History Film / LilyaFourEver

''Lilja 4-ever'' is a 2002 Swedish-Danish drama film directed by Lukas Moodysson.

* VeryLooselyBasedOnATrueStory: The general beats of Lilya's life -- excited for a better life in the USA, abandoned by her mother, [[spoiler: entered a relationship with an older man who promised her a better life in Sweden, locked in the apartment by other men upon arriving, forced to prostitute herself until she escapes and commits suicide via jumping off a bridge]] -- are based on the real-life of the Lithuanian girl Danguolė Rasalaitė. You read that right. ''[[TearJerker This]] [[NightmareFuel actually]] [[HumansAreBastards happened.]]''

* DarkerAndEdgier: Lukas Moodyson is best known abroad for his drama ''Film/FuckingAmal'' which featured a [[SchoolgirlLesbians blooming lesbian relationship]] and the consequent {{Gayngst}}, but ultimately the protagonists come to terms with their sexuality and [[EarnYourHappyEnding earn their happy ending]]. This one instead is a huge BreakTheCutie story, which features human trafficking as the main subject.

* BeautyIsNeverTarnished: Averted heavily at the end, where we see Lilya bloodied and battered on several areas of her faces following [[spoiler: assault from her pimps]].

* {{Eagleland}}: Type 1, Lilya is enamored with the idea of moving from in the Soviet Union to America.

* HumansAreBastards: The portrayal of humanity in this movie is very negative to say the least.

* {{Ruritania}}: Lilya and her family live in an one that's as dreary and depressing as as they come. Everyone there speaks Russian, though the film was actually shot in Estonia, and the real girl Lilya was based on was from Lithuania.

* TogetherInDeath: [[spoiler: The film ends with Lilya and Voldoya playing basketball happily together in the afterlife.]]

* AmbiguousEnding: The ending is montaged in a way that would give rise to two interpretations. [[spoiler: Either Lilya going to Sweden [[AllJustADream was all just a nightmare]] she had as we see her reliving key moments from her time in Russia while making different choices this time around. Or the [[DownerEnding suicide was real]] and we see her [[DiedHappilyEverAfter happily playing basketball with Volodya in the afterlife]].]]

* BaitTheDog: [[spoiler: Andrei]] does this to Lilya by making her think he genuinely loves her and wants to help her by getting her out of Russia for good and moving to Sweden with him. However... [[spoiler: it turns out he was using her so he could sell her as a sex-slave to human traffickers]].

* BitchInSheepsClothing: [[spoiler: Andrei]], who presents himself as a kind, altruistic man who wants to help Lilya get out of Russia, but is, in fact, a [[SlimeBall despicable, manipulative scumbag]] who tricks girls and sells them into sex slavery.

* CrapsackWorld: Russia and Sweden do not come off well in this movie ''at all''. Lilya [[LampshadeHanging even shares this sentiment]] when [[spoiler: Angel!Volodya gives her the world as a Christmas gift, and she rejects it]].

* FalseFriend: Andrei pretends to court Lilya to get her out of Russia and sold her to prostitution.

* SensualSlavs: Deconstructed, considering the main character is a poor Russian girl who is forced into prostitution.

** Even the minor characters are cruel and unlikeable. The neighbor never gets a nice line in the movie and constantly mocks Lilya. In the only scene she appears in, the teacher sarcastically says "you have a good future ahead of you" after Lilya poorly on a test.

* Foreshadowing: Even before [[spoiler: Andrei]] is revealed to be manipulating Lilya, there are some very subtle hints predicting this.

''Lilja 4-ever'' is a 2002 Swedish-Danish drama film directed by Lukas Moodysson, widely regarded as one of the most [[TearJerker depressing]] films ever made, frequently compared to the work of Creator/LarsVonTrier.

* BaitTheDog: [[spoiler: Andrei]] does this to Lilya by making her think he genuinely loves her and wants to help her by getting her out of Russia for good and moving to Sweden with him. However... [[spoiler:it turns out he was using her so he could sell her as a sex-slave to human traffickers]].

