The play of ‘Let the Right One In’ is based on the Swedish film ‘Låt den rätte komma in’, which is actually based on a book by John Ajvide Lindqvist. The play is about a 12 year old boy named Oskar. Oskar comes from a broken home and is constantly bullied by two other boys named Micke and Jonny. Oskar is all alone, until he meets Eli, a girl around the same age. At first Eli tells Oskar they cannot be friends but as time goes on they get closer and closer. Eli had just recently moved into the house next door to Oskar with Hakan, a man assumed to be her father. Around the same time that Eli and Hakan arrive in the small town, a spree of murders start. As the play goes on Eli and Oskar become very close friends. Oskar still thinks that Eli is a little weird but this is why they get on as Oskar is quite strange himself. In the film Oskar collects newspaper articles about murders and often pretends to be killing someone with his pocket knife. The murders in the town were actually committed by Hakan, who is not actually Eli’s father, but instead her protector. Hakan has been killing these people so that he can drain their blood to give to Eli, who is actually a vampire.
Eli rarely commits these murders herself; this is perhaps due to her still feeling guilty for killing. This is why she needs someone to kill for her. It is stated in the book that Eli is around 200 years old. This would mean that she has had many protectors like Hakan. Hakan is only around 50 years old so he would be her third or fourth protector. The reason she is befriending Oskar is because she needs someone to take over from Hakan when he is no longer able to provide for her. Throughout the play Eli tries to prepare Oskar for the job she wants him to do. She does this first by telling him to fight back against the bullies and tells him to use his knife.
The film and the play have some very different portrayals of characters. For example, in the play Eli is more loving towards Hakan, whereas in the film she is merely using him. This is shown in the scene where Hakan dies. In the play Eli is genuinely upset and hurt by having to kill Hakan. However in the film she doesn’t seem to care at all. This is shown by the lack of compassion she gives Hakan before she kills him and throws him out of the hospital window. Eli the goes straight to Oskar’s house and spends the night with him. She does this because she needs to build her relationship with him a lot faster now that Hakan is out of the picture.
Later on Oskar and Eli are spending time together and Oskar asks Eli if she wants to make a bond with him. He then cuts his hand and asks Eli to do the same. Eli’s thirst for blood over takes her and she leaps to the floor and tells Oskar to leave or he is going to die. Oskar runs off but still wants to be friends with Eli. This shows that Oskar wants to be with Eli even though she is this monster. Oskar starts to work out what she is but this doesn’t scare him and he continues to be friends with Eli. This is exactly what Eli needs as she needs Oskar to be prepared to kill for her.
Further into the play Oskar is ice skating with his class, presumably during a P.E lesson. When the teacher isn’t paying attention Micke and Jonny attempt to hurt Oskar and they threaten they are going to dump him in the water. In an attempt to stop them Oskar attacks Jonny and hits him in the ear and Jonny falls to the floor. In the Film Oskar takes great pleasure in this and smiles at the sight of the pain he has inflicted. This shows that in the film Oskar has some sadistic qualities. However in the play Oskar is more shocked at what he has done and feels extremely guilty for it.
As Eli and Oskar’s relationship builds Oskar becomes more and more attached to Eli. He spends the night with her and looks over her as she sleeps. This demonstrates that Oskar has now fully taken his role as her protector. Further into the scene he is even willing to kill for her when the police turn up to investigate Hakan further. However Eli doesn’t allow him to kill this man and instead kills him herself. This shows that Eli has actually developed compassion towards Oskar and doesn’t want to take over his life. Eli then leaves and makes Oskar stay and let the light in. She wants him to let the light into her house so that she can never return. After this Oskar isn’t quite sure what to do. He sits on the jungle gym and does nothing. This is when Micke appears and convinces him to come to strength training. Micke does this because Jimmy (Jonny’s older brother) wants to get revenge on Oskar for hurting his younger brother. When at the swimming pool Jimmy attempts to drown Oskar. However Eli appears and kills Jimmy and the bullies. This is again where the play and film differ. In the play Eli gets Oskar out of the pool and they say how they are glad to see each other again. In the film Eli and Oskar don’t say a word to each other. Instead Eli maintains eye contact with Oskar. This could be to shield him from the violence that has just occurred.
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