On Fincher's Version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

In 2005 Stieg Larsson's book The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was published. Within six years there have been two feature films made of Larsson's book. The first in 2009 directed by Neils Arden Oplev and the second released this year and directed by David Fincher. This proliferation of the same story has resulted in a unusual situation in that both feature films have told the same story and at the same time both been completely enthralling. Fincher's narrative differs little from Oplev, yet Fincher's mise-en-scene is sharper, colder, more stylish and overall more appropriate to this brutal story. The cast is impressive as are their performances, yet as in Oplev's film the role of Lisbeth, this time played by Rooney Mara, stands out for its complicated portrayal of the young woman living on the edges of society. Dragon Tattoo was the first in Larsson's Millennium trilogy. Oplev's second and third adaptations were less well received than the first. It remains to be seen whether Fincher will tackle the other stories and if so, how he will adapt them.