* NeverGotToSayGoodbye: [[spoiler: Lilja tries to say goodbye to Volodya, but he is hurt that she is leaving and runs away before she can.]]
* OnceMoreWithClarity: The film starts with a flash-forward image of a beaten Lilja running through the city, heading towards a motorway bridge, while Rammstein's "Mein Herz Brennt" plays in the background. We see the image again near the end when it becomes the chronological present, where it's revealed that [[spoiler: she's escaping her life of prostitution and moments away from ending her life in general]].
* ParentalAbandonment: Lilja's father only courted her mother to sleep with her, and then proceeded to move to Moscow and sever all ties he had with her mother once she told him he was pregnant. Lilja's mother abandons her when she moves to America with her new boyfriend, and her Aunt (who was told to watch over Lilja after her mother left), while not necessarily moving away or anything, [[ParentalNeglect does essentially leave her to her own devices,]] telling her to whore herself out if she needs money to keep the electricity in her flat.
* ParentalSubstitute: Lilja [[spoiler:(temporarily)]] becomes this for Volodya. Lilja's aunt is ''supposed'' to be this for her, [[spoiler: but she gives up rather quickly.]]

* RapeDiscretionShot: [[NightmareFuel Horribly averted]]. [[spoiler: Lilja is raped several times onscreen, with the camera focusing on her rapists' faces as [[NauseaFuel they're having an orgasm]].]]

* SexSlave: [[spoiler: How unfortunately Lilja ends up.]]
* ShowerOfAngst: After being pimped out by her captors, Lilja shows a ThousandYardStare while taking a bath.
* SoundtrackDissonance: Lilja and Volodya [[spoiler: as angels in Heaven]] play basketball, laughing, while sad violin music reminds us that [[spoiler: they both killed themselves as children]].
* TogetherInDeath: [[spoiler: The film ends with Lilja and Voldoya playing basketball happily together in the afterlife.]]
* TraumaCongaLine: Lilja is first abandoned by her mother, then left by her aunt to fend for herself, ''then'' runs out of money and starts to prostitute herself, [[spoiler: ''then'' gets harassed and raped]]...[[TearJerker it never stops]].
* TroublingUnchildlikeBehaviour: Lilja smokes, drinks, huffs glue, and prostitutes herself (though the latter one she does out of necessity). Volodya is also worryingly fine with doing drugs at age 11.

** Subverted with Lilja. She is visibly disgusted by her clients, and is very much vulnerable to being harassed or beaten, but goes through it anyway because she desperately needs money.
* VeryLooselyBasedOnATrueStory: The general beats of Lilja's life -- excited for a better life in the USA, abandoned by her mother, [[spoiler: entered a relationship with an older man who promised her a better life in Sweden, locked in the apartment by other men upon arriving, forced to prostitute herself until she escapes and commits suicide via jumping off a bridge]] -- are based on the real-life of the Lithuanian girl Danguolė Rasalaitė. You read that right. ''[[TearJerker This]] [[NightmareFuel actually]] [[HumansAreBastards happened.]]''
* VisualTitleDrop: What Lilja and Volodya carve into the bench.
* VomitDiscretionShot: Lilja is showed discretely vomiting after her first intercourse with a client.
* WorldOfJerkass: Big time. Lilja and Volodya are the only good characters in the film, while everyone else is either a rapist, a pimp, a neglectful parent, an abuser, or an opportunistic backstabber.

* YankTheDogsChain: ''Twice''. When Lilja thinks she's leaving for America with her mother, [[ParentalAbandonment mum instead leaves her behind]]. When she thinks she's going to start a new life in Sweden with Andrei, she gets lured by human traffickers instead.

Eventually her mother leaves for America, but is only planning on going alone, leaving Lilya to fend for herself, ultimately goaded by her abusive aunt to turn to a life of prostitution only slightly remedied by squatting in a flat with a local boy named Volodya who serves as her only friend.

