Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Swedish vs US version?

[Susan]

I just saw the US version yesterday. I liked the actors and the acting was fine, but in some places it seemed rushed, and the ending was not clear at all (regarding Harriet). Any thoughts?

[I. J. Parker]

I read the book.  Films and TV shows will always end up feeling rushed, I think.  I hear good things about the movie, but won't go to see it.  I didn't much like the book.

[Susan]

I read the book. Swedish version did NOT feel rushed to me. US version did. And certain scenes were much less effective IMO in the US version. That said, the US version got excellent reviews for the most part.

[J. E. Seymour]

I didn't like the book either.  Too much gratuitous sex and violence.  And I have a high tolerance for sex and violence. 

[Susan]

I agree that there was a lot of sex and violence, but I don't think it was gratuitous. The author was making a point: there's a lot of violence against women in society today. Just read the headlines. He wasn't glorifying it; he was getting in your face with it, which needs to be done sometimes, to make people aware of it. Only awareness, and a willingness to do something about it, will end it.

[Robert Christopher]

Without those scenes it doesn't develop the character of lisbeth.

I didn't find it gratuitious; but everyone's tolerance is different. 

To me you can't go halfway. If you are going to tell this kind of story you have to go all the way or not at all. 

The swedish version is much better. I liked the actors; especially noomi. And it had the feel of a movie that would have been made in America in the 1990's when movies like JFK, Silence of the Lambs, 8MM, Sev7en were in theaters. 

An example of gratuitous sex and violence would be the horror re-make of "I Spit on your Grave."

 

[EDWARD C MORGAN]

Admittedly, I have not read the books, but intend to when I get through my current list.

I watched the Swedish version (all three in the trilogy), and we saw the American version on Christmas evening. I liked both very much, but I do think I prefer the Swedish version a bit more.

[Christopher Valen]

I read all three books and saw the three Swedish versions, as well as the Hollywood version. Noomi Rapace was fabulous as Lisbeth Salander in the Swedish films, though Rooney Mara was very good in the Hollywood version as well. I did like Daniel Craig better in the role of Mikael Blomkvist, but it's really splitting hairs. Both films follow the book closely, although the Hollywood version makes a slight change that doesn't alter the ending. If you liked the book, you can't go wrong with either film version.

For what it's worth I thought The Girl Who Played With Fire was the best of the three books, and the best of the Swedish movies.

[Susan]

Interesting, Christopher. I saw only the first Swedish film. I read the first 2 books, haven't read the third. I too liked Daniel Craig better than actor in Swedish film (1st one). The slightly altered ending I thought was less effective. But that's just me. Here again, I thought they did it to save time.

[Jack Getze]

I haven't seen the Hollywood version and don't intend to. I've read the book and watched the excellent Swedish film, so why do it all again? I'm all about story, and that's why I liked the two books I read -- Girl Who Played With Fire being the best (thumbs up, Chris). The writing wasn't impressive, and sometimes bored me to death with long statistical passages, but Lizbeth is a wonderfully fascinating character. Steigs' best creation.

[Robert Christopher]

Yeah, I was totally into the first one. And very rarely does the 2nd film live up to the first, but I was pleasntly surprised to find that the 2nd movie topped the first. So I agree "The Girl Who Played With Fire" was the best of the swedish films. \m/

[Susan]

I enjoyed the first 2 books about equally. Really MUST read the 3rd one. And perhaps I'll try watching the Swedish versions of Books 2 and 3. Never got to see them.

[C.S. Miller]

Have not seen the Hollywood version, but was thoroughly engrossed in the Swedish trilogy. Acting was great. Thought it was extremely well done. Can't imagine that it can be equaled by the Tinsel Town version. 

 

C.S. Miller