With writer Stieg Larsson’s posthumously released ‘Millennium Series’ trilogy occupying a place on the New York Times bestseller list and the second film in the trilogy, The Girl Who Played With Fire, is set for a July 9, 2010 release, American awareness of this Swedish brand is growing. It will grow even faster with the Hollywood remake planned for the first part of the trilogy, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. What better time to take a second look at the initial Swedish film based on the first part of the trilogy, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, set for release on DVD on Tuesday July 6, 2010.
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo Plot Analysis
Though aimed at the upper crust of Swedish society, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo relates well the world over, as it is an indictment of every patriarchic culture struggling to overcome a hidden history of corruption and violent sexual domination. Well-meaning societies may now look to make reparations but usually fall short. Those in power cannot possibly understand the historical trauma when those making amends are of the same stock as those who have always been on top. In this film, the role of the ineffectual takes the form of disgraced journalist Mikael Blomkvist, whose career has been a successful flushing of corruption that has enacted little lasting societal changes. The role of the redeemer therefore falls to the repeatedly victimized, tattooed social outsider Lisbeth Salander whose life has provided the violent groundwork necessary for coldhearted revenge.
Brutal in its depiction of violent crimes and retribution, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo is not for the squeamish or impressionable. The film’s graphic nature is actually almost a shame; it nearly overshadows the plot of a well-paced thriller, engaging from start to finish. The characters have the nerve-endings of their lives exposed raw and the historical sweep of the story is well framed. For those capable of getting past the graphic depictions in the film, the story is a highly satisfying, beautifully shot piece of cinema.
Conclusions
The only questionable aspect of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo is why Hollywood needs to remake the film. Perhaps to appease those who do not wish to read subtitles, but really, the original film is of the highest production standards. The acting is first rate, in particular Noomi Rapace, a revelation as Lisbeth Salander with her mixture of sexuality, determination and hint of vulnerability, she should become an International star. As the hype over the trilogy grows, rent this film before the sequel, The Girl Who Played With Fire, sweeps across the cinematic landscape or Hollywood puts its stamp on the movement. Admittedly, it may not be for everyone, but for those able to get past the graphic depictions and subtitles, this original The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo is the perfect introduction to a growing cultural phenomenon.
Other July 6, 2010 DVD releases include Colin Firth’s magnificent turn as a grieving, repressed homosexual man in Tom Ford’s stylized, debut take on Los Angeles in 1962, A Single Man and the crime drama Brooklyn’s Finest starring Richard Gere, Ethan Hawke and Don Cheadle.
Gregory Dew - Greg is a freelance writer with a Bachelors of Art in Journalism from The Ohio State University. He has been writing about the arts and ...
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