I just watched this gripping albeit disturbing crime thriller/mystery (also known as
"Män Som Hatar Kvinnor" or "Millennium: Part 1: Men Who Hate Women") based on the Swedish novel by Stieg Larsson. I went in knowing nothing about the plot except that it was based on a bestselling book and that's usually how I like to watch movies. This movie completely caught me off guard with the no-holds-barred graphic detail of sexual abuse, violence, and brutality. I definitely cringed and winced at more than one scene. Even though Lisbeth practiced un-PC vigilante vengeance, I felt it was poetic justice and even savored the sweet vindication when she meted out her own form of retribution.
I thought it was interesting that the author, Larsson, writes about these misogynistic characters due to one seminal instance in his life — he witnessed the gang rape of a young girl when he was 15. He did not go to the aid of the victim and felt guilty ever since. The rape victim was named Lisbeth, the same as the heroine in his tales.
In the movie, the main protagonist is played by Noomi Rapace, and she does a fantastic job in portraying the emotionally damaged and scarred character of Lisabeth Salander. The detective is played by the famous Swedish actor, Michael Nyqvist. I'm looking forward to watching the sequel to this movie, "The Girl Who Played with Fire."
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ReplyDeleteHey dude, I just spent an afternoon watching this movie. I liked it too, and I was interested by the background information you provided aboutthe witnessing of the gang rape. I want to read "Regarding the Pain of Others' by Susan Sontag, which is about witnessing trauma I think. I thought the dialectical nature of violence and sex that ran through the movie was kind of frightening but realistic too. It's weird that kind of numb state you enter when you realize violence is happening in your proximity. I remember two times when violence happened around me, one was in a kebab shop when guy A bunked the queue for ordering, and guy B said "wanker" or something.
ReplyDeleteThen guy A proceded to break guy B's nose. The blood spattered on my friend's shirt, and just as it happened the guy called out my number to collect my kebab. Everyone was just standing looking as guy A left the shop, and I reached past guy B to get my kebab, and kind of did a weak "are you ok!" mumble thing, it might even have been just a sympathetic nod that he probably wouldn't have seen through the blood. The second time was when I was sitting in a park in Shida, a group of about 6 people, Taiwanese and Western, and this guy and girl came over and just smashed a bottle over my Taiwanese friend's head. For the first few moments everyone just stood there stunned. They went away and then came back with a big group of friends. I called the police, but only an ambulance came.
ReplyDeleteThe gang kept telling us to back off, and they circled around my friend, slapping him in the face. Then this bizarre American dude, who wasn't actually anyone's friend, and had just been sitting in the park by himself came over and started ordering people about. The Taiwanese gang people were all listening to him, because I think everyone was pretty shocked, he ended up randomly getting the Taiwanese girl to hit my friend in the face again, and said "Let her do it!" to us. I later heard several different explanations about how he did or did not deserve it, but I think the violence of the event itself really shocked me, and it made me feel really weak and frustrated at myself. At the time I wished that people like that would not exist. The weird thing was that the next day I was at a music festival with some other friends, and the guy and the girl who had smashed the bottle over my friend's head came over to talk to my other friends. At first I waved and said hi, because I recognised them from somewhere, then I realized who they were and I didn't know how to act, should I wear a face of indignation or of hostility, or did all these gestures equal nothing.
ReplyDeleteUmmm wow. I have to say I've never witnessed any violence in my life. I've seen some mild fights but it always got broken up and it was more bark than bite. Also, it's never happened to anyone I knew...always just strangers in foreign lands.
ReplyDeleteSo I can't really comment except that it sounds really tragic that you've witnessed so much crass, violent behavior from fellow human beings. Perhaps you should analyze the company you keep and/or reevaluate how you should react should this happen again since it tends to...
Violence can happen around anyone, it doesn't depend on the company you keep. The first happened on a high street kebab shop and the latter happened completely out of the blue. I don't really like the tone of your comments, or their implication and condescending tone. I'm sure you'll be able to live in your bubble for a while, but violence happens and it's nothing to do with who you hang out with or anything you can control. I think it was a little bit naive of you to take a disapproving stance. The fact that I saw those two events happening, was not my fault. I did what you're supposed to do in the latter case, which was call the police, in the first case, the guy's nose was broken already, and I was a stranger. I don't know what you were implying by "reevaluate your behaviour", it came across as patronizing, and smart-alecy
ReplyDeleteI especially resent the bits where you use three dots.
ReplyDeleteLOL!
ReplyDeleteSorry you took offense to my comment. I wasn't sure how to respond. I just meant you can learn from every life experience — good and bad. If you think you handled everything perfectly and can't improve on it then great!
I haven't always lived in a bubble, though I do now in Plano (suburbia, blah). I intend to change that soon though.
I'll try to avoid using "three dots" from now on. =)
Oh yeah and I watched the sequel ("The Girl Who Played with Fire") to the movie today. Amazing!
I think it's funny the way that the kickboxing psycho sessions (or advanced sessions) don't spring up in your mind as violence, just because it was orchestrated by middle class guys, and had the pretence of "control", even though noses were broken and faces bent out of shape. It's funny how important context is in what constitutes violence - and I wonder does it still have a psychologically traumatic effect on us, even if we are only simulating real violence (simulating as in actually beating the shit out of someone, but with the illusion of control, and sportsmanship).
ReplyDeleteI'll check out the 2nd film too
ReplyDeleteBut that was all in good fun and Anders or someone always stopped it before it got out of hand. I never took those sessions seriously though maybe some others did; I won't name names haha.
ReplyDeleteI've seen a few fights late nights after KTV in Koreatown but I didn't know them. Apparently, that happened every single weekend with the Koreans. It was a weekly ritual I guess.
Oh going back to the movie, the part where the group of drunk guys start abusing her in the metro station was really disturbing for me. I could imagine that happening on the Tube.
I just remember an incident I had with violence. I was mugged while walking behind a mosque in Brussels. Nothing was taken from me but it was still traumatic. I learned a lot from that incident. I don't really want to divulge anything further on this public blog, but yeah I certainly haven't always lived in a bubble.
ReplyDeleteThough I think boxing is slightly different because the audience and the participants are generally psychologically prepared for the violence and willing to participate in each of those roles, whereas when a crime happens it's not always expected so it can be shocking. Also, Conor's right that you cannot always control the situation you are in, thus it being unexpected.
ReplyDeleteAnytime that I have witnessed violence, or even strong physical or emotional trauma, there's always this weird feeling of everything slowing down and an almost out of body experience where you feel, is this really happening? Maybe that's just my personal experience, has anyone else experienced that?