The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 5/8/10 at 1:09am

I think there was a thread about this book/film but the search function didn't bring up anything, as usual. Anywhoo....I just got back from seeing the film and I have mixed feelings. First off, I never read the book so I have no prior knowledge of the story. The main plot was interesting, although it was WAY too slow of a build up with no real detective work. It was kinda like they read something and BAM, they knew what else to look for. Nothing was explained at all. Also, I have NO IDEA why they included Lizabeth's side plot when it had no correlation to any other part of the film.

**SPOILER**

The rape scene, bj scene, and revenge scene was WAY over the top and had no purpose to the overall plot. It was like the writer said, "let's add this to shock the audience." Lizabeth's whole side plot slowed the movie down and should have been left out

**END SPOILER**


I give this film 2.5 out of 5 stars

[JerseyGirl2]

Posted: 5/8/10 at 1:14am

I just bought the book. I am going to read it when I get to Sweden.

[sabrelady]

Posted: 5/8/10 at 1:49am

Having read the 2nd book- the whole story w her "guardianship" becomes very crucial. He figures as a fairly prominent point in Lisbeth's life/childhood- something that is hinted @ w the scenes of the child throwing the carton with the gasoline ( NOT seen in the 1st book) echo'd w the death scene in the movie. (also NOT in the 1st book).
The rape scene has caused a lot of discussion- many feeling it was too graphic, detailed " OTT" even mysogynist in its detail. I find myself feeling that it is a fairly accurate depiction of the books action and as much of the writer's point( here and in other work) was the abuses and suffering of the females of our species ( the actual Swedish title translates to Men Who Hate Women) I have to let it pass.

I actually liked in the 2nd booksthose long shots of the snow and the slow build- they actually did cut out/ condense several characters and relationships . The little sub story of the financier and the money is slightly important in the 2nd book.
There is one thing that is bothering me...


****************S P O I L E R****************************



Lisbeth leaves Kalle in the film. They go their seperate ways.
No harm no foul. In the book- she actually develops feelings for him and is truly distraught when he is unaware and goes back to his previous philandering relationship (briefly glimpsed in photos in the movie.) This causes her to break all ties w him and that lack of communication is crucial in the 2nd book. I bought the 3rd book on line from Britain and am saving it for my trip to Israel but the few chapters I have permited myself to taste show that a lot of this book deals with the growth of Lisbeth as a person- so WHY the heck does she not communicate w him in the films? How they can write this is beyond my ken.
****************E N D S P O I L E R******************


Oh I liked the movie and do not what Hollywood to get their grubby paws on the material. I can't think of a "name" actress who would go the lengths this girl did.

[StockardFan]

Posted: 5/8/10 at 9:29am

The rape scene etc. is absolutely crucial to the rest of the story. I'm on the third and last in the series now. If you know the whole story it's a big part of the whole story. A lot more happens after the first book.

[kelzama]

Posted: 5/8/10 at 10:36am

I found Salandar the far more compelling character. The book would've been a true page-turner if only it were 200 pages shorter.

[frogs_fan85]

Posted: 5/8/10 at 10:58am

StockardFan is absolutely right. The rape and guardianship story line is essential to the other books. The third book was fantastic. I'm glad I ordered it from Amazon UK six months ago, so I didn't have to wait until the end of this month to get it here in the US.

[StockardFan]

Posted: 5/8/10 at 11:39am

My mom bought the 3rd one in Ireland last time she was there. I'm reading it now. I'm having a hard time getting into it, but I have a feeling it's one of those that all of a sudden I'll get to a part where I can't put it down.

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 5/8/10 at 12:16pm

Oh okay. It might be crucial to the books but in the film, it just seemed SOOOO out of place and stopped the movie cold. I don't know if it should have been treated better so it didn't seem like another movie that happened to make it's way into this one.

[StockardFan]

Posted: 5/8/10 at 4:05pm

Was this the foreign one with subtitles? That may have had something to do with it? But yeah, it becomes one of the central factors in the next two books.

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 5/8/10 at 5:41pm

yeah, it's the foreign one. Although the subtitles had nothing to do with it's awkwardness. Like dude is researching the disappearance and, all of sudden, the girl goes to her gaudarian and asks for money.....gives a bj....and back to guy searching for missing girl. It would have worked better as a flashback

[sabrelady]

Posted: 5/8/10 at 6:45pm

They are two seperate stories/ lives that converge. Lisbeth comes to like Kalle for his convictions as she discovers when she is first researching him. I admit the scene where she 1st contacts him w the computer was a bit foggy but reading the book made it easier to get the connection. Then she becomes part of Kalle's story, the investigation of the mystery. When that is solved she disengages ( in the movie) and goes back to her research but this time "for" Kalle. The rest of the the story is really about her.

[kelzama]

Posted: 5/10/10 at 10:44am

"kalle" is used as a mocking insult. The character's name is Mikael Blomkvist.

[sabrelady]

Posted: 5/10/10 at 4:57pm

You are , of course, correct . It is used as joke but the scene @ the end of book 2 when Salander looks up to see him and say "Kalle f*cking Blomkvist" made me laugh and I keep thinking of him that way now. Maybe by the end of book 3 I'll se him again as Mikael.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 5/10/10 at 5:19pm

I've read the first two books and seen the first two Swedish films (unfortunately, an American version of the first book is in the works). I thought the films were quite good and the adaptations for the screen worked. It's not like I thought they wouldn't be truncated, so I was curious to see what they would invlude, change or leave out and I thought they made appropriate cuts for the most part. The only thing I felt left out that was absolutely crucial was the end of the first film. sabrelady is absolutely correct about Lisbeth's attitude towards Mikael being so vitally important to her lack of communication with him in the second.

Can I just say that the girl playing Lisbeth is simply perfect? She is pretty much exactly how I pictured the character. I sort of see her as the new Franka Portente (who is more than deserving of an Oscar-winning script by now).

And yes, the rather abrupt change in viewpoint and tone mirrors the structure of the novel. The juxtaposition of the very different worlds of Mikael and Lisbeth happening simultaneously, yet ultimately linked. When reading the book, I was a bit confused for a while what the two stories would even have to do with each other and then suddenly, they were thrown together and I couldn't put it down. It's sad that we'll never get the intended four additional novels of the series.

[StockardFan]

Posted: 5/10/10 at 5:31pm

I'm having such a hard time getting into this third one.