Movie Review

Click to watch the opening of the film with the immigrant song

David Fincher has managed to make something that was already great, even greater! While it is easily comparable with the Swedish version, the cinematography is even more incredible. The opening of the film- consisting of some kind of metallic evolution, with a cover of Led Zeppelin's The Immigrant Song backing it up- represents a new age for film making. It completely captivates the audience and readies them for an edgy and ruthless film. The film demonstrates a convining cynical and grungy version of reality- one that is rarely fully exposed in media. The frigid Swedish winter scene gives it a dark, almost hopeless feeling that sets the perfect tone for the film. Most book-turned-movies have a hard time filling the shoes of the personas... Whereas Rooney Mara executed her role as Lisbeth Salander. She managed to portray  the insanity, intelligence, wit, passion, sorrow, confusion and depth of her character. She demonstrates most of these qualities in one scene in particular: when she comes back for revenge on her offender, rants and raves about what she is going to do to him, what he is going to do, what will happen if he doesn't listen, and that everything he's heard about her is true- she is insane and she will kill him if he disobeys. In scenes when she indulges in sorrow, frustration and fear (particularily at the end), it really shows in her face and the audience has no choice but to feel for her. Though the movie can be confusing at times with all the dialogue and thick accents, it is impossible not to watch- it's so intruiging.

In The Girl With The Dragon Tatto, a young woman named Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara) is faced with relentless problems; welfare, sexual harrassment, lack of stability. She lives as an outcast to society, with her short black hair, ripped clothing, peircings and her trusty motorcycle. When the only man she care for is crippled, she has no choice but to go to extremes to take care of herself. As a researcher (or really good computer hacker...) she teams up with Mikael Blomkvist (Michael Nyqvist), a journalist, to uncover the murder of Harriot Vargerto- the neice of Henrick Vargerto. Together, they leave all their emotional baggage behind and discover horrific things. 

The film is for  a more mature, sophisticated audience, with an 18A rating. Some of the scenes are offensive and hard to watch- being seemingly realistic and hard-to-follow dialogue. One must watch it with open minds and their individed attention in order to fully appreciate Fincher's work. 

The film reminds us that bad things can happen. It brings light to the dark corners. Like O'brien says in George Orwell's novel '1984': "The worst thing in the world varies from individual to individual". The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo brings for most of those 'worst things'. Fincher makes his point by putting what would be the 'heros' (antagonists Lisbeth and Mikael) in degrading and shocking situations-showcasing fear. He makes every single character appear susceptible to tragic events, strong emotions and empathy- which adds to the anxiety of the film. By being able to relate and not fully detest a single character, the audience is faced with a confusing mix of emotions and really have to THINK about what they are watching in order to develop opinions. 

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo is truly a work of art; with Finchers beautiful cinematography and scenery. It is bold and honest. And as much as you will want to tear your eyes away at times, you simply cannot. The film ends on a hook, leaving you in deep thought and wanting more. Combining the perfect mixture of romance, tragedy, mystery and excitement- The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo is a very well done, sophisticated film.