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Damaged Hacker as Unlikely Victor in The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
Swedish thriller reaches the Big Apple
Noomi Rapace as Lisbeth Salander
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo has traveled the distance from Sweden to electrify New Yorkers. The film is based on the first of a trilogy of books written by Stieg Larsson titled Millennium. The premise does not stray far from what American audiences are accustomed to in terms of the crime-suspense genre. Journalist, Mikael Blomvist (Michael Nyqvist), has been unjustly convicted of libel and will be sent to jail in a few months’ time when Henrik Vanger (Sven-Bertil Taube), patriarch of the rich and powerful Vanger family, propositions him for an assignment before he is to serve his sentence. Mikael’s assignment is to investigate the disappearance of Henrik’s niece, Harriett, who went missing 40 years ago at the age of sixteen. Henrik is not only convinced that she was murdered, but is suspicious that the killer may be an avarice-stricken family member. The plot parallel’s Michaels story with Lisbeth Salander (Noomi Rapace), an emotionally volatile hacker that Vanger hired to research Michael’s personal affairs in order to confirm his trustworthiness. Lisbeth continues to hack into Michael’s computer even after he relocates to the beautiful yet gloomy island that is home to most of the Vanger’s and the site of Harriet’s disappearance in order to aid Henrik in his search. Lisbeth’s interest in the case grows and she finds herself unable to resist assisting Michael. She soon joins him on the island where the two of them begin to unravel the mystery around Harriet’s death.
The Swedish title, Man som hatar kvinnor, literally translates to “Men Who Hate Women.” The role in which this title plays in is quickly no mystery. Lisbeth is the victim of brutal sexual abuse as well as a poisonous past tainted with misogyny.
The title presents itself through different ways within the film and soon becomes a central theme. This subject is not just a statement, but also a key component in discovering who Lisbeth is and what motivates the characters. The film is an accomplished balancing act. On the one hand it is thrilling, containing all of the necessary elements: guns, sex, car chases, Nazi ties and suspenseful twists, but on the other it is an exploration of character. It’s ascetics are both stylized and real, using lighting and camera to accentuate the dark nature of the film without creating a look that should be reserved for Hollywood studios. The film has more to offer than most that find themselves in the thriller genre; it manages to develop a connection between character and audience. Whether it is for the suspense or to see the ‘girl with the dragon tattoo’ develop into an unlikely heroine, this film is both fun and satisfying.