The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Film: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2009)
Dir: Niels Arden Oplev
Rating: *** out of 5 stars



Not since Let the Right One In has a Swedish film gained so much attention States-side as The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Based on Stieg Larsson’s popular novel of the same name, the film is the first installment of the Millennium Trilogy, which also includes the sequels, The Girl Who Played with Fire and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest. The first film is a pretty good murder mystery once it gets moving, but unfortunately it is exceeded by its own hype.

In the movie, disgraced journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Michael Nyqvist) is asked by wealthy industrialist Henrik Vanger to investigate the unsolved disappearance of his teenage niece Harriet roughly 40 years ago. As Henrik nears the end of his life, he yearns to finally put an end to the mystery that has tormented him for four decades. Mikael agrees to take the case and moves into the Vanger family’s island home.

Meanwhile, an emotionally-scarred young hacker named Lisbeth Salander (Noomi Rapace) tracks Mikael out of professional and personal interest. Her prying leads her to uncover clues in the Harriet Vanger case, so she joins Mikael in his investigation. Together they open the lid on some dark family history, and as they get closer to the truth, their own lives are put in danger.

The script, written by Nikolaj Arcel and Rasmus Heisterberg, is a bit slow at first. The film really picks up once the two lead characters get together and the investigation starts to get interesting. Prior to that, there is a lot of background story provided for Lisbeth, which occupies much of the first hour. Still, the visual history makes her that much more of an intriguing character study. She carries a lot of emotional baggage, and some of her traumatic experiences explain her interest in Harriet’s disappearance. One piece of her history that is underrepresented in the film is the titular dragon tattoo, which is shown once and never addressed again. Furthermore, Lisbeth is more a sidekick than a centerpiece of the story, so why is her tattoo so important that it made the title? I suspect the novel touched on its significance, but the movie does not, which is perplexing.

Once the exciting portion gets underway, Dragon Tattoo is a pretty effective who-dun-it thriller. There are many potential suspects, misleading clues, and disturbing motives. The story involves religious fanaticism, cult rituals, and Nazis – all wrapped up in a taut, realistic murder mystery. The ending is a bit abrupt and all-too-convenient, but it is seemingly only as such because of the planned sequels. As Lisbeth, Noomi Rapace has garnered a lot of attention and deservedly so, as she is quite good. Michael Nyqvist, on the other hand, has not been quite as noticed by American audiences but he is also very good in the film.

Of course there is already an American remake of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo in the works. Fortunately, that remake will have David Fincher at the helm, so there is a very real possibility that it will be better than the Oplev’s film. Frankly, the original Dragon Tattoo is overhyped. It is an enjoyable movie, but not nearly as brilliant as some self-proclaimed art house film buffs seem to think it is. I have only seen the first installment so far, but at this point, I am more interested in seeing Fincher’s re-boot than the two Swedish sequels.

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Joint Security Area

Film: Joint Security Area (2000)
Dir: Chan-wook Park
Rating: **** out of 5 stars



Following World War II, Japan lost control of the Korean peninsula, and the country was divided between the Communist north and the Capitalist south. In the early 1950s, constant border skirmishes and raids escalated into a full-blown war. The United States came to the aid of South Korea while the Soviet Union backed the North. That war ended, but today there still exists a buffer zone between the North and the South known as the Korean demilitarized zone (DMZ) where diplomatic engagements take place.

The “Joint Security Area” or JSA refers to the only part of the DMZ where forces from each side stand face-to-face. Armed guards from each region patrol the border with mutual paranoia and distrust for their enemy neighbor. Chan-wook Park’s Joint Security Area tells the story of Korean soldiers reluctantly caught up in the conflict.

In the film, two North Korean soldiers are shot and killed in the JSA and a South Korean soldier is held as a suspect. The South claims he was kidnapped and forced to shoot his way out; the North claims he infiltrated their camp and committed murder. Swedish and Swiss officers from the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission intervene to investigate the incident and hopefully alleviate the North-South tensions before a serious conflict erupts. The investigation is led by a Swiss-Korean woman, Major Jean (Young Ae Lee), who finds evidence to suggest a possible cover-up among the survivors of the shooting.

The film opens with the investigation, and through flashbacks, slowly reveals the series of events that led up to the incident. Nothing is as it initially seemed when the story reveals an unlikely situation. The script is well-structured and moving. It brings up issues of loyalty, patriotism, and defiance. Furthermore, the film is full of fascinating historical information about the decades-long Korean conflict. World history buffs should find it very interesting.

Young Ae Lee gives a solid performance as an investigator trying to find the truth against an onslaught of lies and cover-ups. It is nice to see a Korean actress in a non-romantic role. Kang-ho Song, a staple of Chan-wook Park films, portrays a North Korean sergeant, while Byung-hun Lee plays the South Korean soldier being investigated. Both actors are great but Song has a quality about him that makes him unforgettable in every film he does. His acting often transcends a need for subtitles because his face can say so much without speaking.

To those who have ever watched a Chan-wook Park film, it should come as no surprise that the directing of Joint Security Area is tight and skillful. The visuals are not as bold or eccentric as Park’s more recent films, but such style would not be appropriate to the subject matter anyway. JSA is based on a real, ongoing Korean conflict and tells an emotional tale, so no flashiness is needed here.

While it may not be as badass as Oldboy or Thirst, the pacing is steady and the drama is intense. The scenes involving the investigation are not as tense and interesting as the flashbacks, but fortunately after the first 30 minutes, those scenes are few and far-between. Good storytelling and fine performances make JSA a breeze to watch. It is recommended viewing for fans of Park or war dramas, and world history/current events enthusiasts.

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