Monday 16 July 2012

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

The book cover.
I watched this film a little while ago and I've been meaning to do a review since then. I've been putting it off because I thought it would be difficult to write about, as I wasn't really sure what I thought or what my reaction to it even was. However, giving myself some time to think has been good because, unlike some films that I thought I loved at the time I watched them, this one hasn't stuck with me or been particuarly memorable. The hype surrounding The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo series has been intense, with Stieg Larsson's Millennium trilogy, a Swedish adaptation of the whole series and of course Hollywood had to have a go at it as well, making a second film out of the first book in 2011(directed by David Fincher.) I've read the first book and seen the Swedish film and although I enjoyed both well enough I'm not planning to read/watch any of the sequels that are available. Why?

I don't think they're very good. This may be a really unpopular opinion but I'll explain what I mean. Although the book was gripping while I was reading it that doesn't make it a good book. It's easy to confuse page-turning with good writing but that only means the author is talented at keeping your attention. I know I read this somewhere recently but I honestly can't remember where! If I accidentally stole it from your blog please let me know but whoever said it is a genius because they pinned down the feeling I've been having a lot about many popular (and too long) book series. Attention: Twilight, 50 Shades, The Hunger Games. None are exactly great works of literature but we just can't stop reading/blogging/tweeting about them. It's like the foods we know are bad for us but they're so laced with high fructose corn syrup that once we've had a bite our brains just want more and more - like an addiction. Some of the best books ever written are short, concise and perfectly happy to be put down, or read a few chapters at a time. It's only recently that the best praise a book can be given is that it's "unputdownable."  

Returning to The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo; I also thought it was much too long and complicated and I didn't find the ending satisfying at all. I know this is because they want the reader to go on and buy the next one but this always infuriates me because it's so blatant and really spoils the experience of reading it. I think it also wasn't edited harshly enough beacuse sometimes there were literally pages of: Then he did this, then he had a sandwich, then he made some coffee, then he sat at his computer. It's just unnecessary. Obviously, the film didn't have this problem as it had been cut down to a far more manageable length, but I still didn't feel that it was completely right. It's really hard to explain, but sometimes it just felt a bit off-key. The best analogy I can think of is a painting with slightly odd perspective. It's something you can't put your finger on but it doesn't quite work. That was the feeling I got while watching it. There was also the fact that, as this is such a huge franchise, I didn't totally believe in the characters. I've seen posters and trailers for the books and films all over the place in the last few years. At one point every other person on a train or a flight seemed to be reading one or other of the books. And this sense of collective immersion in someone's fictional world can be amazing, or the commercialisation of it can ruin the story  and instead constantly remind you that it's not real, the people are invented and the plot is fiction and above all: people want you to read it so they can make money. For me this is one of the most frustrating things on the planet. My favourite part of reading something is imagining the characters walking around somewhere, their lives really existing. I couldn't do that with Lisbeth Salander's face staring down at me from the side of every bus, every tube stop and escalator.
 
The original Swedish film.
The Swedish film was made in 2009 and is also known as Män som hatar kvinnor which translates literally as Men Who Hate Women. I think this is a more powerful title but would have worked better for a stand-alone film rather than an adaptation as part of a trilogy. It's rated 18 which is definitely appropriate as there are some very disturbing scenes. The film stars Michael Nyqvist as Mikael Blomkvist, an investigative journalist and the driving force in the plot. However Noomi Rapace as Lisbeth Salander is a far more interesting character and for much of the film the main source of intrigue is uncovering her secretive past. She looks so unusual and unlike any female actress I've seen in a film before. She probably couldn't be less conventionally feminine in any way and her refreshingly different way of looking at the world was my favourite thing about the movie. The director Niels Arden Oplev tackles the big subjects in the book including violence, power and corruption but not all of the themes are explored as much as they could be and the impact is watered down a bit.

The 2011 adaptation.
Obviously, it's common knowledge that the film is violent, but even after reading the book I didn't feel quite prepared for some of the scenes. The rape scenes especially were really graphic and I watched them from behind a cushion. I don't think it was the actual rape that scared me, because it was pretty much impossible to forget that it was all fictional, but the way it was filmed made it look so real that I was more worried for the actress than for the character. I have no idea how they managed to film it and make it so convincing without it being a totally horrible experience for everyone involved. I'm probably not who The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo is aimed at but, without even seeing the Rooney Mara/Daniel Craig version I know I prefer this one to it. Looking at the promotional images, it seems that they've made it very sexualised and more glamourous. Lisbeth looks like a Bond-girl type sidekick and I'm pretty sure I would spend the whole movie moaning about how much I don't like it. If you've seen this version and loved it, please tell me I'm wrong - I don't want to hate it.

Anyway, this review is already way too long, and reading it back it's mainly just me ranting about the book. So I'm going to leave it now as I don't feel like rewriting this whole post into a proper film review. Please leave a comment and let me know what you think of the book, or either of the films. In one sentence I would describe The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo as: a gritty crime thriller, with a point to make about the issues of being powerless. I think I'm giving it 3 stars - what do you think?
Thanks for reading,
Jessica xoxo

14 comments:

  1. i definitely know how you feel... it's a little sad, but once a lot of people are reading a book, it turns me off it. i'd much rather discuss it with just a group of friends.

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    1. I totally agree and yes it is a bit aha but nevermind! There is probably one notable exception though.. Harry Potter. :D

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  2. I also have just read the 1st book, and really enjoyed it! I do still want to read the other 2 though- I agree, they're not literature, but it is good at what it does: keep you interested and is a (in my opinion) a pleasurable read :)
    I also whizzed by all 3 Hunger Games- definitely not literature, but fun :P (The movie did it a lot of justice too, I thought)

    I have yet to see both the Swedish and Hollywood version of the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I feel I'll have the same reaction as you to the American version...
    Really good review!

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    1. Yeah, that's how I would describe it too. I was pretty hooked while reading it, it was when I finished it that my reaction was negative! Thank you - I hope you enjoy the films.

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  3. I was curious about this book and film...I never found interest in them. I keep debating whether or not I should give them a go...I've been getting a lot of mixed reviews about it haha

    <3 Sharmaine Ruth
    underpeachtrees.blogspot.com

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    1. It may not be worth it if you're already not that interested :/ Then again you might find you can't put it down! x

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  4. Wow you are so right. I always wondered why I liked/kept reading Twlight and the Hunger Games, when I knew they weren't really that great. Its because they are ADDICTIVE page turners like you said. The rape scene was particularly hard for me to watch and I didn't feel all that prepared either. I have only seen the Swedish version and don't know if I will try and watch the Hollywood version. Great review!

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    1. Thanks - like I said, I read it somewhere and suddenly it all made sense haha! Thanks for your comment - nice to know it wasn't just me.

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  5. I have wanted to see this movie. Although I do want to add some color to her wardrobe!

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    1. Yep - same here! Although her style does suit the type of film, ie dark and depressing :)

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  6. I never got the chance to see this or read the novel. I'm not a big thriller person though xx
    - Boho Vanity -

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    1. Thanks for commenting. Yeah I'm normally not either - unless it's an especially good one xo

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  7. I haven't read the book, but my sis didn't care for it.. which in turn made me not care to see the movie. I'm glad to read that it may have been the right choice!

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    1. You might enjoy it, I'd feel bad for putting you off - it's just my opinion haha xx

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Thank you for your comments - they make me smile and I promise to try and answer them all :)