The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo 8 Differences Between The Swedish Original & The American Remake
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo: 8 Differences Between The Swedish Original & The American Remake
Contents
From different titles to dissimilar performances, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’s Swedish and American adaptations are fairly different.
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The first installment in Steig Larrson’s book series, Millennium, titled The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, was released posthumously in 2005. Just 4 years later, filmmaker Niels Arden Oplev capitalized on the roaring success of Larrson’s novels, releasing an adaptation of the first novel in 2009.
While the Swedish filmmakers went on to release two sequels in the same year, it was two years later when popular American filmmaker, David Fincher, released an English language adaptation, also titled The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. The two adaptations bear hefty similarities; however, these similarities do not prevent each version from existing as a distinctive adaptation of the complex story, as each movie has its own unique visual and thematic elements.
Title Sequences
The title sequence for 2009’s Dragon Tattoo features a series of mostly still images, related to the plot of the film, displayed on the screen. The 2011 version, on the other hand, included an opening title sequence that has 3D, moving images that loosely relate to the movie.
What is immediately apparent in a comparison of the two title sequences, is that the 2011 movie, while not an example of one of the best American remakes of a foreign film, is impressively more stylized than the Swedish version. This Dragon Tattoo title sequence opts for flowing, complex graphics compared to the still, oil painting-like images of the original. This speaks to the modern feel of the 2011 version, despite being released just two years after the first.
Portrayal Of Mikael Blomkvist
One of the most noticeable differences between the two versions is each leading actor’s portrayal of Mikael Blomkvist. Michael Nyqvist of the Swedish version portrays an arguably less involved version of the character in comparison to Daniel Craig’s portrayal of a character who is out for revenge against those who wronged him.
As one of Daniel Craig’s best roles to date, his portrayal of Blomkvist sees him collaborating with Lisbeth Salander, with her assisting him in uncovering the truth around the complex mystery. In the Swedish adaptation, however, Nyqvist’s version of Blomkvist is one that assists Salander in a less involved way as she does the bulk of the work. The main difference is that Craig’s version discovers Harriet’s whereabouts, whereas it is not Nyqvist’s version that uncovers the mystery, it is Salander.
Faithful Adaptation Of The Book
Considering the fact that both movies are based on the same novel, it is appropriate to analyze which adaptation is more faithful. While one could argue the Swedish language and actors used in the 2009 adaptation make the version inherently more faithful, it could be raised as a counterpoint that the American adaption is in fact closer to the plot of the novel.
In the final scene of the 2009 movie, Salander sees Blomkvist happy with Erika, then steals money from Wennerström and jets off to a sunny island, assuming a new identity. In the American adaptation, Salander steals Wennerström’s money, and the movie ends with her about to give a gift to Blomkvist until she sees him happy with Erika. This may be a slight change but it alters the ending for Salander entirely, as it is a sadder one in the 2011 movie, akin to the ending of the novel.
Dissimilar Cinematography
It may be a subtle difference, but the cinematographers of each adaptation of the original Millenium novel performed their work in dissimilar ways from one another. The cinematographer of the 2009 version, Eric Kress, took a subtle approach to his work, shooting the movie almost like a TV show. In comparison, the American version is utterly more cinematic.
The 2011 version of Dragon Tattoo is undoubtedly an example of a movie with great cinematography, with cinematographer Jeff Cronenweth being nominated for an Academy Award for his work. The explosion scene features the camera panning slowly around Salander as she stands before the flames, gun in her hand, her dark clothing contrasting with the bright flames. It adorns the movie with a more cinematic feel in comparison to the arguably lackluster depiction of the same scene in the Swedish version.
Reveal Of Harriet
A major aspect of the plot of each movie (and the book they are based on) is the mystery of the vanishing Harriet Vanger. In the 2009 version, it is uncovered by Lisbeth that Harriet adopted her cousin Anita’s name, and lives in Australia. In the 2011 adaptation, the reveal is the same, however, Anita was a character that previously made an appearance, who lived in London.
While it is evident that these reveals are inherently similar, it speaks to the sensibilities of filmmaker David Fincher that he chose to include a scene with Anita near the beginning of the film to add more weight to the reveal. It was successful, as the reveal that Anita is Harriet is one of the best plot twists in Fincher’s movies.
Lisbeth Backstory
The backstory of the character of Lisbeth Salander is one that is shrouded in mystery in all iterations of the story. A significant event in her past that provides insight into her current living conditions is what happened to her father. In the 2009 version, it is specifically shown in a flashback scene that she douses him in petrol and burns him alive.
In the 2011 adaptation of Dragon Tattoo, Lisbeth simply tells Mikael, unprompted, that she killed her father in a matter-of-fact way. This is a drastic difference from the 2009 version where it is clearly an event that the filmmakers intend to explore in upcoming sequels, something the American version will likely never have the opportunity to explore.
The Death Of The Villain
The concluding action sequence of each adaptation plays out fairly different in terms of character motivation. In 2009’s Dragon Tattoo, Martin Vanger is revealed as the killer of multiple people and abuser of Harriet and is chased by Lisbeth until he swerves off the road and dies in the flames that engulf the vehicle, as Lisbeth chooses not to help.
In comparison to this, the 2011 version sees Rooney Mara as Salander (in an underrated performance) chasing Vanger until he crashes, and despite indicating that she will kill him, Martin dies in an explosion before she has the chance to get to him. This utterly changes the characterization of Lisbeth from the 2009 version, as it is never revealed whether or not she would actually go through with committing the act, unlike the Swedish version.
Portrayal Of Lisbeth Salander
The character arc of Lisbeth Salander is arguably the most engaging aspect of the original The Girl with The Dragon Tattoo novel, with each actor that portrayed the computer hacker, Noomi Rapace, and Rooney Mara, receiving multiple award nominations for their respective portrayals of her.
The characters have different appearances, with Rapace’s version being ultimately more flashy than Mara’s version, with a bigger back tattoo and more gothic clothing. These contrasting appearances also speak to their different personalities, which is best indicated in the scenes where Salander is ambushed in a subway station. In the Swedish adaptation, she is attacked by multiple people, gaining the upper hand by brandishing a bottle against them. The 2011 movie, on the other hand, sees her attacked by one person, managing to evade them after a struggle. Rapace’s performance is arguably bolder than Mara’s, who is more subdued.
Link Source : https://screenrant.com/girl-dragon-tattoo-differences-swedish-original-american-remake/
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