FILM: The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (English Version)

When I heard the Swedish film adaptation of the literary phenomenon Millennium trilogy was to be remade by Hollywood, I was slightly narked. If you've seen Män Som Hatar Kvinnor (2009) I think you'd agree that the film is almost untouchable in its gritty, darkly disturbing interpretation of the story. I assumed the worst - that Hollywood, in its ongoing attempt to meet the widest possible target audience, would tone down and misinterpret a narrative which is best effective because of its inherent dark projection of humanity. But, of course, when the uncreative desperation of the industry grasps a successful, pre-sold (and therefore less risky), story, it is not going to pass on a chance to
adapt, adapt, adapt. $$$

I was peeved with the arrogance that a Hollywood studio thought it could do better than the exceptional Swedish original. This has happened before, with another Scandinavian success Låt den rätte komma in (2008) - A.K.A Let The Right One In - replaced with Let Me In (2010). I felt a sense of snooty disapproval, an erratic instinct to defend the gritty indie film against the monolithic mainstream machinations of Hollywood.

I was also proved wrong. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (2011) is certified 18 in the UK, and accordingly packed with the same horrific, edgy darkness which epitomises the Millennium series. I didn't think Noomi Repace's performance of the androgynous and intriguing Lisbeth Salander could have been equalled, but the unassuming Rooney Mara launches into the role with an air of enigma and indignance for which she should be commended. I was also pleased by the master-stroke casting of Daniel Craig as the everyman protagonist Mikael Blomkvist; he brings an understated charisma to the role which was not quite met by the Swedish actor (Michael Nyqvist), whose character to me was eclipsed entirely by Swedish Salander.

Rapace and Nyqvist

Mara and Craig

Both films are fittingly shot with blueish-grey tinting, creating the grizzly, decaying, uncleansed feel which the narrative possesses. This is best shown through Tumblr's 'Movie Barcodes', which condenses every single shot from the films into a single bar code, pictured:

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo Swedish Version, condensed.

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo English Version, condensed.

So, what to conclude? The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (which is, conveniently, released on DVD on Monday) should not, despite the inevitability, be compared with its Swedish counterpart. They should be viewed as distinctly separate pieces , because I can't decide which I like more.