skip to main |
skip to sidebar
It took a few years, but it seems that the book that was a hit in Sweden has become a worldwide sensation. For the record, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo has no wizards, vampires or lycanthropes. What it does have is the most fascinating character to grace mystery literature in quite a while. Her name is Lisbeth Salander. She is the titular heroine in this tightly plotted and sometimes violent whodunit in what is the first of a trilogy of mysteries from Stieg Larsson.
The mystery opens on journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Michael Nyqvist) being found guilty in a libel suit against Swedish industrial magnate Hans-Erik Wennerström. After the verdict - and to his surprise - Mikael is courted by wealthy patriarch Henrik Vanger (Sven-Bertil Taube) to investigate the disappearance of a teenage girl. The girl was Vanger's niece, Harriet, and she's been missing for over forty years. Disgraced and jobless Mikael takes on the case, which has him relocate to the small island where the disappearance occurred. Tracing his movements is Lisbeth (Noomi Rapace), the investigator who was assigned to do a background check on Mikael on behalf of the Vanger family. Lisbeth is a polarizing character; her standoffish behavior and Goth-inspired attire make her invisible to those who dare look in her general direction. Twenty-four and underdeveloped in areas that men like to ogle, Lisbeth is a basket case of emotions. Working alone on the case, Mikael is good. But when Lisbeth offers assistance, the case takes a dramatic turn. Per his urging, the two work together, weeding through old photographs and documents. Untrusting of others, Lisbeth finds herself growing to trust Mikael, but soon that trust is put to the test as they inch closer to a possible serial murderer.
Watching the film at this year's South by Southwest Film Festival, only to read the novel afterward, the writing team of Nikolaj Arcel and Rasmus Heisterberg has to be commended for condensing Larsson's 590-page work (if going by the U.S. softcover release) into an investigative mystery masterwork. A labyrinth maze of names, faces, and theories, Dragon Tattoo's narrative bobs and weaves all over the Swedish landscape. Commanded by director Niels Arden Oplev, the film is a weighty procedural, and he measures each scene so as to let the viewer survey the situation along with Mikael and Lisbeth.
At 150 minutes it never feels too long. Had Arcel and Heisterberg taken no liberties with Larrson's novel, the film could have been a six-hour mini-series. Side plots are omitted, as is the novel's rather lengthy epilogue once the mystery is solved, and much of the confusion that comes from reading about the Vanger family tree is simplified for viewers. What remains is an engrossing mystery about ritual murders while examining the sexual violation of women. (Prior to having a name change The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was called Men Who Hate Women.) The scenes involving Lisbeth and her state-appointed guardian will have you grimacing, but the payoff will leave you jubilant. It doesn't make the film any less easy to watch, but it helps to process a character like Lisbeth, whose past discretions are tied to those that take advantage of women.
When the story moves into "sleuthing mode" Dragon Tattoo becomes a riveting motion picture. With each photograph or illegal hack, the evidence compounds and we sit excitedly, like we were reading a page-turner. Supporting the evidence is Oplev's photography of the Swedish isle that holds the secrets of a mystery that's been colder than the evocative landscape he projects. Not daunted are the bewitching pair of Nyqvist and Rapace; their characters form a bond built on mutual respect without forcing the issue. And the respect they glean from one another is of vital importance once the dynamic investigative duo is targeted for murder.
The film interpretation of Steig Larsson's international bestseller isn't just one of the best investigative procedurals to come down the pike, it is one of the best films of 2010. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo even captivated the likes of producer mogul Scott Rudin (No Country for Old Men), who secluded himself for a week so he could devour the novel. Rudin is currently developing a Hollywood adaptation with David Fincher, a director who is no stranger to thrillers (Seven, Zodiac). While it is the first in a trilogy, the film does not end in a cliffhanger. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo establishes the tone to expect in the second and third entries as well as the quality of the characters, which is the life jacket of any great mystery.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen and the sound is Dolby Digital. The language is Swedish with English subtitles, or you can listen to a dubbed English version. Unfortunately, the copy I received is a watermarked screener disc, so an accurate write-up of the disc's visual and audio quality cannot be accomplished. Should I get a street copy of the release, I will include an update of the A/V quality.
Dragon tattoos for girls are very popular because of the variability in design and the meaning. In Chinese and Japanese culture alike, dragons are a very popular mythical creature. They represent the four points on a compass as well as the four elements. Represent at times, that renewal and birth cannot come within destruction and death. For the Chinese, dragons are a representation of imperial power. These mythical creatures are the ones responsible for making it rain because their mythological residence was in Heaven. Because of the creatures' ability to shape shift, dragons are integrated into many different Chinese legends.
Japanese legends state that the dragon was the ancestor of the Emperor, hence the use as an Imperial symbol. Taoism incorporates the dragon, as displayed in artwork as the protector of Buddha. Other cultures have since integrated the dragon such as Western cultures which associate it with the exact opposite connotation as Chinese and Japanese cultures. The Western cultures turned it into evil creatures, though it was still used to create a sense of fear in enemies during wartime. These tattoos for girls can represent transformation, nobility, magic, loyalty, power, and imagination no matter the origins.
This design for girls are also popular in terms of the zodiac tattoos. Born in 1916, 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, or 2000 the zodiac dragon tattoos for girls is a popular design. It is very good to have a child born under the zodiac dragon because of the representations implied such as being full of life, having a foolhardy reputation, being enthusiastic, being intelligent, gifted, as well as perfectionist-making them demanding of others.
The colours and styles associated with these tattoos for girls are endless. Dragons are displayed in a myriad of colours and combinations. Some of these include fire-breathing dragons while some engage a nicer, cartoon display. Some represent stoicism, while others offer a sweeter face to the audience. There are many dragon tattoos for girls which are nothing but black, while others are so intricately designed that they require many colours and hues working their way from the interior scales to the exterior scales as well as working from top to bottom. Dragon tattoos for girls offer a wide array of options for anyone who is interested in tattoos. So before you go ahead and have one done make sure you choose that is a true reflection of what you are.
