Nikkitine.

Noomi did it better

Today I saw the American version of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, and I was disappointed.

The movie had a bigger budget that the original Swedish movie, and I felt like it missed the most important part, conveying Lisbeth Salander’s personality. I liked the impressive opening which foreshadows (if you’ve read the books) the entire story {although not my favorite song). I also liked that they included certain details that the Swedish counterpart did not, like Blomkvisk’s daughter and how it has her who uncovered the “codes” as biblical references. The other part of the movie that I really liked was when Lisbeth goes to the Cayman Islands disguised as a rich woman with Wennerstrom’s bank codes in order to retrieve the money and convert it into bonds in order to change the money into other accounts. I enjoyed this part more than in the Swedish version since when Lisbeth “changes” herself it is said that she is really beautiful, which the Swedish version lacked.

Now, what I really did not like was the slow pace of the movie. If it wasn’t for the fact that I already knew the story and wanted to compare versions, I would’ve been bored. In this case, the Swedish version kept a very good pace and I was never bored, on the contrary, my curiosity was kept through the entire movie. For a movie with a big budget certain characters seemed very bland, which they are not supposed to be. For example, Nils Bjurman, Lisbeth’s new guardian, is not only despicable but someone you loathe. Yes, you do hate him for physically abusing Lisbeth in the American version, however, in the Swedish version he makes your skin crawl even before abusing Lisbeth. The way Bjurman speaks to Lisbeth when first meeting her gives you an insight of his disgusting persona which I thought was lacking in the American version. In the American version even Lisbeth’s character was lacking. Lisbeth is known for having a strong character and odd sense of justice, she abhors people who are women haters and who abuse their power. At first you doubt her ability and intellect since she is an outcast but as the story evolves as you understand her motives and persona better. Even though Lisbeth’s actions tend to be cruel or villainous, you respect her because she gives her victims a taste of their own medicine. Even though the American Lisbeth does all this, the character does not feel strong and calculative like the Swedish Lisbeth. Therefore, if the character is missing that coldness, you cannot feel for her when she shows vulnerability or when you learn a little bit more about her past.

In the end, although the American version had some extra parts that where really important to the story and a budget to make really good shots, it does not compare to the Swedish version when it comes to character development. Personally, well developed characters are what make a story enthralling, not the special effects.