The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Plot Details: This opinion reveals major details about the movie's plot.

Every now and then I get really lucky and come across a film that just doesn't convert a book to the big screen, but picks it up and puts a new spin on it. That's what I found when I sat down this week and took in the Swedish adaption of Steig Larson's book The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. While I certainly knew how the story was going to turn out, and how it gets there, I was still interested enough to take it in, as I enjoy seeing how they do on extending the author's vision.

The film opens as Mikael Blomkvist (Michael Nyqvist) sits in a Stockholm courtroom and hears the results of a slander case. He's the senior writer for a radical, somewhat on the left, magazine called Millenium, and the lawsuit for libel has been leveled against him by a powerful corporation. Unfortunately for Blomqvist, the verdict is guilty -- the judgment is going to nearly wipe him out financially, and he's going to have to serve three months in prison. In order to save the magazine, Blomkvist decides to fall on his sword, resign his position on the magazine and not seek an appeal.

In another part of Sweden, an old man on a distant estate sits in isolation and receives a package. Inside is a framed, pressed flower. For the last forty years, Henrik Vanger (Sven-Bertil Taube) has received a picture on the same day -- the day that his beloved neice Harriet Vanger was murdered. It's a cold case, so cold that nearly everyone has given up on it. But Henrik hasn't. And now he takes the daring step of hiring Mikael Blomkvist to unravel the mystery; Blomkvist has six months to settle his affairs and report to prison.

Going to the remote estate, located on the island of Hedeby, Blomkvist starts to unravel the story of Harriet Vanger, working from Henrik's memories, newpaper clippings and by talking with the locals and family members.

In the middle of all this is Lisbeth Salander (Naoomi Rapace). She dresses like a Goth, with a punked out attitude and with plenty of piercings and tattoos. She's under the legal guardship of the courts despite being twenty-four years old, and when her previous guardian has a stroke, she finds herself under the supervision of a new one. Unfortunately for Lisbeth, the new guardian doesn't have her best interests in mind, something that Lisbeth finds out very quickly in one of the most brutal scenes I've ever put on the screen.

But Lisbeth, as we see, isn't a frail, fragile flower. Instead she's tough as nails, and plots not just to get even, but also to make certain that he's not going to ever try to hurt her again. For Lisbeth is canny and smart, with an alter-ego who can find out anything, given an internet connection and time...

How Lisbeth takes an appropriate revenge, and how Blomkvist solves the mystery of Harriet Vanger's disappearance is the meat of the  story. Along the way there's enough twisted evil to shock anyone, and a family that's twisted enough to give anyone nightmares.

The original title of this is Män som hatar kvinnor, and as you might have guessed, this is in Swedish, with English subtitles. The translation is fairly good, and well-nuanced.

Directed by Niels Arden Oplev, this was a great adaptation of the book, and the extended version has nearly an extra half hour of extra footage. This is what thrillers ought to be, full of tension and a growing mystery that expands through time, and enough subtlety to keep the viewer interested. The look of the film is excellent as well, filled with shadows and lighting that creates a great mood.

There is a strong warning with this one -- the violence is raw and in your face, including rape, the subject matter towards the end is grusome, and there is considerable nudity and sex. Needless to say, if you're sensitive to such things, don't watch this film, and this is not at all appropriate for children of any age.

N.B. -- The version that I watched was the extended version, which explores nearly the entire book and so, may drag for some viewers.

All in all, this gets five stars overall, and strong recommendation. Just be aware that it does have some very adult content.

The Swedish Millenium Trilogy:
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo -- you are here
The Girl Who Played with Fire
The Girl Who Kicked a Hornet's Nest

And for the books that inspired the movies:
The Millennium Trilogy:
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
The Girl who Played with Fire
The Girl who Kicked a Hornet's Nest

Recommend this product? Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Better than Watching TV
Suitability For Children: Not suitable for Children of any age