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https://www.instagram.com/glitchgestaltgirl
Aug 22, 2026 11:09 PM
DropDrop
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https://www.instagram.com/glitchgestaltgirl
Che07
Without doubt, the Swedish versions of the trilogy are much closer to the brilliant books. So yeah, finally someone points this out. Kudos!
mrnishere
I Read the books and watched both versions. I thought the US version was more faithful to the origina. Am I remembering wrong?
harlequin2262
It's closer in terms of specific plot points, it misses a lot in terms of characterisation and themes.
It's closer to the events but further from the essence.
ToenailClippingsJar
Yes you are. Not meant to be a jab, but the original Swedish films are much closer to the book than the american film.
MaesterVile
You are right, their relationship is portrayed more accurately in the US adaptation.
gonzar09
This is why I mostly hate American adaptations of anything. The perversion of someone else's work for the sake of appeasing an audience and/or single-minded producers will never sit right with me, no matter the original message of the story. Even so-called "uncut" versions have alterations, which may include completed deleted scenes of films that were present in their original release.
WhyWeDoThis
America hates female leads, simple. For almost 300 years of independence not a single capable woman as a president is in itself a telling story. But right now they are loosing minds as women are not marrying or having kids in "prime childbearing age" like that term itself doesn't bother Americans to be wrong. Its simply prime of life but they made them sound like shopping bag to put stuff in or easy bake over.
MaesterVile
watch Alien/s, Terminator, or Kill Bill then get back to reality.
WhyWeDoThis
Exactly fantasy is where femal leads live.
Eleshar24
Yeah, even such misogynist societies like Israel or India had female heads of state and government.
WhyWeDoThis
If you think USA is not misogynist, then you need to get off the high horse. Too many countries in Asia has got heads of state as women.
Eleshar24
No, I am showcasing misogynist societies which still managed to put female leaders in charge. US society seems genetically incapable of such a thing, so what does that tell about the level of misogyny there...
insanitypurge
I wonder if it’s similar with “let the right one in” as it was remade in america too. Been a while since i watched them.
BlindGardener
Eh. Let the right one in is about a caste-rated male child vampire forced to turn pedophiles into reinhearts who all eventually abuse him, to be replaced with the next eventually abusive reinheart. The american version is about a heroic young man rescuing a female child vampire from her abuser.
TheDukeofCinnamonBuns
That is not at all a realistic description of the american version. The child vampire is the abuser who kidnaps boy's by making them fall for her and convinces them to "save" her from the previous, now grown, boy.
BlindGardener
I didn’t watch the American version, just the trailer. Good to know it’s at least a little more subtle than the trailer looks.
harlequin2262
So your original description of the American version was not informed by a film that you actually knew anything about?
ComoSeIguana
I have never seen the American version, and I watched the first 2 Swedish movies. I only have one question, Is there a dance sequence in the American version?
FetaForMoses
Of course! During the musical number at the big wedding! (jk, haven’t seen it)
MarsIsAfire
bassaro
JoeLaMoonPilot
That’s super irritating. Nothing worse than when a story is effectively torn apart by “improvements”. FFS, if they didn’t like it, they should write their own damn story, and not wreck one that already exists.
TI99Kitty
I've been saying that since the '90s. Of course, the reason they don't do that is because they think name recognition will entice more people to see it. And depending on how garbage their version is, they may be right.
svga
it was to make a movie and make money, which they did; other differences too
qarlific
But there's no money in that. Much easier to take a story and butcher it than spending time coming up with something original on your own.
zeacorzeppelin10
The Swedish version was way better.
somerandomusernamebecauseididntlikemyoldone
I'm happy I never saw the American film
MissDameaner
Read the book. It is much better than the American movie.
MaesterVile
clearly you didn't read it other wise you wouldn't be saying this.
Lionanar
It is weird looking at all these comments here about movies. American movies vs. European movies and bla bla..
Is no one paying attention to the fact that she is talking about American society ? She is talking about women, and how american society sees women!
It is the message America is sending... America's view on women.
MaesterVile
read the book then you'll realize that the us adaptation portrayed Lisbeth and Mikael relationship correctly.
harlequin2262
Read the book as an adult and actually pay attention and you'll accept that the US adaption botched it.
bripi
The Swedish version was soooooooo much better, but I also love Rooney Mara so much I can't hate the US version.
pak0chu
US adaptations are never better than the original
lilpodie
Holy shit that’s fascinating as hell. Also real f@cked up
Totallycasual
The original is also one of my favorite movies, i have watched the trilogy a bunch of times but i have to skip over that first assault, it was just so brutal.
