The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011) Review

Rated R (Brutal Violent Content including Rape and Torture, Strong Sexuality, Graphic Nudity, and Language)

Running Time: 2 Hours & 38 Minutes

Cast:

Rooney Mara-Lisbeth Salander

Daniel Craig-Mikael Blomkvist

Robin Wright-Erika Berger

Christopher Plummer-Henrik Vanger

Stellan Skarsgård-Martin Vanger

Yorick van Wageningen-Nils Bjurman

Joely Richardson-Anita Vanger

Geraldine James-Cecilia Vanger

Steven Berkoff-Dirch Frode

Donald Sumpter-Detective Gustav Morell

Goran Visnjic-Dragon Armansky

Embeth Davidtz-Annika Giannini

Tony Way-‘Plague’

Ulf Friberg- Hans-Erik Wennerström

Per Myrberg-Harald Vanger

Bengt C.W. Carlsson-Holger Palmgren

Elodie Yung-Miriam Wu

Joel Kinnaman-Christer Malm

Directed by David Fincher

Rooney Mara delivers an intense performance in David Fincher's remake of "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo."

When was the last time you saw a Hollywood film featuring an original idea? Off the top of my head, I can only think of merely one, Christopher Nolan’s brilliant science fiction action/heist flick “Inception,” but that was released a year-and-a-half ago and since then Hollywood has unloaded numerous films upon an ever-dwindling audience that was either an adaptation, sequel, remake or some combination of the three. Don’t get me wrong, people still go to the movie theater in droves but with films that more often than not fail to deliver on its hype and increasing ticket prices year-after-year, many are just waiting out the extra three or four months and watching it in the comfort of their own homes without the extra headache. I myself often wake up bright and early to catch new releases at matinee prices. One of the current trends plaguing Hollywood is the remake and many of them have ended up as critical box office bombs, yet this has not deterred clueless studio executives from trying to make a quick buck, however little. I am not opposed to remakes but it ultimately comes down to the creative force behind them. Again off the top of my head, Matt Reeve’s 2010 “Let Me In” was a worthy remake that can stand proud with the Swedish 2008 original “Let the Right One In” but it’s a sad state of affairs when only one film comes to mind. Despite what you may believe, Hollywood does not have a high opinion of its audience and there oft-used excuse for remaking otherwise great foreign films is to ‘broaden its appeal,’ meaning that western viewers are too lazy and stupid to follow the subtitles so we’re making it easy by simplifying everything for you. So when Columbia Pictures/Sony announced an English-language remake in early 2010 of Niels Arden Oplev’s “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” from Sweden, itself an adaptation of Stieg Larsson’s 2005 critically-acclaimed novel and the first part in his Millennium Trilogy, I was very skeptical and echoed Oplev’s thoughts, ‘Why would they remake something when they can just go see the original?,’ which was released only two years ago in 2009 to rave reviews and earned $104 million at the worldwide box office but of course, in the United States, it barely registered as a blip since Hollywood has brainwashed the masses into thinking themselves incapable of reading subtitles. It all seemed like a cash-grab…until David Fincher came along and once the first publicity photos began to trickle out, my confidence and anticipation for the film grew. Having finally seen the film, Fincher’s “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” is less a remake and more of a new interpretation despite treading the same material and while there are some minor flaws in compressing the numerous subplots, the end result is one of the best films of 2011 with the director putting his own personal stamp on the project from the viscerally surreal opening credits to the ominous droning beats of Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’ score. Lisbeth Salander, so brilliantly realized by Noomi Rapace in the original films, is once again brought to life with an awards-worthy performance from Rooney Mara, who throws herself into the role with such wild abandon that it renders her virtually unrecognizable, looking dangerous and beautiful at the same time. Steven Zaillian’s script is both faithful to the novel and expertly-paced, upping the suspense and tension even if you know how it all ends. 

Investigative journalist and co-owner of Millennium magazine Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig) has just lost a much-publicized libel case against wealthy industrialist Hans-Erik Wennerström (Ulf Friberg), for which he must pay 600,000 Swedish kronor (approximately $87,000) in damages to avoid jail time. Meanwhile, brilliant but socially withdrawn hacker Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara) is assigned by Milton Security to compile an incredibly extensive background check on Blomkvist for lawyer Dirch Frode (Steven Berkoff). Frode works for the wealthy Henrik Vanger (Christopher Plummer), the retired CEO of Vanger Industries, who wants to enlist Blomkvist’s help for a job despite the recent scandal. Henrik invites Blomkvist to his estate on Hedeby Island in Hedestad and asks him to solve the murder of his great-niece Harriet Vanger, who disappeared without a trace almost forty years ago. He believes the killer to be one of his family members as he receives a package of a framed pressed flower on his birthday every year, something that Harriet used to give him when she was still alive. Blomkvist is at first reluctant to take the job but when Henrik promises him a substantial fee and information on Wennerström, who used to work for him, he agrees. Back in Stockholm, Lisbeth, a ward of the state, discovers to her shock that her guardian, Holger Palmgren (Bengt C.W. Carlsson), has suffered a debilitating stroke. She is assigned a new one, Nils Bjurman (Yorick van Wageningen), who takes immediate control of Lisbeth’s finances and blackmails her into performing sexual favors for him in exchange for money. Lisbeth eventually exacts revenge on Bjurman after he brutally rapes her. At the same time on Hedeby Island, Blomkvist methodically follows-up on every known clue on Harriet’s disappearance but when he accidentally stumbles upon a new lead, the first one in four decades, he recruits Salander in bringing the killer to justice. 

