Big Screen Peter: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Subtlety isn’t the calling card of Stieg Larsson’s “Millennium series.”

The first novel, re-imagined as “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” was originally titled in Swedish as “Men Who Hate Women.” That sledgehammer mentality was a consistent element throughout the three novels and was beautifully elicited in the first film adaptation by Danish director Niels Arden Oplev. So beautifully in fact, that it’s forgivable to wonder what, if anything, David Fincher could bring to the English language adaptation.

Well, Fincher somehow packs more intensity and power into 2.5 hours than one would have previously thought possible. From the trippy, special effect laden opening title sequence — think a weird S&M porno mixed with a 1980s metal music video — the movie never pauses for breath. That open throttle start, like a powerful sports car, pins you to the seat. But that gravitational pull never ceases, even as the movie morphs into third and fourth gear.

The power of the movie is directly attributable to the source material. “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” is a sordid tale that melds rapacious violence with a spine-tingling whodunit. That mixture, equal part de Sade and Dashiell Hammet, is what drives the movie. It would, however, fall flat without capable actors portraying Mikael Blomkvist and Lisbeth Salander, the dual protagonists of the series.

Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara, playing Blomkvist and Salander respectively, are a perfectly nuanced duo. Craig exudes the calm investigative charm of the Blomkvist character, equal parts wearied do-gooder and nonchalant playboy. He serves as the steady hand of the film, the bulwark against the mania of Mara’s Salander.

Though not always the focus of the story, it is, for all intents and purposes, her movie. Mara’s clipped sentences and brusque demeanor fall in lockstep with the antisocial character. The key to the Salander character, however, is the spirit of innate vulnerability hidden within the rough exterior. And with Rooney, that insecurity  jumps from the screen. She is able to emit a haunting sense of susceptible hurt while simultaneously juggling that veneer shell. And, perhaps most importantly, while also retaining a lurid sexuality.

It’s a delicate balance, particularly so in the face of the untold brutality that faces Salander. Not only in her day-to-day life as a private investigator, but as she embarks with Blomkvist to solve the decades old puzzle of a missing girl. It’s a double layer of intrigue and terror as the pair begin to shed light on the untold darkness of one small island in Sweden.

The Millennium series mines the dark shadows of society, but it never comes at the cost of our inherent humanity. It’s that exploration of the dual identities within each of us — our capacity for hate and love — that gives the story staying power. That precarious balance is expertly portrayed and puts this newest adaptation a cut above its precursor.

• The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is playing at the Carmike 14, the Malco Cinema 16 in Fort Smith, and the Malco Van Buren Cinema. Link here for time and ticket info.

“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” is for fans of Notes on a Scandal, Shutter Island, Taxi Driver, The Debt

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