SortaSordid
This is not unexpected from US adaptations of foreign film and TV. The studios tinker with things to what they believe will be best received by US audiences. The expanded six-part Swedish TV mini-series Millennium was even better and well worth tracking down somewhere on the digital high seas. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millennium_(miniseries)
svga
well... it's a US adaption of A SWEDISH BOOK not really of the movie
squishybaker
I have the blu-rays and they were one I copied and have backed up in a few places, as it's a good series, and hard to find.
ohnonotthatagain
Yep, and US audiences are far to infested with incels to put up with a real leading lady.
svga
which movie was more true to the book?
SortaSordid
That is quite sad, but I fear it goes deeper than that. There is a distortion of storytelling that seems crafted by the studios to appeal specifically to US audiences. Ringu vs. The Ring, The Office (US version seemed to glorify what the UK version found cringe). Shameless had Paul Abbott behind both UK/US versions but the US one was missing that je ne sais quoi that added gravitas to the UK version that was really glossed over in the US one. But again it is what will sell to US audiences.
Filanwizard
There is also a lot of risk aversion in the US entertainment industry, So we do get not exposed to new ideas very often. Today its so bad that even new IPs are distrusted by studio suits. The Pixar chief after Elio had a poor opening claimed nobody wants anything new, Of course like a week later Kpop Demon Hunters took over the pop culture for the rest of the year as a new IP. whoops. Really there is too much risk aversion.
unluckyandbored
American-made movies are made for Americans. Which means they are, for the most part, deeply racist, sexist, and misogynistic.
mothmam
I loved the book and have never seen either movie. I’ll be watching the original and skipping the English language one.
KMSigma
I told my parents that the Swedish version was superior. They went to watch but "didn't want to read while watching a movie" and watched the US version instead. I'm not willing to have the right, but this video explained the delta between the two very well.
svga
there were other differences too
RElGNMAN
America is very misogynistic, my apologies for our ignorance.
Ventorath
In this case it's more accurate to the source material. This person chose a confusing example because there were 2 adaptations to compare, but the comparison she's making doesn't actually have anything to do with the source material. Confusing.
MarieCortes80
I learned about this in my Film as Literature class. It’s called male gaze in film which was coined by Laura Mulvey. Sadly still applied to modern films.
clang2101
Its about money. It was adapted that way because they thought it would make more money with Daniel Craig as the lead. Both are good. But I preferred the European version because it was truer to the book and Lisbeth way better as the main character.
WhenInDoubtC4
Makes sense now why the US version was produced shortly after. Couldn't let the actual narrative of the Swedish version get too popular.
Userlivewire
This type of misogyny is intentional but often not for the reason you might think.
The process of “dumbing down” (as lots of people call it) for American audiences has to do with so few moviegoers ever seeing an actual female lead (not simply a main actress) that they don’t understand how to watch it. The experience is such a foreign concept that it results in uncomfortable viewers.
This isn’t misogyny on the part of the audience per se but something more akin to subliminal advertising.
harlequin2262
I mean that is misogyny, it's just in a broader and less personal sense. Being able to treat women as self contained humans is absolutely prejudicial.
QuantumInc
That is a good point, but I think the people who take the term seriously would simply call that "subconscious misogyny". Racism, sexism, bigotry does not just refer explicit, conscious beliefs, but also emotional reactions, subconscious tendencies. These words can also apply to society wide phenomena. There is definitely a feed back loop in what you describe: They do not make women-centered movies because they know their audience, and for the audience they never experience women-centered movies.
Eleshar24
I think this is an example of systemic discrimination
ThisGuyPostingThings
Been a while since I read the book, but I recall the intimacy being more like the US version, based on her description.
MaesterVile
Omg you blew my mind, I had no idea the us film was more faithful to the book its based off. this changes my opinion of this clip lol.
svga
CONTEXT MATTERS!
numbonvalium
The US version is more faithful to the book from a narrative standpoint. The Swedish version got the tone better. This critique is... just not accurate. I feel like she started with a conclusion and is finding evidence to support her claims. Mikael and Lisbeth were both the main characters, but Mikael Blomkvist was the central narrator for the story. The moral compass told through the story was told through him.
danomyces
thanks, I thought I was crazy for thinking "isn't the book largely from the male character's perspective?"
MelodyLightfoot
No, you didn't listen to what she was saying because the "critique" is not about how one adaptation is better or more faithful to the book. it is as she says in the beginning the difference between media with a female lead and media with a female driven narative. She is using those two movies to show one versus the other for the benefit of those who might want to create better female driven narratives instead of boilerplate female leads or recognise when they are doing one or the other..
