Eva Gabrielsson Against ‘Girl With the Dragon Tattoo’ Merchandise

“The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” hit theaters this week in the United States and with it’s release, came a clothing line. Eva Gabrielsson, Stieg Larsson’s longtime partner, says that the movie should be drawing attention to women’s issues and not fashion lines.

Gabrielsson says that the late author would have agreed with her and would have been ashamed that his work is being used to sell clothes. The CS Monitor reports that H&M recently released a line of clothing inspired by Lisbeth Salanders, the anti-heroine from “The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo.”

Gabrielsson said:

“We would never have sold any rights for merchandising. It has nothing to do with books.”

And merchandise isn’t the only thing that is bugging Gabrielsson about the new Hollywood franchise. Larsson’s long term partner is afraid that the social undertones of Larsson’s novel will be lost in all the Hollywood hype. Part of the problem, according to Gabrielsson, is that the actors don’t understand the novel.

In a recent news conference Rooney Mara said that Lisbeth Sanders was not a feminist and that the character doesn’t identify herself with any subculture. Gabrielsson said:

“Does she know what film she has been in? Has she read the books? Has she not had any coaching? (Lisbeth Salander’s) entire being represents a resistance, an active resistance to the mechanisms that mean women don’t advance in this world and in worst case scenarios are abused like she was.”

Unfortunately, Gabrielsson has little say as to what happens to Stieg Larsson’s work. The two dated for over thirty years but were never married. Larsson didn’t leave a will so the rights to his work went to his brother and father.

Do you think Eva Gabrielsson is right? Is “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” being mistreated?