An Eli-face

[metoo]

Well, my outset wasn't to discuss who might play Eli, but about looking like Eli as described in the novel. Lina undoubtedly makes a perfect Eli in the movie, but this is the novel area...

[mackousko]

This dude again. This boy would look nothing like androgynous without tons of makeup and funny clothes. Thanx to snaps i know him well. He is a decent guitarist. A star in Japan where rock bands with guys in girly clothes are popular and common.
What bothers me is that he tries so hard to be androgynous. The clothes , make-up stiff neck- because of the effort to hide his adam apple. I don´t know. It doesn´t seem right for me.
Eli must not spent hours with styling to be Eli. I haven´t seen yet a boy who is without any fake effort simmilar to Eli. That´s why i think Lina was so good choice. Near to perfect. Including the fact , that she is not so to say extremely beautiful.

[ofelia]

I haven´t seen yet a boy who is without any fake effort simmilar to Eli. That´s why i think Lina was so good choice. Near to perfect. Including the fact , that she is not so to say extremely beautiful.

I have used this boy as a starting point to draw Eli (http://www.let-the-right-one-in.com/for ... =13&t=5648). I use photographs sometimes just to get the lighting right, but in this case I thought Eli really would look something like him:



Right now, he doesn't look feminine at all, but as a child I think he would have looked more androgynous, especially if like Eli he grew his hair out. Not necessarily like a girl, but pretty. The main difference between children and adults is that their facial structure is not as defined, so little boys don't have the jawline that men do, and their features are more delicate than adults. And novel Eli is supposed to be beautiful. But I think he would also have to look a little strange as well... For me Lina is too cute, there isn't really anything ominous about her.

What bothers me is that he tries so hard to be androgynous. The clothes , make-up stiff neck- because of the effort to hide his adam apple. I don´t know. It doesn´t seem right for me.

Also, I just want to say that this is a style in Japan, it's a cultural thing. I don't think of it as trying hard, because even real girls don't look like that. It's a character. And anyway he might think of himself as a girl. Eli seems to not have any gender at all in his mind, but a lot of people on the forum think of Eli as "she", even though he is not a girl...

[metoo]

This dude again. This boy would look nothing like androgynous without tons of makeup and funny clothes. [...]

You think?

[mackousko]

And anyway he might think of himself as a girl. Eli seems to not have any gender at all in his mind

This is my point. Eli´s androgyny is not based on sexual uncertainty , or on some style popular in Japan he admires. Eli doesn´t think about it. It´s just his nature.

This dude again. This boy would look nothing like androgynous without tons of makeup and funny clothes. [...]

You think?

Yes. In both shots he is wearing makeup, and big hat and sunglasses to let his head look smaller. And of course clothes we see usually on girls i think. Why? Doesn´t he "look" without all of this like he want to? Not enough girly? Even with all those things he is wearing , i still see a boy before me.

Anyway . I think. Eli-like androgyny is not possible in case of adults or almost adults. Only children. So Yohio´s greatest handicap is his age.

[Daniel Ether]

When i read the book i already had seen the movie... so i imagined Elis face always like Lina Leanderson's. But when i was nearly at the end of the book and now here at the forum reading FF i started imagine Eli i little like the kid from Vania Zouravliovs amazing painting "Boy".



I think it also fits the description of Elis face in the book very well.

[EEA]

Well to me it would have to be the Korean actress Moon Geun-young. I am seeing her right now in the drama Painter of the Wind were she disguises herself as a man in order to discover who killed her father. Her performance is impressive and I forget that she is pretending to be a man. And I think she could have play Eli too when she was a kid.

[jonesboy27aka]

I would imagine book Eli like this but with black hair...

[Opeth]

Anyway . I think. Eli-like androgyny is not possible in case of adults or almost adults. Only children. So Yohio´s greatest handicap is his age.

No it's really not possible when it comes to adults, there's always that hint there, you know. And it shows up more and more as you age especially when you are a growing teenager.

[jcckidz]

I would imagine book Eli like this but with black hair...

Adorable boy! At least I think he's a boy, but there's a chance I'm mistaken. Either way, definitely androgynous.

Interestingly, I know two identical twins (probably a little younger that the boy (?) in your post) who look almost exactly like that! One is a bit thinner and has more of an Eli nose, but they're both thin overall and both remind me of Eli.

The boy on the original Swedish cover is also a perfect fit, though I wonder if any CG was used for the hair, eyelashes, and nose.