Septcanmat
When she starts using language like “robbing characters of their autonomy” and “stripping away the humanity”, it certainly sounds like she’s making a normative claim that one film is better than the other. If she that isn’t the point of her critique then she should use more neutral language.
harlequin2262
She's making a critique about a specific subtext and theme. This isn't about 'better' or 'worse'. She actually keeps pretty tightly to her central point, that choices in writing and presentation and adaption influence the agency and humanity the text permits women to have.
Septcanmat
You can’t rob or strip away something someone doesn’t have already; so she’s suggesting there’s a version in which the character has something, and a version in which the character doesn’t. She’s also saying - both explicitly in the point she’s making, and also implicitly in the language she uses - that taking away that something is bad. It’s not just “removing”, it’s “robbing”. To be clear, I’m not disagreeing with her or saying she’s wrong. But she IS saying one version is better.
MelodyLightfoot
in fact she does not mention the book once other than saying the movies are both "adaptations"
numbonvalium
The Millennium Trilogy is not that though, Mikael is the central character, the lead main character as it were. She should have done her homework.
Username62611
Just cause the story is told through his perspective doesn't make him the main character. Otherwise Dr Watson is the main character of Sherlock Holmes.
numbonvalium
In this instance, Mikael is still the main character. The book goes into the perspective of multiple characters, but it is still mostly centered around Mikael.
ISayGoodSirCouldIHaveSomeGoodChemicals
I loved the Swedish version of this film SOOO much more. I couldn't quite put my finger on why until now. It's true the American version really diminished her character. In a sense the strength of the character was ruined for me as opposed if I had only seen the American version. It was an amazing adaptation.
pookieeatworld
The tattoo scene is one of the greatest revenge scenes in cinematic history. I've only seen the Swedish version, many years ago, but that scene lives rent free in my head forever.
MechaNinja
The American version was downright irritating in comparison to the Swedish version. It probably didn't help that I read the book first. But I kept expecting her to be doing a bait and switch, like she was acting as if she was submissive to him, but would turn it around at a key moment. It was a frustrating watch.
immabearrawr
I watched the extended versions (3h each) years ago and was amazed. That .. scene .. in the first was so disturbing and disgusting.
ISayGoodSirCouldIHaveSomeGoodChemicals
It's meant to be. It's a terrible thing, it shouldn't be glossed over. No different than having the super realistic gore of some war films. There are terrible things that happen in this world. You can gloss over that pain and horror or make a lasting impression and depict it accurately. I think they made the right choice considering it's stayed with you this whole time and you didn't even have to get specific and I knew exactly what scene you meant.
WaxDragon
I didn't even watch the American version, I loved the Swedish version and heard the complaints of the American before watching. I'm glad the Swedish version exists
rocinanteismyhorse
That's exactly what I was thinking too....
Roqinn
Yep. Ive seen both and much prefer the Swedish version!
RyanSilver612
Couldn't even finish the American version after originally seeing the Swedish.
Dannoboyo
Didn't want to see the American version.
iusedtodream
I won't waste my time with the US adaptation, especially after seeing this critique.
Roqinn
The American version was the first one that I saw. I wanted to see the Swedish version. Hands down better!
irisewithredeyes
I didn't even watch the American version. Same with Oldboy.
tentacularfleshscape
Ditto, and am vindicated here
Endocrom
GravyEducation
The homage to that in Sifu was fuckin awesome. Also the homage to that in Daredevil was fuckin awesome, but specifically, I fuckin love Sifu. If you go into arena mode there's also a bunch of standalone hallway fights that hit the homage nail even more on the head. Think one of em is even titled "Old Guy"
DwayneTheCrackJohnson
That's the problem when original stories from outside the US are dumbed and americanized down.
They end up being dumb and american versions.
TheBigBadBonerBiter
Oldboy being another stellar example.
GravyEducation
I thought American Oldboy was just Daredevil
CreepyPhlox
A Man Called Ove. I haven’t seen the Tom Hank’s version and have no interest to.
Navrodel
Doesn't matter where the story is from, all that matters is that the director and writer don't respect the source material.
Happens with 99% of book and movie adaptations.
...and yeah, most of the time it's an American screwing it up, but that's probably just as much of a selection bias in how much comes out of Hollywood as it is an exceptionally American sloppiness, bigoted disrespect, and/or media illiteracy.
...but it's still a problem that it *is* those last three to a notable degree.
survivor686
So...American then?
