The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

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The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

April 29th 2010 01:44

This movie was eluding me like a sly war criminal, but I finally got to see it last night on the big screen, and it exceeded expectations; a thoroughly enthralling, tense, intense, disturbing murder mystery thriller with stunning performances and assured direction and pacing. I haven’t read the novel (part one of the Millennium trilogy by Swedish author Stieg Larsson), which by all reports is much better (nothing surprising there), but I will most certainly be reading it now, along with the rest of the trilogy.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Noomi Repace

Noomi Repace as Lisbeth

Swedish director Niels Arden Oplev works from a screenplay adaptation by Nikolaj Arcel and Rasmus Heisterberg. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2009) is a controlled and intelligent narrative; two plots that merge and become one quest and hunt for the truth, to expose a serial killer’s identity. Disgraced Millennium magazine journalist, Mikael Blomkvist (Michael Nyqvist), is hired to dig deep into the files, and family history of frail old Henrik Vanger (Sven-Bertil Taube), of the wealthy Vanger Group, to find his 16-year-old daughter’s supposed murderer (since she vanished forty years earlier).

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Michael Nyqvist and Sven-Bertil Taube

Michael Nyqvist as Mikael Blomkvist with Sven-Bertil Taube as Henrik Vanger

Meanwhile, young lone wolf computer hacker Lisbeth Salander (Noomi Repace), a punk with a big chip on her shoulder, becomes embroiled in Blomkvist’s mission, and when she unravels an important clue he was unable to detect, he enlists her help; it seems Lisbeth has a few demons in her closet she wishes to purge herself. The Vanger clan is a dysfunctional group, to say the least, and it isn’t long before they discover the disappearance of Harriet Vanger (Julia Spoore, with Ewa Froling as the older version) is only the tip of a deadly iceberg, with a slippery surface.

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo Peter Andersson and Noomi Repace

Lisbeth is threatened by her guardian Nils (Peter Andersson)

Three of the Vanger brothers were Nazis. Several young girls were viciously killed, their bodies mutilated in ritualistic fashion. The closer Mikael and Lisbeth get the more dangerous their job becomes. Lisbeth is already nursing wounds from a particularly nasty incident involving her legal guardian, since she is on psychiatric parole (a sub-plot that rears its ugly truth further down the track). She has a savage bone to pick with men who hate women. However Blomkvist is honest, genuine, vunerable, and she finds herself attracted to that, even though her preference is female.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Michael Nyqvist

Mikael has a close call from a sniper in the woods

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, definitely a striking a title, appears a little misleading, as the movie’s main plot doesn’t focus on her, yet by movie’s end she has become a most curious player. What is the significance of the extraordinary ink marking of the mythological creature that spreads across her back, its powerful tail tracing down the back of her thigh? There’s only one moment in the movie where the camera lingers on her tattoo, the scene itself a sensual, but disquieting diversion. The novel and movie’s original title translates as Men Who Hate Women, a very confronting, wrathful implication. In many ways it’s a more apt title, but it makes for a much harder sell in the notoriously difficult world of film distribution.

Looking for clues in a chequered family history

The second novel in the trilogy translates as The Girl Who Played with Fire, and the third, roughly as The Dream That Blew Up. They were made into movies at the same time, but directed by Daniel Alfredson, each one following the further (mis)adventures of Lisbeth, her involvement with Mikael Blomkvist, and her confrontations with the Swedish authorities.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Michael Nyqvist and Peter Haber

Mikael is scrutinised by Martin Vanger (Pater Haber)

The sub-plot of Lisbeth and her guardian bothered me; Lisbeth’s mistreatment and rape and her subsequent revenge seemed strangely unnecessary since the audience already knew she was troubled, and capable of violence and ruthlessness. I can only assume that one or both of the subsequent movies will return to this narrative thread (the trailer to part two appears to confirm this). My other gripe was that the last quarter of the movie seemed rushed, and the very end felt tagged on, most likely as a bridge toward the next movie. But in itself this was a grating “Hollywood” device. Because I haven’t yet read the novel, I’m very curious as to how frayed the edges of the various narrative threads are left. It all appeared rather too neat and tidy for my liking. Especially considering how uncompromising the movie had been up until the frightening climax and its emotional aftermath.

Reservations aside, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo is a top-notch thriller, beautifully shot, superbly acted and directed, and essential viewing for those who like strong-flavoured, dark European fare, regardless of whether you’ve read the novel or not.

Here's the UK trailer:

Here's the trailer for The Girl Who Played with Fire:

And here's the trailer for The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest:

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Posted By: Bryn - Category: movie reviews

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Comments

14 Comments. [ Add A Comment ]

Comment by Catherine Stebbins

April 29th 2010 03:41

Thoughts from a Cinephile
Thoughts from a TV Watcher

i didn't read the review because i know very little about the plot and I'd like to keep it that way before I read the book (it's the next on my list to read!) but I definitely got the sense that you really liked it! very cool. can't wait to get into the book and then be even more excited to see the film.

