A friend of mine told me she had read all the books in the massively successful international hit Stieg Larsson’s Millennium Trilogy and that she had read some good reviews on the new movie, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, based on the first book in the trilogy. Surprisingly, she did not say that she couldn’t wait to see the movie. Maybe she wasn’t the only one who wasn’t running out to see it. Despite widespread hype and advertisement surrounding the release of this movie, it pulled only $13 million on opening weekend (with an unusual release day of Tuesday, December 20, 2011) according to Box Office Mojo, coming in behind Misson:Impossible, Sherlock Holmes, and Alvin and the Chipmunks.
However, there are some logical reasons why this film may not have charged out the gate with as much gusto as expected. First, consumers who bought the Millennium novels are not necessarily the same ones who would clamor to see the movie. Remember that many readers like to keep the scenes of a novel where they first saw them: in their heads. It’s a crapshoot whether a movie version will be “better” than the novel or will completely ruin it. Readers don’t take kindly to their books being defiled by a film rendition.
Secondly, was the timing right? Some have felt that the release of an adult-themed film with a graphic rape scene was misplaced for Christmastime. It’s certainly not the family-friendly film you’re taking the kids and grandma to see.
Third, there have already been three Swedish movies based on the trilogy. There was some ambivalence toward the making of an English version. A bookseller I know expressed disgust at the idea of bringing the film to the American market “just to make money,” as he put it. “The Swedish version was just fine; now leave it alone,” he said. Along those lines, there may be “Millennium Trilogy” fatigue. Let’s face it, there was a long, long period in which the novels dominated first, second and third place on the bestseller lists. The reviews, debates and controversies over the series began to get a little exhausting.
Fourth, well, there’s fame and then there’s fame. Sure, publishers, booksellers and well-informed readers know who Stieg Larsson and Lisbeth Salander are, but ask random people on the street if they know those names, many of them won’t. “Steve who?” It’s a different story if you ask them if they’ve heard of Batman in any of his incarnations. It’s often a well-known name and a previous blockbuster with that name that creates another blockbuster.
Fifth, the marketing of TGWTDT was off-putting to some, especially to people unfamiliar with the novels or its heralded character Salander. One of the posters for the film, released in June 2011 and featuring a nude Salander, was too much for some sensibilities, and it was replaced later by a different version. Others might have found the multi-pierced Salander a little intimidating. “Repelling” is probably too strong a word, but if I recall correctly, even in the novel (which I never finished) Salander made a few people nervous. Rooney Mara, who played Salander in this 2011 release, was interviewed on NPR just before the film’s debut, and clearly she is a thoughtful and intelligent actress. However, the discussion of the movie’s graphic rape scene made me squirm with some discomfort, and it certainly did not make me want to see the film.
But don’t dismiss TGWTDT yet. It has a couple nominations from the Golden Globe Awards including Rooney Mara, Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama, so if it wins anything there and goes on to gain prominence at the 2012 Academy Awards, then Lisbeth Salander might come roaring back (on her motorcycle.)
From an author’s POV, Larsson’s novels made me wonder if I can now stop espousing to the rules I was taught about writing: keep exposition to a minimum, don’t go on and on in endless, didactic paragraphs, make your dialogue riveting and crackling, and so on. I think in general it’s still wise to stick to those rules, but I may relax them just a little.