Horror and Vampires
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Much horror literature is grounded in superstition, fear of demons, and the dread of death. No single tale brings all of these elements together so well as the vampire legend, an ancient folk superstition (see folklore). The vampire is described as “undead,” an entombed individual who rises each night to feed on the blood of the living.
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ecause there is a long history of walking corpses and bloodsucking ghouls in folklore, it is difficult to pin down a distinct set of characteristics consistently attributed only to vampires. Central to vampire myth, however, is the consumption of human blood or other essence (such as bodily fluids or psychic energy), followed closely by the possession of sharp teeth or fangs with which to facilitate this task.
Themes
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'that it retools the themes and metaphors that stem from the vampire myth – craving, hostility, impulsiveness, eroticism – and neatly dovetails them with a cool, sort-of-realist examination of the horrors of adolescence and poverty that triumphantly ditches cliché and overstatement." (Childs, 2009)
The Sociocultural Background
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A behind the scenes look at the making of Let the Right One In. The Director discusses the Sociocultural environment of the setting of the movie.
Themes, Motifs and Symbols
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"In Let the Right One In, both film and novel, the motif of windows, doors and walls is frequent, but also very sophisticated. Windows, accompanied by doors, passages, staircases and walls, are first noticed as important and dominant elements in the film’s mise-en-sce`ne."
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"There is nothing like a little monster to inspire terror amongst grown-ups."
Style and Aesthetics
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"Unlike in a typical horror movie, van Hoytema points out, “the danger in this film isn’t hidden in the darkness. It exists in everyday situations, under dull fluorescent lights and streetlamps. Light means vulnerability for both Eli and Oskar, who try to live life as unnoticed as possible." (Hemphill, 2008).