Rooney Mara vs.
Noomi Rapace, that is the question.
There is no real way to review this movie for me without comparing the
two versions. I really love
the Swedish version, so I was a little hesitant about seeing the American
remake. However, a friend told me
that is was good, and I should see it, so I did. This is what I think; the American remake is a solid
movie, and in some cases it may be more true to the book (that’s what I was
told, though I have not finished reading it so don’t quote me on that), but it
wasn’t quite as absorbing and atmospheric to me, though perhaps it is more
linear.
The original
Swedish film has a harder edge to it.
Noomi Rapace in particular plays a much harder character than Rooney
Mara. Mara seems to be trying to
tap into Salander’s inner hidden sensitivity, while Rapace is showing us what
Lisbeth wants the world to see, a tough, hard-shelled badass. I have to admit, I prefer Rapace,
she lets us see the seething lava of anger just below the surface waiting to
explode, the result of a life filled with inequity and betrayal. Mara, on the other hand seems a little
more like a victim in her attitude (the lack of exploration about her back
story contributes to that). The
rape scene is a good example, strangely the US version is more graphic, but I
felt that Mara’s performance was more about the sexual violation, whereas
Rapace’s was more about the loss of control. A small caveat, but there you have
it, the nuances are where the Swedish version triumphs. One other small factor is the chase
scene toward the end, in the Swedish film that is a much more surreal moment,
the chase lasts quite a bit longer and the way it is filmed is much more
frightening, artistic and atmospheric, and the end of the chase much more
deliberate.
Both movies have
a very nice production value, and most of the other actors are fairly
interchangeable, though I also prefer Michael Nyqvist over Daniel Craig (which
is strange because I really, really like Daniel Craig), but Nyqvist seems more
real as a reporter. Craig looks a
little too chic, like a male model in his winter wear. Also, the Swedish movie concentrates
more on the workings at Millennium, which is key to Bloomqvist’s persona.
The other thing
that is really noticeable is Lisbeth back-story, or in the case to the US
version, the lack thereof. The
Swedish movie moves back and forth through time, flashing back to bits of
Lisbeth’s childhood and the pivotal moment that shapes her whole life. The US version mentions once in
passing, as pillow talk no less, that she set her father on fire. It doesn’t indicate at all how central
that moment is in her life. Though
the Rapace film doesn’t really give you much more information, it really gives
you a feeling of how much that action impacted her life, and the flashbacks
give you a better picture of her splintered psyche. You can see she is on the
edge of losing it at anytime, and that all that prevents that is the iron
control she keeps on her emotions.
In the end, I am
a little ambivalent about this movie, it is a good, entertaining movie, but if
you have already seen the Swedish version it will not cover any new ground. So,
in the final analysis, I will say, see it if you hate subtitles, but otherwise,
the Swedish version is the one to see.
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