By Linda Winsh-Bolard
Based on the first part of Stieg Larsson's Millennium trilogy, Män som hatar kvinnor on (Men who hate women).
Mikael Blomkvist (Michalel Nygvist) has a problem: he is a respected investigative journalist who exposed one of the most important financial tycoons in the country only to find out that he was set up when the tycoon sues him. In one sweep Mikael loses his reputation, his job and his freedom; he is learning about the difference between working for money and being a “financier”.
In a parallel development, a very rich man, Henrik Vanger( Swen-Bertil Taube), is having Mikael investigated by private firm for integrity. The task of hacking Mikael’s computer and privacy falls to Lisbeth (Noomi Rapace). Thin, punk black clad, silent and unsympathetic Lisbeth is considered the best “researcher” available. Lisbeth concedes that “every one has secrets” but declares that Mikael is clean and was set up.
Lisbeth knows about secrets, she has her own and guardian to many others. Mikael knows about secrets of others and so does Henrik.
It is not a secret that t brings them. It’s an unsolved mystery of 16 years old girl, Harriet, who vanished 40 years ago. Henrik wants to find her killer. Mikael needs the work and soon Lisbeth does as well.
This is not a thriller, even if it might be a mystery. But as genre goes, this is a psychological drama. It’s dark, often downright nasty, cold and unsympathetic, but it never becomes titillating. Many of the characters are very damaged by what was done to them, all are flawed.
Ultimately, it becomes a question of responsibility for each of the people involved. Harriet absconded from that responsibility out of fear. To protect her, so did her relative Anikka. Saving themselves, they silently allowed unbelievable evil to happen.
Lisbeth chose to punish but to keep silent about all elements: the deed, the punishment and the victim. That does not seem to set her free.
Mikael seems the least perturbed. What he finds, he airs. Always had. It’s what he does. But unlike Lisbeth, Mikael, until now, deals with evil on distance: financial ruins are devastating but mostly invisible. The victims remain unknown.
Henri did not know, and possibly because he did not know, he chose to look.
Here, when evil becomes personal, it’s the women who deal with it. Women are victimized and women fight, or do not fight, back. How realistic is Lisbeth’s character is certainly debatable (kitten with a deadly baseball bat?). Albeit the rest is real enough.
Guilt, all sorts of guilt, is prominent part of plot here. Indifference and selfishness are repulsive, yet human expectations of kindness and connection go unfulfilled. It is a dark and cold film, sadly realistic in presenting our human faults and limitations.
A great deal of the film takes part in snow and freezing landscape of desolate island. The film becomes nearly black and white during some scenes. The lighting is flat and brutal hiding no visual fault while contrasting the crystal cold beauty of coastal winter with ravaged faces of the characters.
It seems slow at points. Most films are shot and edited much slower that the brisk tempo of current Hollywood production and most audiences prefer their films that way. But the complicated, twisted, brutal plot is interesting; I could almost feel Hollywood scavengers looking for a remake. They clean it up a bit, pretty it up a bit, lose most of the connections and wonder why it not did as well as expected (Carrie Mulligan as Lisbeth? You kidding me, right?).
Go and see the original while you can. Just remember, this is not a comfortable film, nor is it suitable for young audience.
Peter Haber is Martin Vanger and Peter Andersson is the lawyer. It is always hard to play the bad men, in this film they are played greatly. Very aptly directed by Niels Arden Oplev. Written by Nikolaj Arcel and Rasmus Heisterberg.
The next part of trilogy, The Girl Who Played with Fire is already out.
