Cinema Notes: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

My primary criticism of Niels Arden Oplev’s original 2009 adaptation of Stieg Larsson’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo had to do with the way the film was stitched together. In the original film, the lives of two troubled souls, a brilliant hacker and an embattled journalist, intersect with a thud and then devolve into what I described as an airport novel narrative. I’ve revisited the film a few times, but my interest is mainly to do with Noomi Rapace’s astounding performance as Lisbeth Salander (the hacker), a character of genuine texture and complexity. This was my only concern when considering the possibility of an American adaptation. I even suggested that the producers re-cast Rapace in the role.

I can’t think of any filmmaker more suited to this story than David Fincher. His cold, unflinching precision is precisely what was required to really expose the darkness. The narrative is still rather salacious, at least the parts involving Nazis and devious family histories. But Fincher’s observation of the material brings everything into a more serious focus. And he achieves this clarity without compromising the story with typical Hollywood dilution.

I prefer Fincher’s methodical vision, but I would still suggest seeking out the original film. The differences between the two are fascinating, especially in the way Lisbeth is drawn. Daniel Craig makes a fine Mikael Blomkvist, but it was Rooney Mara who had the biggest leather boots to fill. Rather than imitating Rapace’s singular performance, Mara and Fincher created something entirely their own. This is a different Lisbeth, conceived more as little girl lost, hardened by her decision to survive. She has a more piercing vulnerability and is, at times, ferociously intense.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is a sexy, brutal, intelligent, and thrilling film.