The Millennium Trilogy: Sex, Death, IKEA
In 2011, David Fincher released The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, based on the first novel in Stieg Larsson’s Millennium Trilogy. Fincher’s follow-up to The Social Network boasted an A-list cast, stellar soundtrack, and top-notch visuals. While the film went on to make more than $200 million and won an Oscar, some felt it didn’t perform as well as it could have.
Why the ho-hum reception? One reason could be that audiences had seen it all before, and recently. In 2009, production company Yellow Bird released a Swedish-language version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. But Yellow Bird didn’t stop there. While American audiences are still waiting for the rest of the series, Yellow Bird released three movies based on all three books in the Millennium Trilogy. All three movies are worth your time. (Spoilers after the cut.)
A Caution
A word of warning: these movies are not for the squeamish. There’s a brutal, graphic rape scene in the first movie that also functions as a plot point throughout the rest of the series. The scene is very uncomfortable to watch and also necessary to the plot. While they never show the rest of the scene in subsequent movies, it comes up in flashbacks; there’s no escaping it. The films also feature some unpleasantly violent scenes, but the rape scene is the worst. Be aware.
The Plot best viewed in the daytime
The scene adds to our understanding of the trilogy’s main character, Lisbeth Salander (Noomi Rapace). In the first movie, Lisbeth is working for a security company, who instruct her to look into the background of journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Michael Nyqvist). As Salander struggles to regain her independence after being declared legally incompetent, Blomkvist is dealing with his own issues. He’s just been convicted of libel, and has a few months to go before beginning a prison sentence. During that time, he’s hired by an eccentric businessman, who wants Blomkvist to find the killer of his niece.
The first film, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, introduces the characters and establishes their relationships. It’s a tight, self-contained story, with plenty of plot twists. It’s also an orgin story; the characters’ back stories develop and unfold over the next two movies: The Girl who Played with Fire and The Girl who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest. Movies two and three feel like one extended film. Once the major players are introduced, the second and third movies drag them through hell. As The Girl who Played with Fire opens, Blomkvist is free from prison. Salander returns to Sweden after running off with a batch of stolen money. Once she returns; however, all hell breaks loose for her. Blomkvist’s magazine begins an investigation into a trafficking network, bringing the attention of both hitmen and shady government officials. Salander is blamed for several murders, and only Blomkvist can clear her name.
The intricate storylines
There’s plenty to unpack over the films’ combined more than seven hours of screen time. This series isn’t one you can watch out of the corner of your eye, glancing at your smartphone. It requires total concentration, not only to the subtitles, but also to the details. Plot details come fast and furious. Lines of dialog that might not seem important are brought back later in the series. Every action is important, and the series does well to unpack and unfold the story as important plot points are needed. Little foreshadowing events happen in the first movie that aren’t fully explained until later and that’s okay. The series rewards diligent viewers with a dense, layered story of good ultimately triumphing over evil. The ending of the third film contains several immensely satisfying justice scenes.
Nieminens, Jonassons, and Bjurmans
As I said before, the devil’s in the details with the Millennium Trilogy. This can be both a blessing and a curse. I loved watching a nail-biting foreign film. Learning about the intricacies of Swedish day-to-day life was fascinating. Who knew journalists has so much power in Sweden that they were feared? Or that Sweden had tons of both female police officers and judges? Gender representation in this series was amazing.
This can also make the film confusing, especially if you have no prior knowledge of Sweden or its cities. Characters jump from city to city, and the myriad of different place and character names can be overwhelming. However, by the end good triumphs over evil and the audience is left with a deeper understanding of all the characters and their motivations. WHile David Fincher waits for the green light on his series, fans of the books can already watch a masterful interpretation of them.
Also there are totally montage scenes where Lisbeth Salader assembles her new IKEA furniture. That alone makes the series worthwhile.
The Millennium Trilogy tl;drs
Quick summary: based on Stieg Larsson’s three books (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl who Played with Fire, and The Girl who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest, The Millennium Trilogy tells the story of journalist Mikael Blomkvist and computer hacker Lisbeth Salander. Although they don’t know each other at first, they’re drawn into a world of death, mayhem and shadowy organizations at the highest levels of Swedish government.
Too many writers? While the three movies all featured different writers, the continuity between the cast makes the movie feel more unified than other trilogies.
Recommended if you like: Film noir, foreign-language movies that grab you by the ears and don’t let go.
Better than I expected? Each movie was like an intense gut-punch, and the trilogy as a whole is perfect for watching over a weekend.
Worse than I hoped? The plot’s intricacies can sometimes cause little details to become lost. This is not a movie series for watching out of the corner of your eye with your cell phone in one hand. Prepare for nearly 9 hours of total concentration.
Should it be rebooted? I suppose Sony could go ahead with their plans for the U.S. sequels, but what would be the point?
Verdict: Keep a puppy on standby, because you’re going to need a hug after this movie marathon.
Related Reading: Wiki article
