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Tarnished Innocence

Children in European Horror Films

Introduction to Horror

It is easy to understand that horror films involving children can be much more terrifying than ones based on

adults because people like to believe that children are innocent and should stay that way as long as possible and horror films can extinguish that hope.

In European horror films, some fall back on the classic horror script and others take a more subtle approach,

yet it is the hybrid of the two that allows the audience the most

“horrifying” experience with children.

Dead Snow

Dead Snow (Wirkola 2009) is a Norwegian horror film that conforms to a typical genre construction of a group of university students who

rent a cabin.

(Right: Little do they know the area is infested with Nazis)

Dead SnowOne of the most important scenes is

that of the visit of the old man. In most typical horror films there is a harbinger

of doom, who warns the cast and audience of peril to come. In Dead Snow

this is a stranger and in characteristic fashion this old man tells the students

the grim history of the area and the Nazi activity there during the war. He

eventually leaves and the students disregard his warnings.

(Right: Kind of mean old man who warns them)

Dead SnowAs the films draws towards its

climax, the students realize that the menacing presence outside is the

zombie remains of the Nazi criminals that the old man warned

them about. Battle ensues. The display of gore actually makes the

film less scary because it eventually desensitizes the audience to the

violence.

(Right: Army of Nazi Zombies)

Dead Snow

Another reason the audience might feel less than sympathetic and fearful at the

demise of every character in film, is because these are not young children

but immature college kids, not slaughtered innocents.

(Right: Bloody student sews up his own neck after a zombie bite, Zombies

attack because the students stole their hidden gold)

The Orphanage

On the opposite side of the horror spectrum is the Spanish film The

Orphanage (Bayona 2007). Laura is a mother who moves back into the orphanage she grew up in with her

family in order to renovate it

(Right: The old building is also occupied by the ghosts of murdered

orphans)

The OrphanageLaura becomes desperate after her son,

Simon’s disappearance and she resorts to asking the ghosts of dead orphans for help by playing a game that they all shared as children. Laura must knock three times on a wall and then turn around to see how close the other

“players” can get to her. There is no soundtrack during this scene, which just

raises the tension higher. The only sounds are Laura’s amplified knocks, and the

rustling and cracks behind her when she turns to the wall.

(Right: Laura playing with her murdered childhood friends)

The Orphanage. When Laura is facing away from the room, the camera zooms in so that all the audience sees is her face and the wall and when she turns around, the camera swings with her and

the room is completely dark and ominous before the ghosts appear in the shadows. (Above: The ghosts of orphans come to play with and help Laura)

The Orphanage

Laura discovers her son had hidden himself in a secret room under a closet but when

she searched for him, she knocked debris in front of the door, sealing him in. Simon falls

and dies down in the hidden room and when Laura realizes what happened she

overdoses to join him. While there is a lack of sympathy for the

mutilated students in Dead Snow, the audience feels tremendous compassion and horror for the characters in The Orphanage. Simon’s disappearance and death was not the actions of a kidnapper, but an accident and Laura’s death a consequence of that

accident. (Right: Reunited in Death)

Let the Right One InThese two films seem to cover opposing sides of the horror genre and each are scary in their own ways, but it is the combination of the two that creates

truly meaningful and “horrifying” films. (Above: Oskar longing for revenge and a friend)

Let the Right One In. Let the Right One In (Alfredson 2008) is a Sweden film about the relationship between a young boy, Oskar, and a vampire, Eli. The horror aspect of the film augments the deeper psychological

issues at play, yet just analyzing the horror aspect is rich in meaning and interest. (Above: Oskar and Eli’s relationship is romantic, but not sexual)

Let the Right One In

Let the Right One In does follow some of the classic horror formulas,

especially when it comes to Eli’s vampirism. In original Dracula fashion, Eli cannot enter a home without first

being invited and she cannot go out in daylight. Eli must feed off of human blood and she attacks locals in the

dark. Eli’s vampirism is the focus of the gore in this film. Though there are not many instances of gore, she is seen

covered in blood after she drains and kills townspeople.

(Right: Eli after a meal)

Let the Right One InThese gory scenes are few in the film; most of the violence is not exposed. One

example of muted violence is when Eli has her servant Hakan drain a victim of blood for her. Hakan strings him up in a tree like a deer and drains his blood into a container,

but Hakan’s body is always blocking the camera’s view of the unpleasant task. (Above: Hakan must abandon his task as people approach)

Let the Right One InThe most important example of this subtle presentation of violence is when

Eli kills the bullies at the pool. The whole scene is shot from Oskar’s perspective and so the audience misses what exactly happens to the bullies.

(Above: The audience and Oskar miss the massacre)

Let the Right One InThe audience witnesses just an arm skim through the water and a body goes flying in the air.

All sound is muted like when ears are underwater, but faint screaming can be heard in the distance. After Eli kills them, she hauls Oskar out of the pool and is covered in blood.

(Above: When Oskar surfaces all the bullies are dead, except the one who wouldn’t hurt him)

Let the Right One In

Eli is a particularly terrifying supernatural being. She has the

appearance of a sweet twelve year old girl, but in reality she is a killer.

She is frightening because she looks innocent; she could be the girl next

door.

(Right: When she’s hungry she starts to resemble the creature she

is)

Let the Right One InBut she is not the only frightening character in Let the Right One In. The bullies that torture Oskar are scary for a different reason. Children really do physically

and verbally abuse and try to drown other children on a daily basis. Their vicious actions make them “horrifying” with their corruption of innocence in reality.

(Above: Oskar is bullied on a daily basis)

Conclusion to Children in HorrorStereotypical horror formulas are classic for a reason, their plots are entertaining and

more subtle horror films are suspenseful. Combining these two subgenres into a hybrid creates an unexpected film that appeals to more than just genre fans and its youth-

centric story is relatable and “horrifying” to all cultures who value innocence. (Above: Another example of children in horror film, The Shining twins)

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