Even when it’s applied to genuinely courteous, community-minded, non-confrontational people, it can be offensive, suggesting semi-idiotic cuteness. More important, I hail from the state that coined the phrase “Minnesota nice”-a double-edged sword if there ever was one. Lisbeth is particularly sweet to me, I think, because of my Scandinavian heritage. But she doesn’t kill herself, doesn’t slam the door on a secure life only to face an unimaginable future. The notoriously strong, complex female characters of Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen and Swede August Strindberg are, like Lisbeth, victims of their male-dominated society-Lisbeth of the Swedish welfare state that entrusts women to men’s “better” judgment. The heroine of Stieg Larsson’s Nordic noir picks up where Hedda Gabler, Nora Helmer, and Miss Julie leave off. Where crusading journalist Mikhail Blomkvist (eye candy Daniel Craig, looking especially gaunt and bristly) seeks justice, Lisbeth takes revenge. As Lisbeth, Rooney Mara manages to be completely vicious, thoroughly sympathetic, and more than equal to the task of rescuing well-intentioned but inept men. More specifically, in David Fincher’s new film The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, she’s a scrawny modern-day Valkyrie complete with a helmet of dead-black hair. Lisbeth Salander-my new hero-is the descendant of a long line of Scandinavian female warriors. To stay up to date on the stories that matter. WBEZ brings you fact-based news and information.
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September 2023
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