Lisbeth Salander is many things. A feminist heroine, a survivor that took the world by storm. The hugely successful 'Trilogy' by Stieg Larsson, wrapped a sinister web of tales around this fascinatingly strong and unforgettable character. She certainly is unforgettable. It's not surprising that the adaptation of the movie made such an impact on pop culture. Her character epitomizes speed and a strong will, together with keen survival instincts. Her unmistakable air of mystery, combined with a hard exterior and a soft, gentle soul, creates such a complex persona. So it was amazing to see how the Hollywood version of our heroine, translated from the page. With Rooney Mara as the dark haired, pale skinned and skinny Lisbeth, they successfully transformed a perfect, sun-kissed girl-next-door, into this unforgettable gothic being.
Her black leather-clad figure makes us want to reach out for our leather, biker jacket, teamed with faux leather leggings. Her bleached brows and high fringe, might not be what we aspire to, but the soft drapery of the white tee shirt and charcoal sweatshirt, and other Alexander Wang inspired outfits, are certainly the classics we like.
The spring and summer 2012 collection from Ann Demeulemeester is a strong reminder of the movie. As reviewed by Vogue, the collections ask us to "Imagine the outfits Lisbeth Salander would splurge on when she suddenly felt inclined by her financial chicanery toward high fashion. Demeulemeester's new designs had Salander's 'kick-ass', high-performance quality. There was a pointy sharpness to the layered garments on leather jackets that suggested warrior action, as did the stiffened sculptured, leather neckpieces. The sleek, linear quality of suits made of bias-cuts, funnel-necked jackets and pencil skirts, provided a fierce new silhouette for the designer."
We can plainly see that Lisbeth is becoming a major influence on the fashion credits front. It is surprising to see just how wearable her wardrobe is, for it can easily translate into our day-to-day busy life. In David Finchley's stylish adaptation, she confidently rides her motorcycle through an ice storm, discovering sinister murderous crimes. She weaves through crowds of 60s inspired, well-heeled suburbanites and in her imaginative clothing, stands out from the crowd in her rebellious colours.
Her daily outfits consist of many layers of tee shirts that pile over each other with lots of ripped seams. The sweat shirts and comfy knits lean heavily on shades of charcoal. The leather, biker jacket is her armour through life, the trusty dark jeans and the nailed and studded biker boots make sure she can cause damage. They guarantee quiet confidence and a steel-cold personality, enough to ward off any uninvited attention.
We can all have a bit of gothic in us. Imagine a day when nothing is better than a weather-proof leather jacket, and skin-tight, black jeans with combat boots. So go out there, and face the world like our heroine, and, if you are brave enough, consider that a high hair line could potentially stir the world.
Like the original, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo is set to be the first of three films based on the late Stieg Larsson's critically acclaimed Millennium Trilogy. I thought the original version starring Michael Nyqvist and Noomi Rapace was a great film and I was hoping that this remake would be at least as good. Watching the trailer let me know that there were going to be a lot of similarities, but I was also hoping for some originality.
Henrik Vanger (Christopher Plummer) is a former industrialist who wants to find out who murdered his niece 40 years ago. In order to find the killer, he goes out of his way to find someone he believes is capable of discovering the truth. With the help of an intelligent, but disturbed young woman named Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara), he finds Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig) and offers him the job.
Blomkvist is in legal trouble of his own after losing a libel case. Needing the money and wanting to stay out of sight for a while, Blomkvist accepts the offer from Vanger. After awhile, Mikael finds out how difficult this job may be and decides to enlist the help of Lisbeth when he finds out about her and learns of her capabilities.
Not surprisingly, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo is very similar to the original. They took out a couple of scenes and elongated the ending, but that was about it. The only other noticeable changes were superficial and added virtually nothing to the story. The best part about the changes that were made was the fact that they removed Lisbeth Salander's armpit hair in this one. I don't know why they kept that in the first place.
I don't think it's possible to really complain about the performances of the lead actors in this film, but they didn't fit their roles as well as the one's from the original did. Daniel Craig is a good actor, but he was out-of-place to an extent, while Noomi Rapace is Lisbeth Salander to me and embodied the role more than Rooney Mara did. Rapace managed to pull off the fragile, but dangerous character that one might expect and for some reason they decided to make Mara's version more stoned faced and didn't really allow us to see the damaged Salander as much.
They included some rough scenes (usually sexual) that made this film what it was, but they weren't as brutal as they were before. I honestly expected them to dial it up a few notches since they had to know what they were dealing with. I was shocked at the fact that they didn't include one scene that helped explain some of Salander's troubles. They at least acknowledged it through words, but the scene itself was powerful and to leave it out completely doesn't make any sense. Not making some of the scenes as graphic as they were before and removing one completely hurts the true essence and soul of the film.
That point leads me to the villains in the film. The bad guys felt like bad guys in the first version and were far more menacing. I didn't really get the same negative vibe from those guys here. They did some evil things, but it didn't have the impact that it should have. I don't want to give anything away, but changing the look of certain characters or darkening a certain scene took a little life out of these particular villains for me. That's important since some of these people are rarely ever in the movie and you need to build them up as despicable human beings.
All of the core aspects are here and basically remain unchanged, but it was lacking a few things. If you haven't seen the original then you'll probably like this version more than I did. I liked it, but it's a weaker and more stylish version than the Swedish version. Hopefully the sequel will be much better than the original sequel The Girl Who Played with Fire. That movie wasn't good at all and hurt the quality of the first film trilogy.
