The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Review

Posted by Jeremy Wilson on 12.29.2011

David Fincher's take on the Stieg Larsson bestseller has finally arrived in theaters. Was it worth the wait? 411's Jeremy Wilson checks in with his full review!

Directed by: David Fincher
Written by: Steven Zaillian
Based on the novel, Män som hatar kvinnor by: Steig Larsson

Mikael Blomkivst: Daniel Craig
Lisbeth Salander: Rooney Mara
Henrik Vanger: Christopher Plummer
Martin Vanger: Stellan Skarsgård
Erika Berger: Robin Wright
Dirch Frode: Steven Berkoff
Nils Bjurman: Yorick van Wageningen
Anita Vanger: Joely Richardson
Dragan Armansky: Goran Visnjic
Detective Morrell: Donald Sumpter

Rated R for brutal violent content including rape and torture, strong sexuality, graphic nudity, and language.
Running Time: 158 minutes



Adaptations are always tricky. Whether they be taken directly from literature or from earlier cinematic versions (or both), there are always people who cringe at the thought of another Hollywood cash grab diluting or ruining a beloved novel or foreign film. This was the case when Hollywood decided to release an American version of the beloved Swedish horror classic, Let The Right One In, a film beloved by film buffs and fanboys around the world. And while Matt Reeves' take on the film – Let Me In – was a fairly strong film in its own right, there was still a sense on audiences' part of “Was that really necessary?” The answer in that case was ultimately no; Reeves didn't expand on the original or do anything that eclipsed that first film's power and horror. The same cannot be said for the newest Swedish-to-American remake, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, a new version of a Swedish film that came out about two years ago and was widely acclaimed in its own right. This time, however, the new version – the David Fincher version – not only justifies its own existence, but overtakes its predecessor with a bracing pace, a haunting and bold visual style and ultimately chilling take on the depths of evil to be found in human nature.

For those who have not read the massively popular bestselling novel by Swedish author Stieg Larsson, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo tells the story of Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig), a Swedish journalist who finds himself in legal trouble after he is set up into running a bogus story on a powerful businessman. Forced to step away from Millenium, the magazine he helped create, Blomkivst finds himself summoned to remote Hedestad, where aging business magnate Henrik Vanger (Christopher Plummer) and his family live. Henrik offers Mikael a job and much needed financial assitance; all he wants is for Mikael to attempt to uncover the truth about who murdered his great-niece Harriet over 40 years ago. The Vanger patriarch is convinced that one of his family members killed the girl and has been taunting him through the decades since, sending him pressed flowers every year for his birthday just like the girl used to do. Bloomkvist then embarks on an investigation into that fateful day on the island, diving into the details of the crime and timeline, as well as the lives and motives of the Vanger clan (some of whom happen to be unpleasant Nazis). In the process of all of this, Mikael requests a research assistant; Dirch Frode – Henrik's right-hand man – suggests the young lady who did the background investigation on Mikael for the elder Vanger. Thus, Mikael comes into contact with Lisbeth Salander; Mikael convinces her by asking her to help him “catch a killer of women.” The two then go about trying to uncover the truth surrounding the events of that day, how it relates to a series of killings across Sweden – and whether the killer is after them.

The first distinction between Fincher's film and it's cinematic predecessor and original source material is a tempo that relentlessly flies. Even at over two and a half hours, the film never feels busy or muddled. There is a lot of backstory and exposition to get through and Fincher and screenwriter Steven Zaillian obviously don't want to get bogged down. One of the issues with the novel is that – while it could be bracingly exciting for stretches – it does drag more often than it should. The beginning of Steig Larssson's novel, in particular, is something of a chore to get through. It basically takes about 300 pages to get to “the good stuff” and Fincher absolutely flies through that part. The original Swedish film is better at pacing than the novel, but also takes a more methodical, slower approach than Fincher's film that can still feel a bit choppy at times. To be fair, that film is hurt by being cut down from a mini-series/TV movie to feature-film length, which may explain some of the seeming choppiness. Fincher and Zaillian ultimately do a great job of distilling Larsson's somewhat convoluted story to its essence and have crafted an exciting murder mystery. There are some noticeable changes for viewers familiar with the material, but they seem fitting and don't drastically alter the main thrust of the tale. Characters still matter, but at its heart The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is still a pulpy serial-killer mystery. Fincher's film focuses on the investigation more than on Blomkvist or even Salander and I think that helps add a tension that may get lost if you slow it down too much. This is Fincher's third serial-killer film and each are different in their own way. However, as Fincher has aged and improved in his craft, that sense of danger has gotten a bit crisper. In The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, the sense that every clue leading to another is vital because of some unseen, lurking threat (that doesn't feel fake or contrived) is perhaps the film's best characteristic, one that shows why adult mysteries and thrillers can work so well on the big screen. It also shows that no one is better at filming it than David Fincher.

