THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATOO

US, 2011, 158 minutes, Colour.
Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara, Stellan Skarsgaard, Christopher Plummer, Robin Wright, Joely Richardson, Steven Berkoff, Goran Visnic, Geraldine James.
Directed by David Fincher.

Stieg Larsson’s Millennium trilogy reached a vast number of readers. The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo introduced one of the standout idiosyncratic characters in fiction, Lisbeth Salander. Amongst other piercings, rings and sometime Mohawk hairdo, she has a dragon tattooed on her back. She is abrupt in manner, quick in retort, exhibits signs of Asperges syndrome, but is a whiz in information technology and computer hacking. She has worked on an assignment, investigating a journalist, Michael Blomquist, who has lost a libel case, his reputation and his savings. He had published an article in the magazine Millennium and had not thoroughly checked his sources.

In the film, we spend a great deal of time involved with each of these two characters, their lives running parallel. Eventually, they meet when she is employed by the family who commissioned her investigation into Michael, to help him in researching the unexplained disappearance forty years earlier of a young member of this Vanger family, Harriet.

This means that the drive in the film is the mystery and the attempts to solve it as well as the action taken to stop the investigation. Stieg Larsson was a journalist, so the film, which (it is said) is close to the book, takes us step by step on the investigative journey, where we meet a great number of the Vanger family, many of them quite unpleasant. While Michael uses the tried and thorough methods of research, using, scanning and editing old photos, for instance, to discover leads, Lisbeth is smart, more than adept at the technology and impatient with Michael’s slow touch with computers and his making deductions. While he does reach the right conclusion, he does make mistakes which she has to rectify.

The director is David Fincher who has done sinister (Se7en, Panic Room), murder investigation (Zodiac), IT (The Social Network) and tough mind tests (The Game, Fight Club). He has made the film in Sweden and captured the atmosphere of Stockholm and a remote town very effectively (and through different seasons). The cast speak with an accented (lightly) European English. The film remains in Larsson territory. The adaptation has been made by Steven Zaillian (Schindler’s List, Social Contract). What we get is an involving drama, a search and quest, the solving of mysteries and some comment about Sweden in World War II and after.

Daniel Craig (not much of a smiler) combines a macho attacking attitude with some self-doubt and some vulnerability. Rooney Mara looks the part of Lisbeth and, with the screenplay, makes her the dominant and controlling part of the duo. There is a fiercely sadistic episode in which she is sexually assaulted which brings out a fiercely violent response in her – we are gradually filled in about her harsh childhood and institutionalisation. Christopher Plummer is the patriarch (assisted by Steven Berkoff) who initiates the search. Stellan Skarsgaard is his nephew, managing the family company. Quite a number of British and Scandinavian character actors take smaller parts. Robin Wright plays the editor of Millennium.

Oh yes, there was an original Swedish film, made for television, but successfully released in cinemas.

A pity to feel the need to do a lot of comparison to prove one is better than the other. Both are interesting. This version is well made, stylishly directed and edited (with a pounding score by the Oscar winning team of Trevor Reznot and Atticus Ross), with most striking images and sound in the opening credits (rather stand alone instead of revealing the film), with fine performances. I wonder if we had seen Rooney Mara before Noomi Rapace (with her intense and disturbing face) whether she would have imposed herself on us as Noomi Rapace did foir our image of Lisbeth. Probably. Daniel Craig’s Michael is harder than that of Michael Nyqvist – and the question that will come up concerns the difference between Lisbeth’s sexual interest in Michael in each film. (Looking back over the review of the original film in 2008 as well as questions devised for discussion, most could apply to this version as well.)

1.This film as the opening of a trilogy of films? The popularity of the novels? Adaptation for the screen? American remake, in comparison with the original: plot, characters, treatment?

2.The length of the film, retaining audience interest? The development of the plot, the range of characters, situations? Tying up of all loose ends?

3.The Swedish atmosphere, the cities, homes, the countryside? Location photography? The grim atmosphere? The family, the companies, their secrets and lies? The musical score? The impact of the opening credits and the pounding score?

4.The title, the focus on Lisbeth, in herself, with Michael, her appearance, the enormous tattoo, the piercing, the rings? Her capacity for work, solving the mystery? Her story explored before her meeting Michael? Her dominance and her quick intelligence? (Asperges’ characteristics?)

