The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

Day 20/192-The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo: Starring Michael Nyqvist and Noomi Rapace

The second installment in my "Swedish Films Concerning Sexual Abuse Season" is The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, based on the bestselling novel by Stieg Larsson.

Of course that is not my theme but just a massive coincidence, another fortunate coincidence seems to be that those Swedes sure can make films.

The first of the trilogy, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo introduces us to Mikael Blomkvist (Nyqvist), a journalist who has been sentenced to jail for his failed exposing of corrupt businessman, Wennerstrom. Blomkvist is contacted by Henrik Vanger, a wealthy man who believes his niece Harriet's disappearance, 40 years ago, may be linked to a series of horrific murders committed around that time.

Blomkvist sets about investigating when he finds his computer is being hacked by someone else, Lisbeth Salander. (Rapace) Instead of getting angry he welcomes her help and the pair set about investigating the murders as well as the mystery behind the Vanger family.



The film sort of plays out like The Da Vinci Code, if The Da Vinci Code was done well. The twists and the clues, though never hugely shocking are enough to keep the murder story interesting, if nothing revolutionary. The real story here is Lisbeth's though, emotionally crippled by some unexplained events from the past, the further in we get the more confused we become by her actions, looking for justification that comes in satisfying drips and drabs, but is never fully realised.

It is a rare film in that it excels in the fact that is the first of a pre-planned trilogy. Safe in the knowledge that it doesn't have to give too much away, and wrap anything up, it gives a greater sense of mystery that when you are awaiting for a big recap of Lisbeth's back-story, it doesn't come when you think it will, leaving us very eager for The Girl Who Played With Fire.



This was another film I missed in the cinema, mostly because it was only shown very late at night. This isn't at all difficult to understand having seen it now, as it does have some rather graphic moments of varying kinds of violence. Mostly rather startling and never out of place, it is hard to talk about these moments without spoiling the story, but it is in some of these early moments where the film really establishes itself and its characters.

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo is now scheduled for a 2011 US remake, but there is no need to wait until then as this film will be hard to top, at least until The Girl Who Played With Fire is released. Not for the faint of heart or the weak of stomach, but a brave and bold thriller that manages to remember to include a plot as well as motorcycle chases and fire, lots of fire.

8/10