The American version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is a gripping enough thriller. Maybe not such a great date movie, though, what with all the rape and mutilation going on.
The Swedish title of the book the film is based on, translated to English, is Men Who Hate Women, which seems like a very apt moniker given the content.
Rooney Mara stars as Lisbeth Salander, the titular “girl” who has had a rough life. Gifted with a photographic memory and cursed with poor social skills, her research abilities catch the eye of investigative reporter Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig), who enlists her to help him solve the mystery surrounding a serial murderer of women.
Poor Lisbeth seems to spend half the movie naked, sometimes by her choice, sometimes not. A film major will probably tell you Salander’s constant nudity is symbolic of her vulnerability, but eventually you wonder whether you’re truly watching a symbolic drama, or an exploitation film. Sure, she eventually exacts revenge upon her aggressors and chooses to love her admirers; but then, so did Foxy Brown.
One of the biggest complaints I’ve heard amongst die-hard fans of the book concerns why they (Hollywood) felt the need to make an American film in the first place. Although I’ve never seen them, many say the original Swedish series of films based on the books are well done, and hardly warranted a remake. It seems North Americans are so adverse to subtitles, they’ll reshoot an entire film just to avoid dubbing.
That said, if you can get past all of the horror and the blending of sex and brutal violence, the film holds its own as a gripping mystery. The opening sequence is especially mesmerizing, mostly due to a gnarly cover of The Immigrant Song by Trent Reznor and Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.
Expect to see Mara nominated for an Oscar, which really won’t help the whole “Get naked, get nominated” problem actresses face in Hollywood. Thing is, Mara really does play a great character in this film. One has to wonder...would a nomination be awarded because of her acting? Because of the nudity? Or, and I tend to side with the following, because Mara is portraying a woman who is not the cookie-cutter type you usually see in Hollywood films? With her piercings, baggy clothes, boyish frame, and stand-offish attitude, Lisbeth Salander is a welcome breath of fresh air from the banal roles normally doled out for women in today’s mainstream.
Variety is the spice of life, and women have been struggling for a long time for more diversification in both our fictions and our reality. Salander is just one more archetype we can add to a growing list of female characters it’s “ok” to portray in a leading role. Now if only Mara could accomplish this without having to take all of her clothes off. THAT would be progress.