Annika Wesley

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (2011)

I haven’t written about this film earlier because I’ve been busy obsessing over it.

To me it seems that there was a smear campaign on this film before it was even released. I read several separate articles suggesting that the film’s “ultra-violent” nature would be a turn-off, specifically to women. Each article echoing that sentiment strengthened the notion that it was not a female-friendly film, which could not be farther from the truth.

I myself am extremely wary of certain kinds of violence. Since I was a child I’ve been phobic about cutting, and extremely graphic, gory violence is not something I want to be desensitized to. I was very worried, going into this film, fully prepared to assume the position of nuzzling into my husband’s shoulder to break line of sight with the screen. I was so set  that there would be at least some scenes of gore, that I came very close to raging on a woman who brought her ~nine year old son. (Which I still think is abhorrent parenting because, as it was opening night, there’s no way she could have known just what objectionable content her child was about to see. He’s a child, you daffy bitch.) Upon my second viewing, there was only one part I didn’t watch: a scene where someone receives stitches.

In the cinematic scheme of things, this film is not notably violent. The tone and circumstances lends a weight and intensity to everything in the film, including the violence, thereby making it perhaps seem more violent, but it is in no way excessively graphic.

Disturbing, sure. Disturbing, especially to women? Bullshit.

The film didn’t do well at the box office. It has not won any of the awards it seemed a shoo-in for. I’ve heard complaints that the pacing was disappointing (a stance I firmly disagree with). Sometimes it seems like all this movie accomplished was launching Rooney Mara as the girl everyone wants to be/fuck.

For me, however, the film was near faultless. In fact, my only quibble is a very minor one: tattooing is not depicted realistically. This irks me so because I have yet to see a film depict it realistically, and it’s not an unreasonable expectation; it’s not difficult to find out what the actual process is like. It would not take extra effort to portray accurately, and I genuinely see no reason not to. (Another detail that I just could not buy is the idea that two women, after a night of sexing, would wake up with panties on. Nope.)

The performances, cinematography, pacing, story, credits, everything else—perfect to me. I did want the movie to end. It’s very often I find myself angry that I’m not watching the movie. 

I’ve never seen it as a remake; it’s David Fincher’s adaptation of a successful novel. I did not see the Swedish version because I wanted to familiarize myself with the story through Fincher’s lens. I had intended to see the Swedish version afterwards, but now I know that will never happen. For one, I’ve found that Noomi Rapace does not appeal to me; some people you just have an aversion to. Additionally, Fincher’s version is not only more true to the book, but it’s more true in ways that I connected with very much. There is no world where I would see the Swedish version instead of watching Fincher’s again.