Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Page #6

PLAGUE:

No ‘thank you?’

INT. MILLENNIUM OFFICE - EARLY MORNING

Erika, first to arrive this morning, or so she thinks,

comes through the empty offices with a Wayne’s Coffee to-

go cup - but Blomkvist is already there, packing supplies

from his desk, books from his shelf. A second suitcase,

presumably full of clothes, sits on the floor.

ERIKA V/O

You can’t be serious

51A

INT/EXT. MILLENNIUM’S OFFICES - EARLY MORNING - LATER

51A

He zips the suitcase with the supplies in it closed and

gathers the rest.

ERIKA:

We’re in our worst crisis ever and

you’re writing a memoir?

BLOMKVIST:

You fired me; I need something to do.

ERIKA:

You fired you; I need you here, not

the North Pole. You know what this

is going to look like.

BLOMKVIST:

Like I’ve been gutted. Like I’m

running away. I am.

They cross through the building, he with his cases, she

with her coffee cup.

Dragon Tattoo Final 9/1/11 SZ 28.

28.28.

BLOMKVIST:

Wennerstrom wants to see me waving

a white flag, not a red one. And the

more it looks like there’s a problem

between you and me, the more it’ll

satisfy him.

ERIKA:

There is a problem between us. He

won’t be satisfied until he shuts us

down, and you’re leaving me to fight

him alone.

He kisses her but gets back no more than he would from a

statue - and steps outside.

BLOMKVIST:

It’s four hours by train. It’s not

the North Pole.

EXT. TRAIN STATION - HEDESTAD - DAY

52

The depot thermometer reads 0. Blomkvist disembarks with

two suitcases. This time, Frode isn’t there to meet him.

He struggles with his luggage through the snow to a taxi

stand.

INT. TAXI - MOVING - DAY

53

As a taxi passes a gas station by the bridge, Blomkvist

regards the Middle Eastern driver’s eyes which regard him

in the rear view mirror.

BLOMKVIST:

Think this snow’s going to let up

anytime soon?

HUSSEIN:

This is the North Pole.

EXT. COTTAGE - HEDEBY ISLAND - DAY

54

The taxi deposits Blomkvist outside a cottage. From here

he can see Vanger’s manor and couple other houses. The

taxi drives off and disappears into the snow.

INT. COTTAGE - DAY

55

Two rooms. Fireplace. Pile of wood. A realtor would

call it cozy. In truth it’s just tiny and freezing cold.

Blomkvist unpacks. Puts clothes in a wardrobe, sets out

books, note pads, pens, CD’s, a CD player, his laptop and

a small printer.

Dragon Tattoo Final 9/1/11 SZ 29.

29.29.

He flips open his cell phone to make a call. Gets no

reception bars. Hears a faint, plaintive cry and traces

it to a window, beyond which, on the sill outside, stands

a cat peering in. He opens the door, and the cat heads

straight for the kitchenette. Then looks at him.

BLOMKVIST:

What. Milk?

He opens the old fridge. No milk. Nothing.

EXT. COTTAGE - DAY

56

He comes out into falling snow holding his cell phone

out in front of him like a dowser divining ground water.

Moves around trying to get a signal. Can’t.

INT. MARKET - HEDESTAD - DUSK

57

He purchases milk, butter, a loaf of sliced bread, some

packaged lunch meats and a few cans of cat food.

EXT. HEDESTAD - DUSK

58

He walks along the street through wind-whipping snow,

cradling the grocery bag, cell out in front of him again.

Any of the locals could tell him he could do this forever

-there are no cell towers anywhere around here.

EXT. HEDESTAD - DUSK

59

Grocery bag at his feet, he dials a call with fingers he

can no longer feel on the gas station pay phone by the

end of the bridge. It goes to Erika’s voice mail.

BLOMKVIST:

It’s me. I’m here. It’s f***ing

cold and I’m on a pay phone. If you

tried to call, the reception sucks,

and if you tried to email, there’s

none of that either, so - so - I’m

here - and - I can’t even speak it’s

so f***ing cold.

He hangs up, open the same pack of cigarettes from

before. Eighteen in there. Struggles to get one lit in

the wind and snow, hurries off toward the bridge.

INT. COTTAGE - NIGHT

60

As the cat laps at milk on a plate, Blomkvist tries to

get a fire going using pages ripped from a book. It’s a

struggle he’s going to lose; he’s no Boy Scout.

Dragon Tattoo Final 9/1/11 SZ 30.

30.30.

EXT. WENNERSTROM’S BUILDING - NIGHT

61

Salander appears and keys in the four lock tones.

INT. WENNERSTROM’S BUILDING - NIGHT

62

In the machine room again, she pulls one cable away from

the others and wires to it to Plague’s electronic box.

EXT. HEDESTAD - DAWN

63

The bell in the church tower clangs

INT. COTTAGE - DAWN

64

But it’s a knock that draws Blomkvist awake. Having

forgotten where he is, he regards the cat sleeping with

him, then the room, and groans. He pads to the door in

the freezing cold. Opens it to find a rugged older man

on his doorstep with a handcart loaded with file boxes.

NILSSON:

I’m Gunner. The caretaker.

INT. COTTAGE - LATER - DAWN

65

As Gunner expertly builds a fire in the fireplace for

him, Blomkvist works at unpacking the boxes - documents,

fat police reports, notebooks, folders, photo albums.

NILSSON:

You’re an author.

BLOMKVIST:

I’m writing a biography of Mr.

Vanger, yes.

Nilsson nods, but isn’t sure he believes it. Maybe he

took a look inside the boxes before he brought them down.

NILSSON:

I saw you on television.

BLOMKVIST:

That’s unfortunate.

NILSSON:

Bit of trouble, I guess.

Blomkvist nods and hopes that’s enough to put an end to

the subject. It isn’t.

NILSSON:

No jail time, though. That’s good.

Cost you a lot of money though, yeah?

Dragon Tattoo Final 9/1/11 SZ 31.

31.31.

Blomkvist shares his annoyance with the cat. Nilsson

dusts himself off, satisfied with the fire he’s made.

NILSSON:

There.

EXT. VANGER ESTATE - DAY

Vanger has ventured outside to show Blomkvist around

the estate. Smoke from chimneys rise into bitter cold

grey skies, weather for which Blomkvist, unlike the old

man, is inadequately dressed.

VANGER:

The island is owned by my family.

Your closest neighbor is my brother

Harald, another Nazi if you can

believe. Two in the family. He’s

detestable to put it nicely, but

you’ll probably never see him. He’s

a recluse.

BLOMKVIST:

He was there that day?

VANGER:

Indeed he was.

Vanger’s look to Blomkvist adds, ‘so consider him a

suspect.’ He indicates another house on the grounds

VANGER:

That’s his daughter Cecilia’s house.

They don’t speak.

BLOMKVIST:

Does anyone speak to anyone on this

island?

VANGER:

Actually, Isabella - Harriet’s mother

- who lives there

(points)

-she speaks to Harald - which is one

of reasons I don’t speak to her.

(points)

Cecilia’s brother Birger lives there.

BLOMKVIST:

Who doesn’t he speak to?

VANGER:

You, probably. Not that you’d want

him to. He can be as unpleasant as

Harald.

Dragon Tattoo Final 9/1/11 SZ 32.

32.32.

BLOMKVIST:

I’m quickly losing track who’s who.

VANGER:

Oh, how you’ll wish were it always

so. Soon you’ll know us all only too

well - with my apologies.

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