Lolita
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Movie Reviews of Lolita
Movie Review: Not "the" Lolita, but a Brilliant Lolita nonetheless
Summary: 5 Stars
As the theatrical trailer reminds us, making a movie of Lolita in the early 60s was a well-nigh impossible gesture. Nabokov's novel, with all its byzantine word games, centers on the ultimate taboo: Child rape. It's a tribute to Nabokov's genius that his point-of-view character, chief protagonist Humbert Humbert (the unnatural redundancy of the name suggests incest, among other things) can court our sympathies with any degree of success. He's a pathetic, cowardly monster who kidnaps and rapes his own stepdaughter and holds her hostage to his desires until she escapes from him. Yet his ardor for the beloved 'nymphet,' with all its accompanying jealousy, possessiveness and the downright terror of her falling into the hands of teenage boys, says something profound about the irrational nature of love. When Lolita finally slips from his clutches, it's the body following the illusion Humbert has created; he never legitimately had her/owned her, but neither does any lover, ultimately.
Stanley Kubrick's film of Lolita is not the novel, as the most helpful positive reviewer points out. It simply couldn't have been done at the time, but neither does Adrian Lynne's 1998 adaptation do it justice (I suspect that no one, not even a latter-day Luis Bunuel, could make the "real" Lolita, with all of its hall-of-mirrors splendor intact). But considering the limitations involved, Kubrick's is a marvelous work. Using a sublime cast--Peter Sellers steals the show as Quilty, James Mason is wonderfully Humbertian, and Sue Lyons is a convincingly vulgar childish enticement--and working from Nabokov's own script, Kubrick delicately cuts the outline of monstrosity from symbolism, clues and cues to the actual evil at hand that range from the subtle to the hilariously overt (Lolita attends something called Camp Climax; Humbert refers to the Dairy Queen as the Frigid Queen, with all the Freudian matter that conveys). For all the talk of Kubrick's formalism he can be very funny, and his film of Lolita has slapstick qualities to rival Buster Keaton, along with all the droll suggestions of naughtiness indicated above. A very enjoyable film and one that bears repeated viewing.
Movie Review: An Early Kubrick Classic
Summary: 5 Stars
"Lolita" is a true classic of film history, created by arguably the greatest filmmaker of all time. The quality of the movie and the quality of the cast are evident in every frame of the film. A top-notch cast includes James Mason, Shelley Winters, and Peter Sellers, and they make the movie unforgettable. Not to mention, the title character, Sue Lyon, who makes you love to hate her!
The only regret is that Kubrick was so influenced by the controversy surrounding the production of the film that much, much, MUCH of the original novel was dumbed down. Including the age of Lolita (much younger in the book) and the general relationship between Humbert and Lolita is left very much ambiguous, even though it's strongly implied.
But these modifications do not touch the quality of the film and the end result, which leaves you wanting more.
Movie Review: "Don't Stand So Close to Me"
Summary: 5 Stars
Although this movie does not really accurately portray Nabokov's story, it is a work of art in itself. Sue Lyon is perfect as the object of sexual obsession. James Mason is perfect as the obsessed. Shelly Winters is perfect as Shelly Winters. Sue was never able to continue on with different roles and we wonder what she would have been like if she had. We are able to start to see some of Stanley Kubrick's genius in this early movie of his career. Although, I don't personally approve of this type of situation, I am highly entertained by it and we have all known characters that resemble the characters in the movie. They are people we snicker about behind hand-covered mouths. The song by the Police, "Don't Stand So Close to Me" serves to conjure up scenes from the movie and provides a romanticized and fitting musical tribute.Movie Review: AMERICAN BEAUTY for the 60's crowd...
Summary: 5 Stars
Stanley Kubrick takes the controversial novel, and brings us the tale of an older man driven mad by the lustful desires that he has for his teenage stepdaughter. James Mason is perfect as Humpbert Humpbert, who is the main subject of this character study. Shelly Winters is appropriately annoying as Lolita's pseudo-intellectual mother, and Sue Lyons is perfect in the role of Lolita. Peter Sellers has a hilarious role as Quilty, a pedophile comedian who also wants to bed Lolita -- and will go to any lengths he can to do so.
Under Stanley Kubrick's direction, this is a must see classic. It was quite controversial in it's day, and it still has the power to disturb, in my opinion. Humpbert is simply the Lester Burnham of the sixties.
Kubrick fans must seek this one out!
Movie Review: 1961 Black & White
Summary: 5 Stars
Brilliant 2 1/2 hours of character portrayal by Mason, Sellers, Winters and the lovely Lolita.
Kubrick's depiction of Freudian sexuality,murder,possesiveness,insecurity, a world without purpose but the maximization of one's pleasure within one's own private world shot and executed so carefully as to all detail makes this a remarkable tour De force.
This film adaption whether true to the original makes no difference since this movie is cast in the contemporary 1960's at a cusp of sociological change.
The drama is excellent and what comes to mind is Joan Crawford's Possessed and Edward G. Robinson's Scarlet Street but shot in the early 1960's with all themes intact.
The movies captures the tensions between the old and new extremely well,