Comment by David O'Connell

April 29th 2010 05:27

20/20 Filmsight
Screen Fanatic

Nice one Bryn, good to see you finally caught up with this! It's always a bit of a surprise when you have such high expectations going in and they're actually exceeded. I think you're right about the sadistic violence - it does go a bit far and for no discernible point in this first chapter at least.

Very interesting to see how David Fincher's remake pans out and the apparent casting of Carey Mulligan as Lisbeth is not a bad choice at all. I reckon she's pretty damn brilliant to be honest as An Education ably demonstrated. Of course it'd be even better if they'd just leave the original alone to begin with but I suppose this project could be in worse hands!

Comment by Bryn

April 29th 2010 06:02

Horrorphile

Catherine, I would've liked to have read the novel first, but I would've missed it on the big screen then.

David, actually it wasn't that I had a problem with the violence, in fact I thought it was handled very well, but that I felt left in the lurch with what the intention of that sub-plot was. Having watched the trailer to Played with Fire, I see that the character of the guardian returns, so it obviously does have more significance than is actually revealed in Dragon Tattoo. The overall impression ones comes away with at the end of Dragon Tattoo is that Lisbeth is one very dark and troubled horse.
I didn't know David Fincher was directing the Hollywood version, but it's good to know it's in such performance capable and visually arresting hands, although, of course, Hollywood should just leave the damn originals alone!!! No other country except America feels it necessary to "dumb down" foreign-language movies to pander to their own broader audiences. But then again, America does have a stupidly large proportion of the movie-going public with zero tolerance for a movie not spoken in Yankee accents. And executive producers smile all the way to the bank, so therein lies The Hollywood Rub.
No offence to those Americans who actually don't mind having to read sub-titles or concentrate a little harder to understand a broad Australian accent or Cockney one.

Comment by Matt Shea

April 29th 2010 08:27

Nice write-up, Bryn, and I think you've been left with virtually the same impression as me. The guardian stuff does feel out of place - that's really the biggest thing missing from the film: the subtext regarding Larsson's concerns about Swedish misogyny. Without it, the guardian scenes are a bit, 'What the f---?' Anyway, classy film regardless, and I never thought a portrait photo of a Swedish teenager could be so freakin' scary.

Comment by The Master

April 29th 2010 19:21

No offense Bryn, but does this really qualifiy as a Horror? I'll check it out regardless

Comment by Bryn

April 29th 2010 22:43

Horrorphile

Matt, I'm very curious as to the novel's intent.

Matser, that's okay, no offence taken. I should probably put a "disclaimer" on my blog: I've always maintained the criteria that the movies I cover are what I call "nightmare movies", as opposed to horror movies. So I include movies that aren't traditionally considered straight horror movies, but they contain a tone or atmosphere or content that is nightmarish. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo certainly fits that criteria.
If you check through my archives you'll come across numerous movies that you wouldn't consider horror, but are what I call nightmare movies.

Comment by The Master

April 30th 2010 19:23

I kind of guessed that once I saw Lolita and the Horsemen on here lol

Comment by Bryn

May 3rd 2010 01:57

Horrorphile

rakeback, yes I intend to read the novels. Seems a lot of people have read them. I only heard of them and the author recently.

Comment by Bryn

May 3rd 2010 03:45

Horrorphile

I thoroughly enjoyed Let the Right One In and Handling the Undead by Swede John Ajvide Lindqvist

Comment by JohnDoe

May 4th 2010 01:45

Film & TV on DVD

Hi Bryn,

I have the book for this on the bedside table after numerous recommendations. The film too has been receiving the 'JD will enjoy this" tag from other friends so onto my DVD list it will go...cool to read you excited about a new delight.

Comment by Bryn

May 4th 2010 04:40

Horrorphile

Hey JD,
yeah, you will like most definitely, and very curious to know your thoughts too, on a few aspects.

Comment by JohnDoe

July 25th 2010 23:08

Film & TV on DVD

Hi Bryn,

I have just posted a review for the film that seems to echo your own in most respects. Though I didn't go into the finer points of the Guardian for fear of spoilers....you know me always fencing in my creativity with strict format

Comment by ShaunK

September 6th 2010 04:15

Screen Adventure

wow - I must be so out of the loop . I know absolutely nothing about these series of films or books. I dont know why but i have very little interest in seeing them for some reason and it's solely based on my disliking of their titles - look at me all narrow minded all.

How does the Hornets Nest one fit into the series?