Forty years ago Harriet Vanger (Ewa Fröling) went missing. Her family has been unable to locate her or find any connection to what may have happened to her. Her uncle, Henrik Vanger (Sven-Bertil Taube), however, feels that what happened to Harriet is more than just a disappearance, but a murder, and even worse, he believes that someone in the family is responsible. Now, after reporter Mikael Blomkvist (Michael Nykvist) has been sentenced to jail time for a crime he didn’t commit, Vanger provides him the opportunity to do some final reporting before his sentence begins. Eventually joined by eccentric reporter Lisbeth Salander (Noomi Rapace), Blomkvist will do whatever he can to uncover the truth about Harriet. Based on Stieg Larsson’s novel of the same name, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is a story of redemption and revenge unlike anything you’ve seen before.
Plagued with rape, gore, and other savage acts, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is not for the faint of heart. Lisbeth lives a difficult life and is subjected to a number of uncomfortable situations that sometimes force viewers to avert their eyes. While causing those viewers to look away can sometimes reflect poorly on a film, the reality is that the horrific things that take place throughout The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo happen in the real world and are very much a part of the development of Lisbeth and those around her. The 2009 Swedish film, based on some research (having not read the book myself), appears to adhere to the general mood and tone of the novel, as well as doing a good job of accurately depicting what takes place in the reading. This is both a testament to Larsson and the writers of the film, Nikolaj Arcel and Rasmus Heisterberg. The writing as a whole feels fluid and complete, leaving little to be desired in terms of contention and consistency.
Camera work seems integral to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo more than it does in other films. There is so much to be discovered by the viewer that the directing means everything at certain points throughout the film. While the camera often catches everything that it means to, there are moments, typically during the more horrific scenes of the film, that the camera bounces around so wildly that it becomes difficult to both see what is taking place and/or understand what the director is trying to tell the audience. From extreme closeups to long shots and high angle to low angle shots, the point of view changes so rapidly that much is lost in the process, even dizzying viewers throughout the course of these scenes. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, with the help of director of cinematography, Eric Kress, manages to capture nearly every expression, every subtle nuance, but, for some reason, during these graphic moments, during the times when emotion seems like it might be of the utmost importance, the shots determined best are of almost no use whatsoever. This does appear to be the one hiccup present throughout The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and while it is a major hiccup, it certainly doesn’t sink the film.
Something that the camera allows viewers to see is just how good the acting is throughout The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Actors like Nyqvist and Taube are brilliant in their depiction of their characters, but Rapace is the shining star of the film. There doesn’t ever seem to be a moment where she fails to meet or exceed expectations, bringing to life a troubled, but incredible woman, capable of both driving the film forward and bettering those around her. It feels as if every time Rapace is on screen she is pulling viewers further and further into the story. The simplicity of her facial expressions, the stern emotion present in her voice, and literally everything in between allows her to show the world just how talented she is, as well as bring success to director Niels Arden Oplev’s adaptation of the novel.
Gruesome images such as rape, murder, and the like can have a way of appealing to viewers for number of reasons--psychologically speaking this could take some time to fully explain. While there is some obvious ambiguity toward those scenes, they play a pivotal role in attracting viewers, moving the story along, and ultimately bringing to life the darkness that lies within the film’s protagonist, Lisbeth. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo manages to combine terror, torture, love, loss ,and very literally everything in between to create a story that appeals to audiences (even those apposed to its darker themes). With great suspense, truly unpredictable twists and turns, and a narrative that makes viewers really think about the content, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is a thriller like no other, and it guarantees hours of entertainment.
Directed by Niels Arden Oplev.
Written by Nikolaj Arcel, Rasmus Heisterberg & Stieg Larsson.
Starring Michael Nyqvist, Noomi Rapace, Lena Endre, Sven-Bertil Taube, Peter Haber, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/10
Comentários