Read the trilogy or watch the film and you can trace Larsson's beliefs by his errors of omission. He includes every variety of male violence against women, except the violence inspired by religious and cultural misogyny. I do not wish to be too priggish. A work of art – high or popular – lives or dies on its own merits. Larsson was also a brave man, who faced down death threats from Scandinavian Nazis. That he could propagate brutish ideas in his political pamphlets on occasion does not change his anti-fascist record or invalidate his fiction.
Monday, January 09, 2012
Choosing victims ...
... Stieg Larsson was an extremist, not a feminist | Nick Cohen | Comment is free | The Observer. (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)
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We've been discussing this article at Friend Feed. Not sure the author of the piece has actually read the books, as the main plot of #2 is about cultural-based misogyny, ie people-trafficking. Also Larsson had 10 books planned yet only wrote 3, who knows what themes were in store had he lived?
ReplyDeleteOur newspaper, the Palm Beach Post, has a weekly magazine (TGIF)which carries a syndicated feature from the Washington Post called "Should Your Kids See It?" written by Jane Horwitz, it contains brief critiques of new release movies. For the Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, she wrote: "There are two scenes of sexual assault and exploitation against the main character. These make the film inappropriate for anyone under 20 or so, quite frankly."
ReplyDeleteNow that's a remarkable statement. One wonders if it is solid professional judgement or a highly personal reaction.
I saw the Swedish version of this movie and thought it just one more modern expression of the use of sex and violence for the making of money.