DwayneTheCrackJohnson
https://media1.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPWE1NzM3M2U1aWFwY25qdDNnODM4a2xzY2prc3NxOThxdW5qdnk1ejlyZmp4aG0zbSZlcD12MV9naWZzX3NlYXJjaCZjdD1n/gotvx6LSYwEvu/200w.webp
squishybaker
For a film like "The Hunt" no major US studio would take the risk of having someone accused of being a diddler as the main character, as studios want money over telling and communicating a good story.
TI99Kitty
"Edge of Tomorrow" vs. the Japanese original, "All You Need Is Kill." There was a LOT of unnecessary crap added, a lot of important details left out, the main location where it takes place was changed, the relationship of the lead and the female protagonist was changed, and the ending was changed.
Typical Hollywood adaptation, in other words. Take the basic premise, maybe some of the character names, and throw everything else out.
GabbyJayYay
My Sassy Girl (2008)
KaylRawr
They end up being American versions, fixed that for you. Synonyms are great and all but overused.
DwayneTheCrackJohnson
Cool story, bro 👍.
iusedtodream
30 Days of Night - they femmed the female hero down to a damsel in distress and made Ethan the Hero. Let the Right One In - US remake didn't understand what the story was about, at all.
Septcanmat
Speaking of vampire movie remakes that completely missed the point - I Am Legend completely changed the ending and therefore missed the entire point of the story. Even as a kid I remember thinking the movie ended badly, and it would have been better if it had explored the idea that the ‘human’ had become tantamount to a monster to the vampires, and then I realized that that’s literally what the original story was and I got so pissed off that they’d wasted such a good idea.
bunnylizard
Thank you for this comment! I've been so frustrated at that film for literal decades but any friend/coworker who is also into horror movies has had generally good reviews of that movie. Like, NO! It completely ruins the original story. Probably second on my list of "books into movies that ruined the ending and therefore whole story" (guess the 1st place). Also... literally 4 different people I've had to argue that I Am Legend is NOT a zombie movie. Wtf did they even watch it????
DwayneTheCrackJohnson
Apparently Vincent Price's 1964 I Am Legend is rhe most faithful movie adaptation of Richard Matheson's book. There's also the Charlton Heston version from 1971, The Omega Man. And yeah, Will Smith's version kinda misses the whole point with its "hero" ending they decided to go with.
psstuphere
To be fair these books were pretty dumb from the beginning. The first one is ok, the other ones are shit.
DwayneTheCrackJohnson
Ok.
MoralRectifier
That doesn't change anything though. Even a "shitty" movie can be made worse. Shit also has a spectrum.
CliffWestern
Disagree. 1-3 are great.
MapleSyrupMafia
It happened to the movie Taxi, the original French one was good, the American version with Queen Latifah was meh. But Besson has a problem with his Americanized versions... Brick Mansions wasn't that great, while District B13 was good.
cobrien77
Les intouchables too.
Hotsauceman
Don’t forget Dinner for Schucks or the birdcage (well, Robin Williams did a good job)
Septcanmat
Also the French film Les Cousins Dangereux!
MapleSyrupMafia
I did not know that they've remade Le Dîner de Cons and I did not need this information!! It's one of my top French movie... along with Taxi and RRRrrrr!!!.
Hotsauceman
I fucking loved the French film about the accountant at the condom factory. That was fucking hilarious!
glovelyday
You seem confused about what movies are. They are about making money, and the American versions make a lot more. Drop the pretense. When it comes to the Swedidh version read the book, it's better.
DwayneTheCrackJohnson
Uh-huh, "yOu SeEm CoNfUsEd aBoUt WhAt MoViEs aRe"
coughingintensifies
Letting how much money something or someone makes solely define how successful something or someone is, is one of the core flaws of society.
Haemaelaeinen
*American society. That country values only money, fuck everything else.
FallenWyvern
A. You're being a dick. Probably should do something about that.
B. Making more money only means a movie was commercially successful, not artistically. Unless you're watching movies to specifically increase finances, and are ignoring their artistic merit, that's pretty much the worst metric anyone could use to determine if a movie is good or not.
C. Calling it a pretense is incorrect, nothing in their post is incorrect.
D. Agreed. The book is better.
glovelyday
You seem upset. Did I tell you that you're not entitled to your own opinion? Get a mirror Richard...
DrowningLessons
sorry you're like this man
glovelyday
I'm devastated....
DwayneTheCrackJohnson
https://media2.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPWE1NzM3M2U1YTJ3Zmd5dnhhMXNrdTQwb21xdzE2eG9mcmxpMmJsYmNwOTc4NXFpMSZlcD12MV9naWZzX3NlYXJjaCZjdD1n/AeWoyE3ZT90YM/200w.webp
Hotsauceman
Don’t forget that “the girl with the dragon tattoo” is NOT the original title. That’s the title in America. The actual title is “The Men who hate Women.”
