The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Swedish with English subtitles
Director Niels Arden Oplev
In cinemas 26 December 2009
Cast: Noomi Rapace, Michael Nyqvist, Lena Endre, Sven-Bertil Taube
Censor's rating: R16 violence, sexual violence & offensive language

The film’s screenplay is based on the first novel (Men who Hate Women) in the award-winning and best-selling Millennium trilogy by Swedish author Stieg Larsson. The series has sold over 21 million copies worldwide and THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO has been in NZ’s top 10 best selling fiction books since January 2008.

In the film, three lives converge, as the mystery of the disappearance of a 16 year old girl forty years earlier is unravelled.

Harriet Vanger, a member of the influential and powerful Vanger family is a suspected victim of murder and her Great-Uncle Henrik Vanger wants the mystery solved. Her body was never found, yet her uncle is convinced it was murder and that the killer is a member of his own tightly knit but dysfunctional family.

Mikael Blomqvist, a disgraced investigative journalist, is about to face a jail term after libeling a financier (an apparent set up where Blomqvist is the unfortunate victim). Henrik Vanger approaches Blomqvist to solve the mystery of his niece’s disappearance. He offers Blomqvist a generous salary, at a time when he has lost everything, including his reputation, with the condition that he lives on the private island where the rest of the Vanger clan reside. He is given access to the family, under the guise he is writing a family history, Harriet’s diary, containing clues to her killer’s identity, and the Vanger empire’s files.

Lisbeth Salander, a professional computer hacker, goth and disturbed and violent young woman is our third central character. Her tale is dark and sinister, and her desire for vengeance for crimes against her, drives her motivation to help Blomqvist find the killer. She is a paroled youth offender, and under watchful eye by her repellent Parole Officer.

This is an engrossing and terrifying tale, and the clues keep everyone guessing. As the history and details of the Vanger family members unfold, the story takes sinister and disturbing turns. Both Blomqvist and Salander are emotionally invested in finding out what happened to Harriet, and as they get closer to identifying the killer, their own lives are put in danger.

There is much to be shocked by in this film, not in the least the sexual violence against women, and the abuse of power by those with influence.

Saying that, the story is one of victory over adversity, the forcefulness of the human spirit, and the fight or flight instinct in us all. Go see it!

By Angela Hayes