Today I went to see the Hollywood adaptation of 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo'. I finished the first part of Stieg Larsson's trilogy on Christmas day, after a recommendation by my own mother, and thought the story to be completely possessing and hard to put down. I know what people think about books-turned-into-films, but this time I do believe the moving picture lived up to the novel. Rooney Mara is perfect for the role of Lisbeth Salander, a strong yet vulnerable, researcher - 'different in every way'. She has pierced eyebrows and a Mohawk, yet her beauty is mesmerising, just as I pictured it in my head. Daniel Craig isn't quite who I had in mind for the role of Mikael Blomkvist, but of course he is a wonderful actor, whose work I have previously admired, thus making him a suitable person to play the financial journalist and publisher of the political magazine 'Millennium'. The chemistry between the two characters is certainly present, however in the film, as in the book, they are an unlikely couple and that possibly explains why their love affair appears so sudden, however there is more of a build-up in written form, which explains the relationship better.
One aspect that definitely deserves a mention is the amazing title sequence, which offers dark, powerful and tense images of modern technology as well as liquid metal and the shaping of man kind. The title sequence foreshadows that this is not a film made for easy watching, but a strong portrayal of subjects rarely talked about. This brings us to the actual film. The characters are introduced in a way where mystery is still present. The first few scenes caused me to think whether I would understand the storyline if I was an outsider who had not previously enjoyed the book and I must admit that I don't believe I would have understood the initial scenes fully. The introduction of characters had obviously been shortened, therefore making the understanding more difficult. The setting of the landscape represents this mystery as David Fincher uses dark shades and misty surroundings - my English teacher would call it pathetic fallacy... The town of Hedestad looks beautiful and secretive and Larsson obviously knew what he was talking about when choosing this to be the novel's main setting.
However, there is one scene in particular that I do not want to revisit in my head, however it seems the most memorable - the scene in which Nils Bjurman rapes Salander. Without exaggeration, this has got to be the most horrific thing my eyes have witnessed in 18 years. I am horrified and possibly traumatized at the sheer terror portrayed by Mara. Salander appears to be such a tough being, however her real vulnerability comes through as she screams and cries and kicks. The scene which follows, Salander limping home due to the pain Bjurman has caused her as well as showing her in the shower with blood running down her legs makes my eyes water and my stomach churn. I refuse to go into the detail of these scenes as my brain won't be able to cope with it but if you decide to go and watch the film - be warned. Although, I do have to add that the scene in which Salander gets her own back is equally as powerful!
(Image courtesy of Hero Worship)