Go away").
De höll om varandra i tystnad. Oskar blundade och visste: detta var det största. Ljuset från lyktan i portvalvet trängde svagt in genom hans slutna ögonlock, la en hinna av rött för hans ögon. Det största.

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sauvin
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Re: Aged Eli?

Post by sauvin » Tue Feb 23, 2021 9:03 pm

In the basement scene where Eli appears as an older version of herself, I don't think that's Leandersson on the floor with an older face digitally superimposed. I think it's the older actress herself.
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Siggdalos
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Re: Aged Eli?

Post by Siggdalos » Wed Feb 24, 2021 1:38 pm

I rewatched the scene and it seems I stand corrected. I always assumed it was at least Lina's body in both the "Gå" and "Försvinn" shots, but I never noticed how much Eli's hands and pose change between the two shots. Guess I learned something new today. :)
De höll om varandra i tystnad. Oskar blundade och visste: detta var det största. Ljuset från lyktan i portvalvet trängde svagt in genom hans slutna ögonlock, la en hinna av rött för hans ögon. Det största.

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BurgerPrince
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Re: Aged Eli?

Post by BurgerPrince » Wed Feb 24, 2021 5:11 pm

Jameron wrote:
Tue Feb 23, 2021 7:42 pm
Both Siggdalos and Sauvin are correct, Susanne Ruben makes a fleeting appearance in both of these scenes.

Image

Image
Never noticed that about the basement scene. I always thought Lina had some kind of makeup on during the "be me" shot. Oskar compares a starving Eli to a Holocaust survivor in the book. I always thought Eli looked older after dropping the Rubik's cube. Recently, I learned that the filmmakers used CGI to alter her face during different stages of hunger:

Image

I can't find any pictures of Susanne Ruben.
Siggdalos wrote:
Tue Feb 23, 2021 8:32 pm
Hm. I assumed that the CGI on Eli's face in the basement scene just made him look generally older, but I guess it makes more sense that they'd superimpose Susanne's face over Lina's.
sauvin wrote:
Tue Feb 23, 2021 7:00 pm
What metoo is talking about is in the moment or two immediately after Eli drops to all fours to lick the blood up at Oskar's feet. She doesn't say "go away" loudly, she commands it, saying (what sounds to me like) "Goa!" and "Verschwin!"
He says ("Go") and Försvinn ("Go away").
TIL "verschwin" means "disappear" in German.
...But if you meet a friendly horse, will you communicate by Morse?

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metoo
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Re: Aged Eli?

Post by metoo » Wed Feb 24, 2021 9:21 pm

The Swedish verb försvinna (imperative försvinn!) was actually borrowed from German in the middle ages.

The pronunciation still is sufficiently similar that a speaker of one of the languages would easily understand it if uttered in the other one.
But from the beginning Eli was just Eli. Nothing. Anything. And he is still a mystery to me. John Ajvide Lindqvist

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