[deleted]
[deleted]
Mithi
No, "Verblendung"
mhelmers
Sorry for being a bit picky, but forget about the "The" at the beginning. A better more accurate translation would be "Men who hate Women".
Hotsauceman
That’s right. I always forget that.
Sonicschilidogs
As someone who was not very interested in the story (book or films) but has a working knowledge of them, why are the books and other foreign films also titled "girl with"? Or is that just regional marketing and translation?
Monkeyshit2
Only other I can think of off the top of my head is Girl with the Pearl earring. Based off the painting I think?
Hexrowe
Well, the only title that's translated directly is the second one, The Girl who Played with Fire (Flickan som lekte med elden) and the others seem to be renamed to fit that format in an attempt to build a more uniform brand. So yeah, marketing decision.
Sonicschilidogs
Very cool, thanks for the info!
Kleverin
Titles are interesting. For some reason, back in the days, they named several Goldie Hawns films similar in Sweden. The films had nothing to do with each other, but they all started with "the girl". 8 completely different films that looked as they were a series. The english titles had nothing in common with each other.
SneakyCarrot
Most Mel Brooks movies are named "Springtime for [...]" in Sweden. Spaceballs? Springtime for space. Blazing saddles? Springtime for the sheriff.
Kleverin
Perhaps the same person that had the job to "translate" them.
MCNewYorkLives
Is that why producers has "Springtime for Hitler"?
GravyEducation
They should stop hating women and start staring at goats. Better past time
OverwhelmingSurplusOfDiggity
It’s probably better pastime, too.
PTKrieg
Worst past time? Fucking around with that solar oven.
MyDragonHeartedSpirit
https://media4.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPWE1NzM3M2U1aXQ4djFibzZwejd2aHNheG0zNzZoa2F3bnowczltbGNodzd2b2phMSZlcD12MV9naWZzX3NlYXJjaCZjdD1n/GCjIE9C9Eb9V6/200w.webp
hyperchondriac
https://media4.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPWE1NzM3M2U1bTB1OGV5c3cxNWNoYnQ3eTY1dDd4d3lvcGQ2dnU2OGl5NDZ5YnRtZSZlcD12MV9naWZzX3NlYXJjaCZjdD1n/l9FG64wy5CT5e/200w.webp
InitHello
I propose a triple feature
Septcanmat
Make it a quadruple - No Country for Grumpy Old Men Who Stare at Goat Detectives
CrisprCAS
Pretty sure the original title was in Swedish
ThickTomato
I see what you did here. I like it
Hotsauceman
I mean, yes. It’s the English translation of the title
Hexrowe
Men som hatar kvinnor, literally "Men who hate women"
Camelspotting
Is that similarly jarring in Swedish?
stillnodog
”Män som hatar kvinnor” is definitely as strong in Swedish as in English.
And it’s not “THE men who hate women” it’s literally just “men who hate women”.
Hexrowe
...oh bloody hell, I misspelled it!
qarlific
Män
Hexrowe
Quite right. (That's what I get for trying to think simultaneously in two foreign languages featuring the same word with different orthography!)
qarlific
The closer translation with 'men' would then be "That which creates men this way has them hating women", which is still in the same spirit and wholly fucked up.
CrisprCAS
I know enough Swedish to know there's not enough umlauts in that.
bullestock
Swedish uses umlauts only for a and o (Danish and Norwegian use æ and ø instead).
CrisprCAS
The actual title is "Män som hatar kvinnor". So...
shameofslate
A møøse once bit my sister
GreyKnightTemplar666
https://media0.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPWE1NzM3M2U1c2ltejU5Y3Rjd2cybTY5M2d4M2RlbzA1MHZseW40cXBmaXh5a2ZsYiZlcD12MV9naWZzX3NlYXJjaCZjdD1n/l1J9JtMnJWjWaFXy0/200w.webp
MCTMCT
They don't have them in every word.
binekarlsson360
Correct. It's "Män som hatar kvinnor".
Hexrowe
Honestly, Finnish uses them a lot more. Kyllä niillä meillä täälläpäin on määrättömästi enemmän käyttöä.
Septcanmat
Is it possible the old Finnish scribes just had really leaky pens (quills?) and the first Finnish printmakers and typesetters mistook a bunch of ink drips on the page for an actual part of their grammar?
CrisprCAS
Finnish isn't a real language, it's a psyop to keep people out of the sauna
RealityInflicted
And still: Not a single umlaut in "Jaloviina".