Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The (3/20/2012)

Rated R for brutal violent content including rape and torture, strong sexuality, graphic nudity, and language.

Starring Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara, Christopher Plummer and Stellan Skarsgard

Directed by David Fincher (The Social Network, Zodiac, Fight Club, and Seven)

TODD’S WORD: This is a rough ride, but one worth taking.

JONATHAN’S WORD: Sure… if you rent the original Swedish version.

This English-language adaptation of the Swedish novel by Stieg Larsson follows a disgraced journalist, Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig), as he investigates the disappearance of a wealthy patriarch’s niece from 40 years ago. He is aided by the pierced, tattooed computer hacker named Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara). As they work together in the investigation, Blomkvist and Salander uncover immense corruption beyond anything they have ever imagined.

The book has been a best seller, the Swedish version of the films gathered international appeal… and now David Fincher made the American version.

What next? Action figures?

TODD’S WORD: I haven’t seen the Swedish version, so I’m going to be reviewing this from a different perspective than you.

JONATHAN’S WORD: I agree. And in all seriousness, most Americans haven’t seen the Swedish version of the film (either subtitled or dubbed), so they are going to really value your perspective on this one. My goal will be to steer them to the Swedish version instead.

TODD’S WORD: Well, as a guy who didn’t see the Swedish version, let me share a few things that made this movie Theater Worthy. The first thing has to be the story. I’m only about 30 pages into the book and about 10 minutes into the movie, and I immediately understood why this is one of the most popular novels to come out in years. This story grabs you by the throat and doesn’t let go until the credits roll. And believe me the effects linger.

JONATHAN’S WORD: You’re right about lingering. Audiences should consider how dark this story is. It’s an amazing story, very well written, but it’s about rape, incest, murder, torture… dark stuff. Fincher added another punch at the very beginning with an opening credit sequence that looked like Hell’s version of a Bond film opening credit sequence. Slightly sexy, but then really dark and creepy. It’s really impossible to put that credit sequence into words other than… a really creepy, visually captivating nightmare?

The Swedish version of the film was dark too—it was the same story. But you really add some black icing to the cake when you hand the story to the director of Seven.

TODD’S WORD: David Fincher may be one of Hollywood’s darker directors, but he has more talent in one finger than most directors have in their whole bodies. He once again tells a very ugly story with superb clarity and beauty.

JONATHAN’S WORD: And I can’t argue with that. He’s an amazing director. It’s just a matter of taste. Do you like dark, depressing, sexually explicit art? Then you’ll like this.

Again, Fincher’s version is very well done, I just thought the Swedish film was a little more authentic, with less Hollywood sprinkles.

TODD’S WORD: What did you think about the cast? I thought both Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara were amazing. As we are introduced to each of the two characters and watch as their characters are developed, they play their roles perfectly. And when the two stories become one, it gets even better.

JONATHAN’S WORD: I really like how the story brings the two together as well. But I think the American version forced it a little too much. Lisbeth became way too comfortable with Mikael way too quickly. The Swedish version handled it more realistically.

TODD’S WORD: The supporting cast was good too. Christopher Plummer and Stellan Skarsgard don’t have as much screen time, but when they do, it’s good stuff.

JONATHAN’S WORD: Overall, the cast was okay. But it was very Americanized. America demands their actors to look like models and to have perfect skin (except for a few known “funny looking” exceptions… like Steve Buscemi). I really found the Swedish characters more believable. It’s hard for me to picture Mikael played by James freaking Bond! The director has a lot of control over these kinds of decisions. To me, watching the two versions of the films was almost like watching Le Femme Nikita (brilliant French Luc Besson film) being butchered by the American version, Point of No Return. (Probably an unfair comparison, because Point of No Return paled in comparison to Fincher’s Dragon Tatoo. But it seemed to fail in the same ways. Maybe that’s something that only people who have seen the Swedish film will pick up.)

TODD’S WORD: To me, there is one negative about this movie, and it’s kind of a big one. As you said, the film is very dark. In addition, there are two graphic rape scenes and three other sexual scenes, that didn’t leave much to the imagination (see more below). The scenes definitely help develop the characters and/or the story, but I just wished they weren’t so graphic.

JONATHAN’S WORD: The Swedish version is just as graphic, but it seemed less gratuitous. Let me explain. In the Swedish version, I never thought, “Why did they need to show that?” But in the American version it sometimes seemed like the filmmakers were cashing in on the fact that bare boobs sell tickets. (Pardon my candor)

As Christians, I think people really need to filter their entertainment choices. I saw the Fincher version with my wife and there were several times where I looked at her and just said, “Okay… awkward.” Let’s be honest. The Bible has graphic stories about sex and violence, but most men won’t lust when hearing the story of David checking out naked Bathsheba on the roof. At least we don’t have to sit and watch it.

I’ve heard Christians discuss this stuff and end up on both sides of the issue. I’ll leave it as simple as this: this American version of the film includes too much sensuality and nudity for most men… because it would be hard to watch a lot of that without lusting. The world might scoff at me for saying that, but personally, I don’t want to lust after anyone but my wife.

The Swedish version was graphic too, but I watched it at home with my wife where we had the freedom to hit the fast forward button if needed.

Some people are probably going to say, “Why even watch it?” That’s probably a good question. If it’s going to be a temptation at all, then don’t. I know that I’m steering people away from the American version.

I don’t know if I’m being consistent here. It’s hard to deem one film okay and another not. I’m far from perfect. Today someone asked me if I reviewed Black Swan or Friends With Benefits. I haven’t seen either, because I knew that both these films were loaded with gratuitous sex. I saw a preview of Black Swan and immediately knew that, personally, I did not need to see it. As believers, we need to be careful to flee temptation (I Cor. 6).

So for me, my vote for the American version of The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo is “Skip It.” Some people might want to rent the Swedish one. I don’t regret watching that version with my wife. Some might.

TODD’S WORD: I loved the story. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is the first film in The Millennium Trilogy, and I can’t wait for the next one. It’s “Theater Worthy.”

SHOULD KIDS SEE IT?
The easy answer is no. But here is the why it’s a no.

First and foremost is the sex and nudity. In one scene Lisbeth is forced to give a man oral sex. In another scene he rapes her and then later she rapes him, both scenes are graphic and very difficult to watch. Lisbeth also has a sexual encounter with another woman she meets in a bar. They’re not seen having sex but both women are seen topless in bed together the next morning. There are two scenes where Lisbeth and Mikael have sex and both of them are graphic and contain a lot of nudity.

As far as violence, the film’s central theme is sexual violence against women, so a lot of the film discusses and depicts this in graphic detail. There are also scenes of torture, shootings, car crashes and fights.

This is a true R-rated film when it comes to profanity including a few F-words, S-words and others throughout the film.

Conversation Starter
Three Simple Questions (with Answers You May Be Looking for):

Q: What’s the message/theme of this movie?
A: The film’s central theme is sexual violence against women as the two main characters track down a serial murderer.

Q: How do you suppose we—as serious Christ-followers—should react to this movie?
A: We should realize that God’s word talks about the fact that mankind in depraved, morally bankrupt and in desperate need of a Savior.

Read Jeremiah 17:9 The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?

This movie shows over and over that the human heart is desperately wicked. What were some of the things in the film (or in the news) that shows the wickedness of man?

Q: How can we move from healthy, Bible-based opinions about this movie to actually living out those opinions?
A: So how do we as Christians live in a world filled with such wickedness?

We need to live out Romans 12:1-2, “And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”

So how can we start to live out Romans 12-1-2 this week?