** ''Lilya's mom''. As if abandoning her wasn't enough, [[spoiler:she later revokes her parenthood of her.]]
* AmbiguousEnding: The ending is montaged in a way that would give rise to two interpretations. [[spoiler:Either Lilya going to Sweden [[AllJustADream was all just a nightmare]] she had as we see her reliving key moments from her time in Russia while making different choices this time around. Or the [[DownerEnding suicide was real]] and we see her [[DiedHappilyEverAfter happily playing basketball with Volodya in the afterlife]].]]

* BaitTheDog: [[spoiler:Andrei]] does this to Lilya by making her think he genuinely loves her and wants to help her by getting her out of Russia for good and moving to Sweden with him. However... [[spoiler:it turns out he was using her so he could sell her as a sex-slave to human traffickers]].
* BeautyIsNeverTarnished: Averted heavily at the end, where we see Lilya bloodied and battered on several areas of her faces following [[spoiler:assault from her pimps]].
* BigNo: [[spoiler: Angel!]]Volodya shouts several of these [[spoiler:as he tries to interrupt Lilya's suicide.]]
* BitchInSheepsClothing: [[spoiler:Andrei]], who presents himself as a kind, altruistic man who wants to help Lilya get out of russia, but is in fact a [[SlimeBall despicable, manipulative scumbag]] who tricks girls and sells them into sex slavery.

* BreakTheCutie: Between the parental abandonment [[spoiler:and ultimate disenfranchisement]] and [[spoiler:her being tricked into a confined life of sex slavery]], Lilya's never much more than a mere plaything for the people around her.

* CrapsackWorld: Russia and Sweden do not come off well in this movie ''at all''. Lilya [[LampshadeHanging even shares this sentiment]] when [[spoiler:Angel!Volodya gives her the world as a Christmas gift, and she rejects it]].

* DespairEventHorizon: [[spoiler:For Volodya, it's Lilya leaving him behind. For Lilya it's being forced to prostitution again in Sweden.]]
* DiedHappilyEverAfter: After [[spoiler:Lilya kills herself to escape a life of forced prostitution, her and her young friend Volodya (who committed suicide earlier in the film) [[TogetherInDeath appear as angels]] playing basketball.]]

* DrivenToSuicide: [[spoiler:Volodya, via pill overdose, and Lilya, via jumping from a bridge.]]

* Foreshadowing: Even before [[spoiler:Andrei]] is revealed to be manipulating Lilya, there are some very subtle hints predicting this.
** Volodya is very suspicious of him, and warns Lilya that he's using her. While at first it just seems like Volodya is envious and resentful about the fact he'll be all alone without Lilya, [[spoiler:he turns out to be all too correct]].
** When [[spoiler:Andrei]] tells Lilya he can help her find a new job in Sweden, he mentions growing vegetables as an example, the only problem is that during winter (where the film is set), vegetables don't grow, [[spoiler:something that Lilya even lampshades at the end]].
** It also seems rather odd that [[spoiler:Andrei]] would genuinely want to help Lilya, considering he only just met her.

* GuardianAngel: [[spoiler:Volodya becomes one for Lilya after his suicide.]]

** Lilya's mom, who not only abandons her, but [[spoiler:outright disowns her later]] in the film.

** Lilya's former male friends, who betray her after they find out she's been prostituting herself and [[spoiler:later ''rape'' her]].
** Andrea, who pretends to care about Lilya but [[spoiler:is actually using her to sell her into sex slavery]].
** [[spoiler:Lilya's pimp, who beats her, rapes her and uses her as a sex slave for other men.]]

* HumanTraffickers: [[spoiler:Andrei turns out to be one of these.]]

* KarmaHoudini: [[spoiler:Lilya's neglectful mother, Lilya's aunt, Volodya's abusive father, the boys who gang-raped Lilya, Lilya's pimp, and Andrei pretty much all get away with their horrible actions and never get punished.]]

