The film adaptation of the first novel by the Swedish writer Stig Larson from the Milenium trilogy did not make a strong impression on the audience. Although the reviews for the movie Girl with the Dragon Tattoo were mostly favorable, the financial result was not outstanding. The story of life in northern Europe did not captivate the Americans, and even in Russia, according to the fees, the picture took only 9th place. As many noted, the director turned out to be a good detective with beautiful northern landscapes and a predictable plot.
History of creation
Producer Scott Rudin chose David Fincher as the director of the American film adaptation just a month after the premiere in the USA of a Swedish film based on the same Larson novel. Which was filmed in 2009, and went on American rental in March 2010. The director immediately identified the Girls with the Dragon Tattoo genre as a thriller / detective in the adult rental category. In order to attract a wider audience, he was going to openly enough to show the topics typical for the book: incest, torture and sexual violence.
Filming began in early autumn in Stockholm. The operator Fredrik Bakkar worked for the first three weeks, then he was replaced by Jeff Cronenvet, who had previously worked with Fincher several times. In winter, the film crew moved to Switzerland (Zurich), studio shootings took place in Los Angeles, and spring scenes were shot again in Sweden.
Main character
The writer Stig Larson said that the main characters of his books were created under the influence of the characters of the famous Astrid Lindgren. He called the main character Michael Blomkvist a relative of the resourceful Kale-detective, a boy detective from the children's books of the Swedish writer. Moreover, his full name is Karl (Calle) Mikael Blomkvist. So that detractors do not compare him with a literary character, he began to use only his middle name. By which he signed his journalistic investigations.
Hugh Grant's candidacy was initially considered for the main male role in the film. However, already in July 2010, Daniel Craig was approved, in the "Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" and the film adaptation of the next two novels of the trilogy, the Swedish journalist agreed to play. Mikael works as a journalist for the Millennium political newspaper, which investigates scandalous stories.
Hacker girl
The prototype of the protagonist Lisbeth Salander, the writer considered Peppy Long Stocking. And in the book she is also red, in contrast to the film, where she is already a brunette. As a teenager, a Swedish writer witnessed rape; the victim's name was Lisbeth. He could not help her and decided to capture the memorable image on the pages of the novel.
In August 2010, in the movie "Girl with the Dragon Tattoo," Rooney Mara got the role of Lisbeth. Prior to that, she was known only for a small episode in the film "Social Network". Many famous actresses auditioned for the main female role, some of them refused because of the insufficiently high fee, others because of the too long shooting process. In accordance with the requirements of the director, Mara in one day did a piercing wherever he was according to the script at Lisbeth (except for the nose and lips), although before that she had not even got her ears pierced. Despite a somewhat strange appearance, Salander is an excellent hacker who specializes in collecting information and works in a detective agency.
Plot
The plot of "Girls with a Dragon Tattoo" is tied to two heroes who are professionally engaged in investigations. Mikael Blumqvist was sentenced by the court to pay large monetary compensation for defamation of businessman Wennerstrom. The amount is so large that after its payment he will have to leave the Millennium magazine, of which he is a co-owner.
At the same time, Lisbeth Salander draws up a detailed dossier for a journalist commissioned by major industrialist Henrik Wanger (Christopher Plummer). He needs an honest person with experience in the investigation. As a result of processing a large amount of information, the girl concludes that Blumquist is honest and clean. Reviews of the film “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” often note that Lisbeth often acts more decisively and takes more initiative than Mikael.
Skeletons in the closet
Attorney Dirk Frude (Stephen Birkoff), invites the journalist to negotiate at a family estate in Hedestad. Henrik Wanger tells Blomqvist a story 40 years ago about the mysterious disappearance of his niece. In addition to paying for the services of a journalist to search for a murderer, in addition to a large amount of money, he offers materials on the Wennerström case, which may prove his involvement in the illegal arms trade.
Blomkvist settles in the Wagner estate and begins to get acquainted with their family archives and family members. The role of the main negative character - Martin Wagner, was given to Stellan Skarsgård, the most recognizable Swedish actor. In the 2011 film “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,” his character is guilty of raping, torturing, and killing dozens of women. Martin constantly raped his disappeared sister Harriert (Joely Richardson).
Happy ending
The investigation leads Blomkvist to the conclusion that Wagner's niece is alive. It turned out that one of the Wagner sisters, Anita, helped Harriert escape from the country and gave her her name. Henrik Wagner, having received the results of the investigation, deceives the journalist by transmitting to him when calculating the completely useless information for him about the billionaire Wennerstrom.
Then Salander breaks into the businessman’s computer, downloads materials on the illicit trade in drugs and weapons, and steals the multimillion-dollar amount of money from his accounts. Blomkvist is rehabilitated by publishing a new article in the Millennium on the criminal activities of his enemy.
Reviews and reviews
Most critics of the world wrote almost enthusiastic reviews about the movie Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Some of them even considered that the shortcomings of the picture are explained by the imperfection of the book. The British newsreel Sight & Sound also highlighted new written scenes that were not in the novel, and noted the laconic style of narration. Russian journalists also praised the picture, noting that the audience especially liked the image of a reckless and unpredictable heroine. The director managed to remove the graphomaniac details of the writer, showing exemplary scenes.
Spectators sometimes complained about the sometimes too tough and frank elements of the film, while at the same time noting a very solidly shot detective story. They also liked the most beautiful North-European landscapes, against which the picture takes place. For many, the game of Rooney Mara in "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo", a previously almost unknown actress, became a revelation. Many noted that the fearless Lisbeth in her performance made the film spectacular. For some viewers, the reincarnation of Mara - a mysterious, a little gloomy and unbalanced - became the main advantage of the picture.
In the reviews of the film “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,” some viewers also noted a well-made film adaptation with an overly correct and predictable plot. But for them it was the only virtue of the picture.