Since I currently have a list up of my favorite movie characters, I figured it was appropriate for me to quickly note that I watched The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo last night. And I feel quite safe in saying that I can now add Lisbeth Salander to that list.
Salander is a character who is so much better in person than on page to begin with, but Noomi Rapace is so shattering in her portrayal of this haunted, tragic and heroic figure that Lisbeth Salander might just become one of the great film characters of all time.
While I wasn’t a huge fan of the book of Dragon Tattoo, I now feel a furious need to read the second and third installments of the Stieg Larsson trilogy because I absolutely MUST see more of Rapace playing this character. Lisbeth Salander is one of the most complex and fascinating characters you will ever meet and Rapace is intoxicatingly compelling in her skin.
Part 2, The Girl Who Played With Fire is currently out on DVD or instant streaming and part 3, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest, is currently in theatres.
Read the books (so you’re prepared for some difficult moments), and then see the movies. Everyone should meet Lisbeth Salander.
p.s. Rooney Mara (who plays Lisbeth in the upcoming Hollywood adaptation of Dragon Tattoo)— you’ve got your work cut out for you.