The other noticeable difference between the original and Fincher's film is the obvious difference in budget and talent behind the camera. We see this right off the bat as the opening credits sequence – featuring a Karen O cover of Led Zeppelin's “Immigrant Song” – is absolutely mesmerizing with an evocative and sinister gothic take that is essentially divorced from the rest of the film but still manages to capture the spirit of the story you are about to watch. It brought to mind a more brooding, dangerous Bond intro; Craig himself stated “Those opening credits definitely give us food for thought in terms of the next Bond.” In fact, the score from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross is just as good here as it was with The Social Network. It's different; never dull or depressing, it manages to be haunting and stark without overpowering the action at any point. At this point in his career, Fincher has become something of a master with his own visual style and we see it throughout The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Fincher and cinematographer Jeff Cronenweth do an outstanding job giving us haunting and atmospheric shots of Scandinavian winters (shooting in Sweden is a big help here) – the long drive up to the Vanger estate is a memorable one – and claustrophobic interiors (think the climax which I won't spoil here) that really add to the ambiance and tone of it all, helping it rise from B-level pulp to a gorgeous first-rate feature film.

Daniel Craig is solid as central character Mikael Blomkivst, the “detective” of the story. Fincher and Craig are smart to slightly alter Blomkvist; gone is the hemming and hawing of the book, where the disgraced journalist is slow to come around on Henrik's offer and even slower to get momentum on the investigation. Gone also is a certain undercurrent of romanticism portrayed by Michael Nyqvist in the Swedish original. Craig's Blomkivst is a professional; Nyqvist's a romantic. Craig tones down the 007 and displays a curiosity as Blomkvist that invokes a sort of 21st century Sherlock Holmes...or Watson depending on who you believe inhabits what role in this story. It isn't necessarily a better or worse performance, but I think Fincher's confidence – and by its very nature his style – seep down into this film's Blomkivst and Salander. Both seem more assured and confident here, determined and focused – whereas in the Swedish, it feels like Nyqvist and Rapace are more insecure in their own skin and within the context of the story. Whether this is better or worse will depend on the individual viewer. If truth be told, I think this newer version and set of performances is probably the stronger of the two cinematic treatments, but again, that may be a matter of personal taste.

Mikael Blomkvist may be the central character of book and film and Daniel Craig may be the big “star” of the production, but anyone who has read the book, or watched either film knows who, in fact, is the most interesting character in the series. Rooney Mara blows it out of the water with her total transformation into the character of Lisbeth Salander, the cyberpunk hacker who seemingly is constantly straddling the line between sane and insane. Salander is a fascinating character, one that actually rises above Larsson's writing. Larsson was an able storyteller but crude writer; his Salander is arguably his greatest creation. Salander is a victim, a woman-child struggling to break out and be free, but everytime she thinks she's ahead of the game, a curveball is thrown to force her to adapt and sometimes face consequences that are hard to imagine for most. Fincher and Mara's Salander is different from the novel and the character played by Noomi Rapace. Here, she is sexual and sexually attractive, even in a get-up that manages to hide it well. The flashes of anger and terrible vengeance are still there (her revenge on Bjurman is thrillingly shot even for those who know it is coming), but Mara seemingly tones down the goth loner and plays up the genius in the character. In the novel, she was not sexual and wasn't presented as such. She was smart – a genius at some things – but was outmaneuvered at times and continually victimized, forcing her to grow and mature outside the parameters of “normal” society. She was never fully confident in herself except for her work investigating and in relation to technology. We had a better sense of her past and some of the details helped us understand the character's complex and challenging nature and actions. In the book, when she later offers herself to Blomkvist, it is not out of love or a need for closeness, but a way to take back what had been forcefully taken from her (having been raped). In both instances, it is in the context of comforting Mikael after he is shot at; here though, Mara is presented in a much more sexual nature, more attractive and confident, while Mikael is the one left unsure. The end of the film presents a slightly different Lisbeth and something of an inverse in how the two leave their relationship standing. Time will tell which version audiences and harcore “Millennium” fans prefer.

