The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo/Millenium

(Millenium)

I finally had the chance to watch the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo the other night and I'm giving it a Yay!

I keep on being told that the novel is incredible, etc. but I’ll just stick to the films for now I think (also, you might or might not know that the film is currently being remade by Hollywood with Daniel Craig and it should be out next year)

What did I like about the film? Well, I gave it a Yay! Didn’t I?

I really liked the slow pace of the whole thing – more than 2 hrs to cover the story is very comfortable and I don’t know what it is about Swedish scenery that makes me feel all peaceful (watch Wallander, especially the ones with my dear Mr Brannagh and you’ll get what I mean). I liked that it was very quiet between the few violent scenes, which made them stand out even more. I also liked that the main male character is not the best looking guy on the planet and that Noomi Rapace, who plays Lisbeth, is about 100 times prettier in real life than in the film. Which is definitely something most Hollywood actors wouldn’t consider in a life time.

You may know that The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is the adaptation of the novel by the same name (in English). The original Swedish novel “Män som hatar kvinnor” which means Men Who Hate Women was somewhat translated slightly better in French by Les Hommes qui n'aimaient pas les femmes – Men Who Didn’t Like Women. I say slightly because the word is “hate” not “didn’t like”.  But the French film title is Millenium. Why, you might ask? Because the book is the first volume of a “Millenium trilogy”.

Once again, the French did not anticipate that there would be sequels (despite the obvious fact that there are 3 things in a trilogy and another couple of books published too). 

The second volume “Flickan som lekte med elden” apparently means “The Girl Who Played with Fire" – so well done English translator. French one? “La Fille qui rêvait d'un bidon d'essence et d'une allumette” (aka “The girl who dreamt of a gas can and a match"). That is a bit too long for me. “La fille qui jouait avec le feu” does work and means the same thing. So shame on you!

As for the last one, Luftslottet som sprängdes ("The Air Castle that Blew Up") was translated in English as The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest and in French as La Reine dans le palais des courants d'air (The Queen in the Palace of Draughts (Draughty Palace??)).

On the plus side for English: They kept the girl’s theme during the 3 titles, so continuity bonus.

On the – side? No mention of air or castle or that sort of things.

On the plus side for the French?  Palace is here. Although they translated as palace and not castle.

On the – side: well why a queen and what are these drafts about? 

Ok, ok, I’ve not read the books so it might be VERY obvious if I had. But I wish there was a little bit of logic in all of it.

Oh yeah, to try and make up for the lack of continuity, the French added “Millenium 2” and “Millenium 3” in front of books 2 and 3 titles.

I think it is a bit poor, and unnecessary as Stieg Larsson himself did not even bother.

Sweden v rest of the World... Go Sweden!!