5.The introduction, Henrik and the receipt of the gifts, the flowers, hanging them on the wall, one for over forty years? The memories of Harriet? Thinking they came from her killer? His determination to have the mystery solved? The interview with Michael, the liaison with Frode? The friendship and business association? The report from Lisbeth? Wanting closure?

6.Michael, his working for the Millennium Magazine, the editor, his liaison with her, her husband, the headlines, the trial, his critique of the businessman for being an arms dealer, the response of the media, the libel trial, the verdict against him, the businessman and his press conference, alleged vindication? The prison sentence? Losing his savings?The staff meeting, the issue of making the appeal or not? The wariness of the staff, for the future of the magazine? His investigative abilities? His being set up? The invitation to meet Henrik? Frode making the introductions? The explanations, his taking the job?

7.The introduction to Lisbeth, her appearance, her capacity for research, the agent wanting to know her reliability, her investigating Michael and vindicating his innocence? The interview, the editor, praising her ability, her answering questions, leaving the report to speak for itself, her abrupt manner? Taciturn, going to the parole officer, his asserting the rules, the sexual advance, the rape and its brutality, her pain? The irony that she had a video camera in her bag, having the record? The return, stripping him, tying him up, the dildo, his pain? Carving her judgment on his chest? Her setting down the rules, the blackmail for her freedom? Wanting him to write favourable reports? Her accosting him in the lift?

8.Michael and his inquiry, arriving in the town, the Spartan conditions, buying goods, the caretaker, the cold, the computer and records, the use of photos and pictures? The computer research? Their past, information about the Nazi sympathies? The older brothers? Harold and his hunting? Gustav dead, Martin and his inheritance? The discussions with the women in the family, their strong-mindedness? Henrik in hospital and the relatives coming? Michael and the various meetings and discussions? With Cecilia and her not speaking to others?

9.The photos, the last photo of Harriet, the enlargements, the use of technology, the speculation, Harriet at the procession, her change of focus, her fear, her disappearance?

10.Lisbeth and her hacking into Michael’s computer, meeting with him, her work and research, the codes on the computer, the dates, the victims, their initials? The quotations from the Book of Leviticus, the explanation of the sins, the punishment to be meted out? The finding of the various reports? The Jewish names? The co-operation of the police? The dates not tying in? Going for the receipts and their dates? The photo of the group, Martin’s presence?

11.Michael, the photo, the carpentry company, going to visit the wife, her photo from her honeymoon – and seeing Martin, indistinct, as the object of Harriet’s gaze?

12.The information about Anita and Michael’s visit to London? Her life there? The death of Anita and her husband?

13.The shooting at Michael?

14.The truth, Martin and the deadly influence of his father, their both being serial killers, the father and his anti-Semitic attitudes, the Book of Leviticus? Martin and his continuing the murders, instructed by his father, over the decades? The cellar, the evidence, the morbid photos? The talk with Michael, his delight in talking about his exploits? The glass of water, taunting Michael, talking about the moments of hope before death, setting him up for the hanging?

15.Lisbeth, getting the information at the office, her perseverance with the search and finding the same emblem implicating Martin, going by bike, having set up videos in Michael’s house, finding Martin in the video, hurrying, saving him, chasing Martin in the car, Martin’s crash, her not saving Martin, confronting him, the car going up in flames? The occasion for explaining to Michael about her family, the memories of her father, abuse of her mother, her letting her father die?

16.The visit to her mother, talking with her, the mother’s recognition, her sympathy for her mother?

17.The relationship between Lisbeth and Michael? Her own sexual background, the cluband the stand with the woman, Michael’s arriving? Her leaving? Lisbeth’s feelings for Michael, offering him sexual comfort? The later encounter? Was she capable of loving?

18. The group going to London with the news of Martin’s death? Anita not following through? The realisation that Anita was Harriet? Harriet’s return, visiting Henrik, the explanation of the gift of the flowers? The happy reconciliation?

19.The Cayman Islands funds, borrowing from Michael? Lisbeth and her transformation, her distributing the money, disguise, with the money? Her buying the jacket for Michael? Seeing him with the editor and her tossing the jacket away?

20. Lisbeth sending further documents about the arms dealer, the further article, the attack, Michael’s vindication, the arms dealer in Spain?

21.How well did the film work as personal drama, as a crime thriller, as an example of detection and investigative research?