The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo

It is hard to say what is so compelling about this story.

I got wind of it when surfing through movie previews, and noticed that there was a trilogy in print already. So I quickly reserved all three from the library and read through them. Stieg Larsson has compiled a very interesting tale about a very unusual and unlikely duo. While it is often gritty and even horrific, the realism only drew me in further. This is a key part to what I really valued from the movie rendition as well.


So, the books. I learned that Larsson unfortunately passed away. Fortunately, he worked on and completed all three books before his demise. It is interesting to note that he draws from his experience as a magazine publisher; one wonders where his inspiration for Lisbeth Salander comes into play. The story is very well done; complicated, with excellent character background, intrigue and an exploration of what is right and what comprises ones identity. I really appreciate how Larsson had a definite beginning and a definite end to his tale, and did not bother to meander along the writer's landscape that some authors are prone to do.


To be honest, the Swedish setting actually lends itself to the realism as well. As an American reader, the Swedish tongue is foreign enough to be just barely alien and thus set the stage for a fictional story - I have a hard time explaining why that makes it more believable to me. =) Maybe because it helps suspend my disbelief? However, the key point I really want to make is that the original film from Yellow Bird and Music Box was extraordinary in this regards; local cast, locale and language all make this film authentic and true to the story. I cringe to think what the American version is going to be like. It hearkens me back to Nightwatch, a Russian film with Russian actors based on a Russian story; trying to Americanize that piece would utterly kill it, IMO.


The film, true to the book, is gritty, raw, and downright disturbing. My hat is off to the awesome job the actors did in this film. Perhaps that is another element which makes this story more believable - none of the actors are well-known in the US. They are completely new faces to me, and utterly believable with their phenomenal performances. But the things they are asked to do are genuinely horrible. There is an interview with Noomi Rapace on the DVD that was also eye-opening; she worked extremely hard to get into character, and I am amazed at her dedication. Peter Habar also won my respect for such a wide dynamic of portrayals - he scares me. =) However, I felt he was much more savage and reprobate in the book, and I am sort of glad the movie did not go that far.


The technical manipulations with the Apple laptops was quite fascinating as well. To be honest, when I read the books, I was thinking about Sweden which is not necessarily known to be the hi-techno, gee-whiz gizmo center of the planet. But the film did a small turn of justice to technology with some of the visual displays, better than I expected a Swedish film would pull it off. Kudos to them.


Some notable exclusions between book and movie. No physical connection between Blomkvist and Cecilia Vagner, very little romance between Blomkvist and Erika Berger, very little picture into the glory of Millenium and what it does and the character development of the folks who work there. Likewise, very little attention given to Milton Security, with only a passing look at Dragan. In order for the next films to work, I can only imagine how those subplots will be built up.