Culturess
Fansided

25 book adaptations that surprisingly lived up to the books they’re based on

By Amanda Mullen

From left to right: Natalie Dormer (“Cressida,” left) and Jennifer Lawrence (“Katniss Everdeen,” right) star in Lionsgate Home Entertainment’s THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY PART 2.. Photo Credit: Murray Close/Lionsgate
From left to right: Natalie Dormer (“Cressida,” left) and Jennifer Lawrence (“Katniss Everdeen,” right) star in Lionsgate Home Entertainment’s THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY PART 2.. Photo Credit: Murray Close/Lionsgate /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
5 of 25
Next

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

Stieg Larsson’s The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo is a complex thriller that deals with some hard-hitting topics along the way. It follows two unlikable characters whom fans can’t help but eventually fall for, and it doesn’t hold back when it comes to brutal realities. These two characters, Lisbeth Salander and Mikael Blomkvist, are asked to investigate the disappearance of a young girl from a wealthy family, despite Lisbeth’s intimidating exterior and Mikael’s libel conviction.

And though Sony’s 2011 adaptation of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo was never turned into a series, it certainly captures all of the components of Larsson’s story that fans cherish. For starters, the film’s casting is spot on, especially when it comes to the two main characters. Rooney Mara’s interpretation of Lisbeth Salander showcases her talents as an actress, managing to portray Salander’s traumatic past, icy exterior, and genius as a hacker. And Daniel Craig, of course, perfectly portrays the charming but problematic Blomkvist.

In addition to its spot-on interpretation of Larsson’s characters, the 2011 film also handles The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo’s complexity well, impressively unraveling the mystery presented by the author without worrying about runtime. The film somehow manages to include all of the important plot points and subplots without sacrificing quality.

The movie adaptation also refuses to gloss over the difficult subject of sexual assault that’s recurrently addressed in the novel. Though the instances of sexual assault that crop up throughout the story are difficult to watch or hear about, the filmmakers make sure to walk the line between being gratuitous and passing over the subject, doing their best to make viewers sad and angry for the victims, just as readers are while reading Larsson’s novels.

Home/Books