Tagline: What is hidden in snow comes forth in the thaw.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is a Swedish-American mystery thriller film based on the novel of the same name by Stieg Larsson. This film adaptation was directed by David Fincher and written by Steven Zaillian. Starring Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara, it tells the story of journalist Mikael Blomkvist’s (Daniel Craig) investigation to find out what happened to a woman from a wealthy family who disappeared forty years prior. He recruits the help of computer hacker Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara).
Sony Pictures Entertainment began development on the film in 2009. It took the company a few months to obtain the rights to the novel, while recruiting Zaillian and Fincher. The casting process for the lead roles was exhaustive and intense: Craig faced scheduling conflicts and a number of actresses were sought for the role of Lisbeth Salander. The script took over six months to write, which included three months of analyzing the novel.
About the Story
In Stockholm, Sweden, journalist Mikael Blomkvist, co-owner of Millennium magazine, has just lost a libel case brought against him by businessman Hans-Erik Wennerström. Meanwhile, Lisbeth Salander, a brilliant but troubled investigator and hacker, compiles an extensive background check on Blomkvist for business magnate Henrik Vanger, who has a special task for him.
In exchange for the promise of damning information about Wennerström, Blomkvist agrees to investigate the disappearance and assumed murder of Henrik’s grandniece, Harriet, 40 years ago. After moving to the Vanger family’s compound, Blomkvist uncovers a notebook containing a list of names and numbers that no one has been able to decipher.
Salander, who is under state legal guardianship due to diagnosed mental incompetency, is appointed a new guardian, lawyer Nils Bjurman, after her previous guardian has a stroke. Bjurman abuses his authority to extort sexual favors from Salander and then violently rapes her not realizing she has a hidden video camera in her bag. At their next meeting she stuns him with a Taser, anally rapes him with a dildo and marks him as a rapist with a tattoo on his chest and stomach. Using her video recording she threatens blackmail, insisting that he write a glowing progress report and allow her full control of her money.
Blomkvist’s daughter visits him and notes that the numbers from the notebook are Bible references. Blomkvist tells Vanger’s lawyer Dirch Frode that he needs help with his research, and Frode recommends Salander based on the work she did researching Blomkvist himself. Blomkvist hires Salander to further investigate the notebook’s content.
She uncovers a connection to a series of murders of young women that occurred from 1947 through 1967, with the women either being Jewish or having Biblical names; many of the Vangers are known antisemites. During the investigation, Salander and Blomkvist become lovers. Henrik’s brother Harald identifies Martin, Harriet’s brother and operational head of the Vanger empire, as a possible suspect. Salander’s research uncovers evidence that Martin and his deceased father, Gottfried, had committed the murders.
Blomkvist breaks into Martin’s house to look for more clues, but Martin catches him and prepares to kill him while listening to “Orinoco Flow” by Enya. Martin brags about having killed women for decades, but denies killing Harriet. Salander arrives, subdues Martin and saves Blomkvist. While Salander tends to Blomkvist, Martin flees. Salander, on her motorcycle, pursues Martin in his SUV. He loses control of his vehicle on an icy road and dies when it catches fire. Salander nurses Blomkvist back to health, and tells him that she tried to kill her father when she was 12.
After recovering, Blomkvist deduces that Harriet is still alive and her cousin Anita likely knows where she is. He and Salander monitor Anita, waiting for her to contact Harriet. When nothing happens, Blomkvist confronts her, correctly deducing that Anita is Harriet herself. She explains that her father and brother had sexually abused her for years, and that Martin saw her kill their father in self-defense. Her cousin Anita smuggled her out of the island and let her live under her identity. Finally free of her brother, she returns to Sweden and tearfully reunites with Henrik.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Directed by: David Fincher
Starring: Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara, Christopher Plummer, Stellan Skarsgård, Steven Berkoff, Robin Wright, Yorick van Wageningen, Joely Richardson, Joely Richardson
Screenplay by: Steven Zaillian
Production Design by: Donald Graham Burt
Cinematography by: Jeff Cronenweth
Film Editing by: Kirk Baxter, Angus Wall
Costume Design by: Trish Summerville
Set Decoration by: K.C. Fox, Erik Videgard
Art Direction by: Frida Arvidsson, Adam Davis, Linda Janson, Pernilla Olsson, Tom Reta, Patrick Rolfe, Kajsa Severin, Dawn Swiderski, Mikael Varhelyi, Steve Arnold
Music by: Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross
MPAA Rating: R for brutal violent content including rape and torture, strong sexuality, graphic nudity, and language.
Studio: Columbia Pictures
Release Date: December 20, 2011
Hits: 125
