The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo- character analysis- Stephen

The contrasts between the older male character and the Girl with the Dragon tattoo

To begin with, the male in this sequence isn't fully shown until very late in the opening. With his frail hand movements we can see that he is not the stereotypical masculine man. The lack of facial expressions creates an enigmatic view upon the character; perhaps the protagonist? Adding onto this, the use of gloves and delicate movements shows that he is taking care in the opening of the package, creating another enigma of the viewer wondering what is in the package which requires such a delicate touch- a touch not usually associated with masculinity. The man, altogether, seems to be more at touch with the feminine aspects of life- further illustrated where he breaks down to tears when he uncovers the picture.

Opposing him is the woman in the film- however we don’t know the character is a female until later in this opening sequence. The first shot shown below shows the character with a hood covering their face and hair, although some aspects of her body look feminine, her outfit certainly contradicts the stereotypical feminine outfit. From the shot composition, and how the titles cover the screen with her in the back, it’s safe to presume that she is the protagonist in the film. Throughout the sequence we witness the protagonist walk through various settings- mostly in a dark setting. The lighting in this sequence is fluid, even when focusing on the man, perhaps showing the darkness these two characters share. Furthermore, the darkness isn't stereotypically where female characters find themselves, unless they’re being saved- so this film turns the ‘females are weak’ stereotype around, showing a strong and independent lady who’s got strong motivation. Finally, in the final sequence, we get a brief look at the protagonists’ facial expression, showing indifference. Furthermore, she sticks out due to her darker clothing and its casualness- as opposed to the suits of those around her. Again, the film breaks a stereotype; the protagonist being the ‘dark in shining light,’ as opposed to the ‘shining light in darkness.’