Character Analysis: Eli from "Let the Right One In" vs Abby from "Let Me In"

Character Analysis:  Eli (Let the Right One In) vs. Abby “Let Me In”

By: Brian Cotnoir

Let the Debate Commence!

Okay, this is something that I’ve never attempted before for a “Character Analysis”.  I am going to attempt to review two characters from films based off of the same novel.  Originally, I was going to this review just on Eli from the 2008 Swedish film “Let the Right One In”, but then I thought to myself, how can I do one on Eli and not talk about Abby from the 2010 American version?  Now, I just want to clear something up:  I reviewed “Let Me In” for my other Blog “Confessions of a Film Junkie” back in 2011.  I ranted and raved in it about how I was annoyed that it was a virtually identical film to “Let the Right One In” and deemed as an “unnecessary re-make”  If you want more details, click on the link to my review of “Let Me In” at the bottom of the page.  Without further adieu here are my Character Analysis on Eli from “Let the Right One In” and Abby from “Let Me In”.

CHARACTERS: Eli from “Let the Right One In” and Abby from “Let Me In”.

     Since they are based on characters from the same novel both Eli and Abby have very similar stories.  They are both 200-year-old vampires that look like 12-year-old girls.  Both Eli and Abby are assisted by older gentlemen that many people in their town believe are there fathers.  Both move into an apartment complex in a new town in the early 1980’s, and befriend a young boy who lives there, and form a very close bond, and depend on those boys to help them when their lives come into danger.  They are just pretty much the same characters that follow the same plot...well to be fair they do have a few distinctive differences (besides plot location and their names, obviously).      

Eli from "Let the Right One In" (2008)

Eli, from “Let the Right One In” is closer to the novels plot, but still isn’t a word-for-word copy of her character.  In the novel, Eli is actually a boy (not a girl) who was castrated shortly after being transformed into a vampire.  I didn’t know this until I read the novel, which was a full two years after I watched the film for the first time.  The hints that Eli used to be a boy are very subtle.  I will admit that when Eli told Oskar “I’m not a girl”, I thought—like many others—she was implying “I’m not a girl, I’m a vampire”, but I was mistaken.  There’s also a brief scene where Oskar is peaking in on Eli changing and he notices a scar in near his/her genital area, but it was never touched upon or explained.  So yes all though Eli appears to be female in the film, but it is also suggested that she may have been a boy.                                             

Abby from "Let Me In" (2010)

     Abby in the film is 100% a female in “Let Me In”.  Director Matt Reeves asked actress Chloe Grace Moretz to come up with her own background story for Abby, and the story behind Abby’s transformation is that she was a peasant girl 2-3 centuries ago, when she was attacked by a vampire, who is also her Uncle.  It is a lot nicer background story than Eli’s original origin story, which for some reason is more appealing to mainstream American audiences.  Also, something both film versions changed from the novel was they changed the origin story of their “father” figures.  In the novel the man who helps out is a man named Hakaan.  Hakaan is a violent pedophile in the novel, but for obvious reason was changed to be more “audience friendly” in the film.  In “Let The Right One In”, Hakaan, is shown as more of a father type figure to Eli.  In “Let Me In” Hakaan’s character is known as Abby’s Father (or Thomas) and he is shown as being the boyfriend of Abby from years ago, and while Abby stayed the same age, he continued to age.  Thomas feeling appear to be very genuine for her.  He loves her and wants to help her, but shows no signs of lust towards her.  Again, these changes were done to make the film more comfortable for an American audience.  Other than that the only other difference I can think is, Abby appears more creature-like when she feeds than Eli.  Other than that they are the same character.

THE ACTRESSES:

Actress Lina Leandersson

Eli in “Let the Right One In” was the debut film for young child actress, Lina Leandersson.  Leandersson was only 13-year-old at the time it was filmed, and her portrayal of the centuries old child vampire, Eli earned her critical acclaim around the world.  At the time this was a difficult and very adult role for a child to play by Leandersson knocked it out of the park.   Abby in “Let Me In” is played the more well known Chloe Grace Moretz.  Moretz does a good job in her role, at times she reminds me of a pre-teen version of Claudia from “Interview with a Vampire”, but is ultimately an exact replica of Eli from the original film version.                              

Chloe Grace Moretz

If you asked me to pick which actress did the role better, I would have to say Lina Leandersson as Eli did much better in the role.  For one thing, her character came first and was closer to the character from the novel.  Not only that, but throughout the film, I found myself being constantly interested and perplexed by this mysterious vampire girl (who wasn’t really a girl).  No disrespect to Chloe Grace Moretz, who was good in her own right, but I just don’t think she’s as good as Lina Leandersson.  Moretz as Abby comes off more as if she’s a scared little girl, rather than a wise centuries old vampire who knows what to do to survive.  Abby just seems way too dependent on other people throughout the film, as opposed to Eli, who knows what to do and can take charge of her own situation when she needs too. 

CHARACTER IS SIMILAR TO OR INSPIRED BY:

     I’d say both Eli and Abby are similar to Claudia from “Interview with a Vampire”; Abby more so.  All three were transformed into vampires at very young ages, and both are supported by older single males who act as their father figures.  All three require blood in order to survive, but when push comes to shove, they aren’t afraid to get violent or messy with their 

meals.

Abby, Eli, have you met Claudia???

FATE OF THE CHARACTER:

     Both Eli and Abby reach the same fate.  With their former older male caretakers now dead, they seek comfort and refuge with their young male friends.  One night Oskar/Owen are attacked by group of bullies at the school pool.  One of the bullies holds Oskar/Owen’s head underwater attempting to drown him, when all of a sudden a mysterious flash comes over the pool and the bullies are all savagely killed.  When Oskar/Owen resurface they see that Eli/Abby was the one who rescued him.  The last scene we get in the film shows Oskar/Owen boarding a train with a large trunk; Eli/Abby are hiding in the trunk, and it is suggested that Oskar/Owen and Eli/Abby are running away to start new lives for themselves.  The two ride on the train communicating short messages through the trunk.

Confessions of a Film Junkie: A review of "Let Me In"