One of the aspects of the film that was hailed before shooting even began was the seemingly impeccable casting. Christopher Plummer was a universally beloved choice as the elder Vanger, as was Stellan Skarsgård as the current Vanger Corp. CEO, Martin Vanger. The rest of the cast – including Joely Richardson and Robin Wright – are strong. Richardson, in particular, gives a balanced, careful performance which the audience picks up on without really knowing why. Not to give away the ending to those who don't know, but Fincher's take is rather ingenious and streamlined, sparing us a trip to Australia, that in the book felt a bit out of place even if it worked in the context of Larsson's story. What worked in Larsson's book, however, wouldn't have worked as well on film in my opinion. The epilogue in Fincher's version does feel a bit tacked on, a separate entity from the rest of his film, but then again, that was much the case in the novel. Fincher does bring it home in an interesting way – different from but still a nod to the source material – as we are left with something of an inconclusive shot and a feeling that falls somewhere below complete satisfaction. Fincher is good at that though; this is unsettling material with unsavory characters and consequences that extend beyond this story for our two main characters. It is open-ended and flexible enough to allow for sequels (of which there are two), but can also serve as a haunting end note if this were to be the end of the American version of the series (or even the end of Fincher's involvement).

There are interesting issues raised by Larsson's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo that are seemingly helped by seeing it all on screen. There is a tendency in the novel to go a bit too far in describing the violence and rape that occur to multiple women, most notably Lisbeth Salander. There is always an uneasy feeling that what is meant as showcasing the horrible nature and evil in violence against women – the original Swedish title of the novel translates to “Men Who Hate Women” – flies to close to that imaginary border that separates it from exploitation. I think Fincher does a really masterful job of showing all the evil of, and discomfort in watching, rape, without veering into queasy and hypocritical exploitation. Make no mistake, the rape scenes are horrible and graphic, but feel perfectly balanced and never feel exploitative or even sexual/erotic in nature. Last House on the Left and I Spit On Your Grave this is not (and that is a GOOD thing). Fincher does change the sexuality of Salander's character but not to a point that drastically alters the character; where Larsson played her as an asexual, almost childish girl, Mara is more of a sexual being, a fully realized and more confident woman. It is not the most realistic portrayal of rape ever shown or attempted (part of the issue with Larsson's trilogy), but within the context of a murder-mystery/revenge thriller (or whatever you want to call it), it certainly adds a layer you don't see often in mainstream film-making.

Atmosphere and immersion are what is best about Fincher's work here and Larsson's “Millennium” trilogy as a whole. That is really what they are all about; sure, the mystery and story in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is a compelling (if a bit dense) and entertaining one, especially for those yet to experience it. But it is that feeling of loneliness and isolation in the harsh Swedish winter that really adds something to this film. It is also why Fincher feels like the perfect director to take this material on. This is now Fincher's third serial-killer film and perhaps his most polished to date. I don't know if it's his best and it doesn't feel like he's trying to reinvent the wheel here, but this film serves as a reminder (as if we needed it) of how good Fincher is at this sort of thing. It is a testament to his skill that I have a hard time imagining anyone else more suited at turning this into a major film and I have a harder time believing the material could be done any better than this. Ultimately, this is what adaptations are supposed to look like.


Jeremy Wilson can be reached at [e-mail] and on Twitter @Jpwilson1984

The 411: David Fincher has done it again as he returns with another great serial-killer thriller to join his resume alongside Se7en and Zodiac. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is an exciting and well-executed thriller that manages to not only serve as a faithful adaptation of the Stieg Larsson novel and original Swedish film, but, in fact, improves upon them in some ways. Fincher increases the pace here as the film absolutely flies through its 2:40 running time (until perhaps the very end), but also never feels rushed. The Swedish winter and dangerous search for the truth is evocatively shot and is helped by another great score from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. Along with Fincher's great work, Rooney Mara's total transformation and breakout performance as Lisbeth Salander is a star-making turn that will not doubt launch her into Hollywood stardom. Mara more than justifies her casting as the avenging Salander, and the character and her performance is the biggest reason why there would be continued interest in two more of these “Millennium” films. The rest of the cast is very solid, especially Craig, Plummer, Richardson and Skarsgård, the later three seemingly perfectly cast in their respective roles. This is not necessarily the kind of heart-warming holiday film you and your family may want to sit through at this time of the year, but it is a compelling and exciting adult thriller that does seem hard to come by these days. Therefore, if you want a change of pace from the holiday and family slate of films, you should definitely check it out. Recommended.

Final Score:  9.0   [  Amazing ]