Martin Vanger Quotes in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)

Martin Vanger: It's hard to believe that the fear of offending can be stronger than the fear of pain, but you know what? It is.

Martin Vanger: [to Mikael] Let me ask you something? Why don't people trust their instincts? They sense something is wrong, someone is walking too close behind them... You knew something was wrong but you came back into the house. Did I force you, did I drag you in? No. All I had to do was offer you a drink. It's hard to believe that the fear of offending can be stronger than the fear of pain. But you know what? It is. And they always come willingly. And then they sit there. They know it's all over just like you do but somehow they still think they have a chance. Maybe if I say the right thing? Maybe if I'm polite. If I cry, if i beg. And when I see the hope draining from their face like it is from yours right now. I can feel myself getting hard. You know, We're not that different, you and I. We both have urges, satisfying mine requires more towels.

Martin Vanger: Bring your drink, leave my knife.

Mikael Blomkvist: You were here that day?

Martin Vanger: that terrible day. Searching. Not finding. Even worse.

Martin Vanger: It might amuse you that while you were upstairs having moose with me and Liv, who, by the way, finds me conventional, I had Irina down there in that cage.

Martin Vanger: [points to cage and Mikael sees it]

Martin Vanger: Who's Irina, you might ask? Just another girl. Just another immigrant whore. Who misses them?

Mikael Blomkvist: Your sister wasn't.

Martin Vanger: [confused] What?

Mikael Blomkvist: Your sister Harriet wasn't just another girl.

Martin Vanger: You found her.

[grabs Mikael by the neck]

Martin Vanger: What happened to her?

Mikael Blomkvist: [suffocating] You... killed her.

Martin Vanger: [lets go of Mikael's neck] You useless fucking detective.

Henrik Vanger: I apologize if you've been having financial problems at the magazine due to Mikael's absence.

Erika Berger: We'll work through them.

Henrik Vanger: Are you sure?

Martin Vanger: How long do you think you can hang on? Six months?

Erika Berger: That sounds about right.

Henrik Vanger: I used to be in the newspaper business. We owned six dailies back in the '50s.

Martin Vanger: We still own one. The Courier, here in town.

Henrik Vanger: Which I let my nephew, Birger, run because he can't run anything else.

Martin Vanger: So, what would you say to taking on a partner?

Erika Berger: Well, we've never had to consider it before. We value our independence very much.

Martin Vanger: I apologize for my mother's behavior.

Mikael Blomkvist: I'm used to it.

Martin Vanger: It has nothing to do with you. It's between her and Henrik. She lost it when my father died. And her drinking and her... it got so bad Henrik took me and my sister away from her and left her excommunicated in the old house on the other side of the island. She hasn't forgiven him. You must stay. You're the last chance Henrik has at some kind of resolution. Put this to rest one way or another. I'll keep my mother away. But please, hurry.

Mikael Blomkvist: Of course.

Martin Vanger: [to Mikael] Why didn't you just go home?

Mikael Blomkvist: Why?

Martin Vanger: Why what?

Mikael Blomkvist: All of this?

Martin Vanger: Why not? I do what every man dreams of. I take what I want.

Mikael Blomkvist: How many women after the first?

Martin Vanger: I don't know. I've lost count. I had a girl in that cage when we were dining upstairs. Those kind of women disappear all the time. No one misses them.