The Girl Who Played with Fire – Swedish version

Saw the Swedish movie version last night. Once again, they did a great job of finding the bones of the story and rebuilding them into a movie. Both Salander and Blomkvest were stronger, more active characters in this one. By eliminating about 14 characters and condensing others into one character, esp the ones who worked for the Security Police, the story was tighter and flowed better. As part 2 of a trilogy, it has to end on an unresolved note, but they did OK. And, like watching Bergman, you leave feeling you speak Swedish and, as an added perk, you can also curse in Swedish.

The only bone to pick is that Lispeth, who in the books is clearly tiny and borderline Asperger’s has come out of her shell. It makes a more accessible character, but part of the richness of the books is that Lispeth is so isolated from others. Her gradually emerging from her shell and becoming a full adult is part of the strength of the books, that as she participates in these stories, she is both traveling back into her beginnings and getting past them. You lose a little of that and, I am sure will lose even more of it in the forthcoming American versions. Unless Kristen Stewart gets to play her in which case that’s all you’ll see.

Still, it was a treat to be able to inhabit Lispeth and Blomkvest’s world again.