STIEG LARSSON’S DRAGON TATTOO TRILOGY: EXTENDED EDITION (Alliance, 2009) The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo The Girl Who Played With Fire The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet’s Nest. D: Niels Arden Oplev, Daniel Alfredson, w/ Michael Nyqvist, Noomi Rapace. Rating: NNNN DVD package: NNNN Rating: NNNN
Even if you’ve seen the American remake of Dragon Tattoo, now in theatres, and all of the Swedish trilogy, the extended-edition box set is very much worth a look. It offers original Swedish TV cuts, an hour and a half longer in total and none of it filler. Relationships get clearer, minor characters emerge, the plot opens up, and we understand much more about Lisbeth Salander’s private hell.
Brilliant, emotionally ravaged and ruthless, Salander is the genius hacker whose work with muckraking journalist Mikael Blomkvist cracks a 40-year-old disappearance and uncovers multi-generational corruption. The second and third entries see the pair trying to survive a murderous cover-up as they pursue the secrets of Salander’s past.
Much has already been said about Noomi Rapace’s remarkable intensity as Lisbeth, but hers is not the only fine performance. Keep your eye on Anders Ahlbom as Dr. Peter Teleborian in the courtroom scene.
Extensive informal interviews provide a good look at cast and crew’s creative processes.
EXTRAS Two Rapace interviews, Nyqvist interview, cast and crew interviews, more. Swedish, English, French audio. English, French subtitles.
