Post by Eddie Love on May 2, 2010 17:52:17 GMT -5
There's been great media hype about the curious case of the Swedish writer Steig Larsson. An acclaimed investigative journalist, he went after blue-collar criminals and neo-Nazis alike in his home country. After his untimely death in his 40s, it was discovered he'd' left behind at least three complete manuscripts. These novels published in installments as The Millennium Trilogy were sensations across Europe and eventually here in the states. Indeed, fanatical readers paid hundreds of dollars to order the final novel from overseas prior to it's publication here. Film versions of all three books have been hugely popular across the continent. An Americanized version of the first novel is in the works. Nevertheless, the first of the original versions has opened here in the states and the later ones are due later this year.
TGWTDT introduces us to the two main characters. "Kalle" Blomkvist is a reporter with a CV not unlike the author's. The title character -- and the principal reason these books have become so popular -- is Lisbeth Salander. She's a mysterious and emotionally damaged outlaw who's a genius at computer-hacking and research. She eventually comes to the aid of the newly disgraced Kalle as he hunts for the killer of a young woman who vanished 40 years before. The trail leads to some grisly findings. But first, Lisbeth most contend with the guardian forced on her by the state, who lives up to the novel and film's original title -- Men Who Hate Women. The scenes between these two are tough to read, but are really brutal on screen. (I cautioned one particularly sensitive friend to stay away.)
Having read the novel, I was impressed by the filmmakers' recreation of the characters and locations. The atmosphere is terrific and authentic. The manner in which they use old photographs to make clear past events is very effective. They also keep the almost comically over-populated slate of suspects from the book, manageably depicted. The larger themes of the book are neatly expressed as well. Having said that, knowing the outcome of the story made the film's nearly three-hour running time a bit taxing. (Luckily the adaptation isn't completely faithful, as the last five minutes in the film equal 100+ pages of the book.)
What works best in the film is the star turn by Noomi Repace as Lisbeth. She's an extraordinarily compelling presence. When she's on screen, you're mesmerized. On the page, the character is fascinating, but at times unbelievable. Repace brings her to life. Necessarily, this fact makes the other half of the film a bit of a drag. The other lead character Kalle, has had a lot of his edges taken off, specifically his prodigious womanizing, to make him more likable. He is that, but also less interesting.
So, would I recommend someone:
a) see the film
b) read the novel
c) rent the film
d) wait for the US remake
I guess I'd say e) read the novel and rent the film in that order. It's a dense book, but also a compulsively readable one. I tore through it and the follow-up -- largely because they were due to return to the library, but still enjoyed both thoroughly. (But the first is better.) However, once you've seen the film, I doubt you'll be able to read the books without picturing Rapace, and I always find those kinds of considerations a distraction. (I'll see if that's the case with the final novel.) And ultimately, I'm not sure how newcomers to the material would respond to the film. It's very long, and while there's eventually Silence of the Lamb style thrills, there's also a lot of time spent with the characters that isn't very dramatically insightful, but interesting if you know the source material. (There are also unresolved details left for the next film.)
Who knows how the Americanized version will wind up. Word is Pitt or Depp for Kalle and Kristen Stewart or my guess Ellen Page as Lisbeth. (Nathalie Portman would be ideal, but may now be too old.) Although for a US remake, it'll be hard to work around the strange Swedish libel laws and the curious manner by which an adult woman can be the ward of an anonymous non-relation and entirely at their mercy.
TGWTDT introduces us to the two main characters. "Kalle" Blomkvist is a reporter with a CV not unlike the author's. The title character -- and the principal reason these books have become so popular -- is Lisbeth Salander. She's a mysterious and emotionally damaged outlaw who's a genius at computer-hacking and research. She eventually comes to the aid of the newly disgraced Kalle as he hunts for the killer of a young woman who vanished 40 years before. The trail leads to some grisly findings. But first, Lisbeth most contend with the guardian forced on her by the state, who lives up to the novel and film's original title -- Men Who Hate Women. The scenes between these two are tough to read, but are really brutal on screen. (I cautioned one particularly sensitive friend to stay away.)
Having read the novel, I was impressed by the filmmakers' recreation of the characters and locations. The atmosphere is terrific and authentic. The manner in which they use old photographs to make clear past events is very effective. They also keep the almost comically over-populated slate of suspects from the book, manageably depicted. The larger themes of the book are neatly expressed as well. Having said that, knowing the outcome of the story made the film's nearly three-hour running time a bit taxing. (Luckily the adaptation isn't completely faithful, as the last five minutes in the film equal 100+ pages of the book.)
What works best in the film is the star turn by Noomi Repace as Lisbeth. She's an extraordinarily compelling presence. When she's on screen, you're mesmerized. On the page, the character is fascinating, but at times unbelievable. Repace brings her to life. Necessarily, this fact makes the other half of the film a bit of a drag. The other lead character Kalle, has had a lot of his edges taken off, specifically his prodigious womanizing, to make him more likable. He is that, but also less interesting.
So, would I recommend someone:
a) see the film
b) read the novel
c) rent the film
d) wait for the US remake
I guess I'd say e) read the novel and rent the film in that order. It's a dense book, but also a compulsively readable one. I tore through it and the follow-up -- largely because they were due to return to the library, but still enjoyed both thoroughly. (But the first is better.) However, once you've seen the film, I doubt you'll be able to read the books without picturing Rapace, and I always find those kinds of considerations a distraction. (I'll see if that's the case with the final novel.) And ultimately, I'm not sure how newcomers to the material would respond to the film. It's very long, and while there's eventually Silence of the Lamb style thrills, there's also a lot of time spent with the characters that isn't very dramatically insightful, but interesting if you know the source material. (There are also unresolved details left for the next film.)
Who knows how the Americanized version will wind up. Word is Pitt or Depp for Kalle and Kristen Stewart or my guess Ellen Page as Lisbeth. (Nathalie Portman would be ideal, but may now be too old.) Although for a US remake, it'll be hard to work around the strange Swedish libel laws and the curious manner by which an adult woman can be the ward of an anonymous non-relation and entirely at their mercy.