The 'Millennium Trilogy:' From the Swedish Book Series to the Movie Series

The film adaptations of Stieg Larsson's internationally bestselling "Millennium Trilogy," consisting of "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo," "The Girl Who Played with Fire, " and "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest," made big waves in its native Sweden and a number of film festivals worldwide. "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo," the first of the movies to be remade in the US, is currently in production, directed by David Fincher.

'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo'

Adapted from one of the most popular Swedish book series of all time, "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" is mounted as a mind-bending procedural. Challenging as it is, director Niels Arden Oplev provided a quality cinematic version faithful to the author's long, unpredictable whodunit. He wielded consistently atmospheric and wintry photography for the film. He carefully utilized explicit elements of violence, sex and crime to mount an intelligently crafted thriller.

To keep the viewers engaged in the story, the film takes its time to unlock one mystery, only to find out that there is a follow-up mystery to uncover. It does this without making the story a tiring presentation of the required plot twists.

'The Girl Who Played with Fire'

A Swedish girl with a strong personality, a photographic memory and violent temper, the 24-year-old Lisbeth Salander continues her unwavering intensity for this second installment of the "Millennium Trilogy." Her depth of character keeps the essence of the story going. Actress Noomi Rapace provides a fierce, sly and thrilling performance that can keep the general audience curious about what happens to her character.

Compared with the first film, this one is darker. It mainly concerns itself with Lisbeth's struggle and how the character Mikael Blomkvist tries to prove her innocence. Unlike the self-contained story offered by the first film, this one works better when seen as a part of the trilogy. It also ends in a cliffhanger.

Director Daniel Alfredson is able to touch the instinctive side of human complexity through profound and thought-provoking reflections.

'The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest'

The first film was a classic mystery thriller, the second more of an action thriller. This final film went instead toward the political thriller.

"The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest" has value as a conclusion to the trilogy. Yet, it is not as groundbreaking as the first film. Nevertheless, with such a challenging structure, director Daniel Alfredson successfully keeps the abstract blending of sub-stories and characterizations that still lead to a thrilling culmination of the trilogy.