"What is hidden in the snow, comes forth in the thaw."
[The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo written by Stieg Larsson]
If you've been following this blog for a while (or my tumblr) then you must know by now how important this book, and the trilogy as a whole, is to me. I bought the books over a year ago, but didn't read them until I saw the Swedish films. The stories were so carefully and meticulously crafted, and every bit of it was precise, unconventional, and the darkest dark. But the reason why I loved it so much was because of Lisbeth Salander. I was smitten with the character, and when I finished the books a month after seeing the films, it only made my obsession even more intense.
When I first found out that Hollywood was remaking the Swedish films, I was angry about it. Upon seeing the cast, I was even more upset. Daniel Craig as Mikael Blokmvist? Really? And who was this Rooney Mara cast as my precious Lisbeth? Those who know me well, know that Lisbeth's character is special and sentimental to me. I couldn't stand the risk of Lisbeth being handled without the proper care and sensitivity to nurture her character, with all her flaws, and pain, and strength, and memories.
With that being said, I saw the film last night, and it blew me away.
I won't say whether I liked this film better than the original, because its not all that simple. The rape scene was much more disturbing in the new film, but Lisbeth's revenge in the Swedish film is still so much more powerful. For the most part, the stories were very similar. The older one seemed much more wordy, which maybe felt excessive at first, but it certainly helped fill your mind with visuals that the newer version didn't supply, making certain revelations in the story not as surprising. There were other minor differences, and both films ended on a bittersweet note. But the 2011 film broke my heart into pieces.
[Noomi Rapace (top) and Rooney Mara (bottom) as Lisbeth Salander.]
I have no complaints about Mara's execution of Lisbeth Salander. It was unbelievably haunting. I won't be picking a favorite Lisbeth, though. In the original, she was much more secretive, cunning, and socially despondent. In the newer film, she is even more disturbed and demented. I will admit that I enjoyed the styling of Lisbeth in the 2011 adaption much, much better. But the actual dragon tattoo in the Swedish film was a haunting scar throughout the entirety of the film (and trilogy, as well).
[Noomi Rapace and Michael Nyqvist (top), and Rooney Mara and Daniel Craig (bottom)
as Lisbeth Salander and Mikael Blomkvist]
The biggest difference among the two films was the relationship between Salander and Blomkvist. In the Swedish film, Blomkvist seems more intrigued in Salander than she is in him, but the exact opposite could be said about the 2011 film. I remember whispering to my friend, "This Lisbeth has a heart!" Lisbeth is selfish, cold, mean, removed, unpleasant, even. She walks in and out of Mikael's life (and anyone's) as she pleases. However, in the newer adaption, you see a side of Lisbeth that you never see in the books or the Swedish films. You see that under her damaged, abrasive nature, rage, insanity, undestroyed strength, and cold-heartedness, even Lisbeth Salander can feel both love and the hurt that comes with it.
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, 2011
Directed by David Fincher
(photos from official film website)
mkp.