Both Fincher and Oplev’s adaptations remain faithful to Larsson’s novel but differ in subtle details. The Swedish films were originally edited from the television mini-series, with each book divided into two ninety minute episodes so the pacing is certainly better with Fincher’s version as Zaillian only had to write for one medium. Despite a lengthy 2 hour and 38 minute running time, the film remains an absorbing experience even when it does inspire déjà vu at times because Fincher actually brings something new to the table as opposed to all the other lazily cobbled-together remakes that Hollywood sees fit to release year-after-year. For one, the surreal opening credits has numerous bodies covered in an inky black liquid screaming and writhing in agony as they are entangled by an infinite number of computer cables while Karen O’s (of the indie rock band Yeah Yeah Yeahs) rendition of Led Zeppelin’s Immigrant Song blares in the background. Using his background in music video directing, Fincher sets the tone that establishes that this “Dragon Tattoo” is his film, not a simple remake. The opening is also highly reminiscent of a number of James Bond films, which is ironic considering the inclusion of Daniel Craig. The film also has more of a distinctive cinematic look compared to Oplev’s version, which can come off as too workmanlike at times, as every scene is framed with blue or sepia tint that emphasizes the literal and figurative isolation of its characters. The novel’s themes of sexual violence, corrupt authority figures, and the dark impulses of human nature often hidden by a genial façade fit into many of Fincher’s works such as 1995’s “Se7en” and 2007’s “Zodiac.” Zaillian’s script wrings every ounce of suspense and tension as the central mystery slowly unfolds but it does stumble in two key areas, one of which lies more at the fault of the source material. The revelation of who the killer is occurs at the two hour mark like in Oplev’s film and it’s a brilliant conclusion as any but there is a lengthy epilogue that serves to tie up all those pesky loose ends. Unfortunately, the condensed plotting during the last thirty minutes in Fincher’s film feel rushed and while it is not enough to derail the momentum built up, the ending is ultimately not as satisfying, even if is more faithful to the novel. To be fair though, the extended edition of “Dragon Tattoo” from Sweden ends in a similar fashion but it had the luxury of a three-hour running time, a rarity for a mainstream Hollywood production. The complicated relationship between the two leads also lacks credibility as it is never made clear as to why a girl like Lisbeth would be attracted to someone like Mikael. Nyqvist’s Mikael exhibited warmth but Craig looks too imposing and confident despite the film’s attempts to give him an unkempt appearance. Ultimately, these issues, while noticeable, aren’t enough to undermine the film and if Larsson was still alive today, I sincerely believe that he would be proud to have inspired two excellent adaptations of his novel. 

Although Daniel Craig is afforded the most screen-time, it is Rooney Mara that makes the film so compelling and it’s even more impressive considering that her career is still in its relative infancy. Comparisons between Mara and Noomi Rapace are ultimately pointless as both give memorable and intense performances that focus on different aspects of the same character. Rapace’s Lisbeth keeps her feelings close to her chest and is more emotionally fragile while Mara emphasizes her feral-like rage, like a ticking time bomb waiting to explode. Her thin frame and albino-like complexion makes Mara’s Lisbeth appear to be death incarnate and the way her hood hides her face borders on supernatural at times. There’s even a seductive quality to Lisbeth even if she defies all conventions of feminine beauty. As for Craig, he lends a sense of desperation as Blomkvist, who views the case as a way to redeem himself and restore credibility to his name but I cannot help feeling that a lesser-known actor would’ve served the role better as he looks too heroic to be a simple journalist but there’s nothing inherently wrong with his acting per se as my gripe comes down to a matter of personal preference. The supporting cast does not feature anyone as recognizable as Craig, with the exception of Stellan Skarsgård, but it is readily apparent that Fincher was very careful in choosing his actors and actresses for even the smallest of roles as all of them do an excellent job. 

Released on December 20, 2011, “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” has received critical acclaim that’s on par with Oplev’s film with 85% on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics hailed it as ‘brutal yet captivating…the result of David Fincher working at his lurid best with total role commitment from star Rooney Mara.’ Despite being backed by a massive marketing campaign and the novel’s popularity, the film has been underperforming at the box office, which may put the sequels in jeopardy but Fincher has stated at a press conference that he plans to shoot the second and third films back-to-back as they are essentially one story but as of right now, nothing has been officially announced. Having earned $32 million domestic so far, the film will make back its $90 million production budget and turn a profit once international grosses are factored in but a likely reason as to why it hasn’t being doing as well as expected is that the intended audience is for adults and unlike teenagers, they are more discerning about which films they want to pay to see. While there are some minor issues in condensing Larsson’s already-lengthy novel, David Fincher has crafted an excellent adaptation of “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” that can stand proudly alongside Oplev’s film even if it cannot entirely escape its shadow. As far as personal preference goes, I do enjoy the Swedish one more partly because it offers a more authentic viewing experience but look at it like a two-course meal. Oplev may have been the main course but Fincher is the dessert and what a delicious one it is.

Final Rating: 4.5 out of 5

“Rape, torture, fire, animals, religion…am I missing anything?”