* NeverGotToSayGoodbye: [[spoiler:Lilya tries to say goodbye to Volodya, but he is hurt that she is leaving and runs away before she can.]]
* OnceMoreWithClarity: The film starts with a flash-forward image of a beaten Lilya running through the city, heading towards a motorway bridge, while Rammstein's "Mein Herz Brennt" plays in the background. We see the image again near the end when it becomes the chronological present, where it's revealed that [[spoiler:she's escaping her life of prostitution and moments away from ending her life in general]].
* ParentalAbandonment: Lilya's father only courted her mother to sleep with her, and then proceeded to move to Moscow and sever all ties he had with her mother once she told him he was pregnant. Lilya's mother abandons her when she moves to America with her new boyfriend, and her Aunt (who was told to watch over Lilya after her mother left), while not necessarily moving away or anything, [[ParentalNeglect does essentially leave her to her own devices,]] telling her to whore herself out if she needs money to keep the electricity in her flat.
* ParentalSubstitute: Lilya [[spoiler:(temporarily)]] becomes this for Volodya. Lilya's aunt is ''supposed'' to be this for her, [[spoiler:but she gives up rather quickly.]]
* RapeAsDrama: [[spoiler:This film subverts any concept of UnproblematicProstitution one may have and shows how horrible and traumatizing is to have to sell themselves and then being coerced into prostitution several times ''in a day''.]]
* RapeDiscretionShot: [[NightmareFuel Horribly averted]]. [[spoiler:Lilya is raped several times onscreen, with the camera focusing on her rapists' faces as [[NauseaFuel they're having an orgasm]].]]

* SexSlave: [[spoiler:How unfortunately Lilya ends up.]]
* ShowerOfAngst: After being pimped out by her captors, Lilya shows a ThousandYardStare while taking a bath.
* SoundtrackDissonance: Lilya and Volodya [[spoiler:as angels in Heaven]] play basketball, laughing, while sad violin music reminds us that [[spoiler:they both killed themselves as children]].

* TraumaCongaLine: Lilya is first abandoned by her mother, then left by her aunt to fend for herself, ''then'' runs out of money and starts to prostitute herself, [[spoiler:''then'' gets harassed and raped]]...[[TearJerker it never stops]].
* TroublingUnchildlikeBehaviour: Lilya smokes, drinks, huffs glue, and prostitutes herself (though the latter one she does out of necessity). Volodya is also worryingly fine with doing drugs at age 11.

** Subverted with Lilya. She is visibly disgusted by her clients, and is very much vulnerable to being harassed or beaten, but goes through it anyway because she desperately needs money.
* VeryLooselyBasedOnATrueStory: The general beats of Lilya's life -- excited for a better life in the USA, abandoned by mother, [[spoiler:entered relationship with older man who promised her a better life in Sweden, locked in apartment by other man upon arriving, forced to prostitute herself until she escapes and commits suicide via jumping off a bridge]] -- are based on the real life of the Lithuanian girl Danguolė Rasalaitė. You read that right. ''[[TearJerker This]] [[NightmareFuel actually]] [[HumansAreBastards happened.]]''
* VisualTitleDrop: What Lilya and Volodya carve into the bench.
* VomitDiscretionShot: Lilya is showed discretely vomiting after her first intercourse with a client.
* WorldOfJerkass: Big time. Lilya and Volodya are the only good characters in the film, while everyone else is either a rapist, a pimp, a neglectful parent, an abuser or an opportunistic backstabber.

* YankTheDogsChain: ''Twice''. When Lilya thinks she's leaving to America with her mother, [[ParentalAbandonment mum instead leaves her behind]]. When she thinks she's going to start a new life in Sweden with Andrei, she gets lured by human traffickers instead.

* Foreshadowing: Even before [[spoiler:Andrei]] is revealed to be using Lilya, there are some very suttle hints to this.

* FromBadToWorse: The movie!

* BitchInSheepsClothing: [[Spoiler:Andrei]], who presents himself as a kind, altruistic man who wants to help Lilya get out of russia, but is in fact a [[SlimeBall despicable, manipulative scumbag]] who tricks girls and sells them into sex slavery.