Film Snail

Lolita
Lolita

7.3

Lolita

NR·1962·154m

Summary

Humbert Humbert is a middle-aged British novelist who is both appalled by and attracted to the vulgarity of American culture. When he comes to stay at the boarding house run by Charlotte Haze, he soon becomes obsessed with Lolita, the woman's teenaged daughter.

Crew

Director

Stanley Kubrick

Novel, Screenplay

Vladimir Nabokov

Reviews

Wuchak

Wuchak

February 19, 2024

6

**_An attractive 14 years-old girl knows the power over males she has… and wields it_**

A middle-aged professor of French literature (James Mason) spends the summer in New Hampshire where he becomes infatuated by a 14 years-old girl (Sue Lyon), the daughter of the woman who rents him a room (Shelley Winters). Nothing good will come from this attraction if he cannot keep it in check.

Helmed by Stanley Kubrick based on the book by Vladimir Nabokov, "Lolita" (1962) is a B&W black comedy and psychological drama that was controversial in its day (and still is) so the physical intimacy of the adult-minor relationship is only hinted at. Sue Lyon turned 15 during shooting and is surprisingly a good actress at such a young age. Don’t expect much exploitation of her beauty, though, beyond an early scene of her in a two-piece bathing suit.

The character of Quilty has less of a role in the book and is believable. He’s basically a dark shadow of Humbert, mirroring Humbert's carnal qualities. Unfortunately, Kubrick allowed Peters Sellers to get out-of-control in the part, which spoils it (and the movie). Don’t get me wrong, Peter Sellers has great charisma, even here, but too many of his Quilty scenes are nonsensical or implausible.

The two worst examples are: When he shows up at that hotel and has that eye-rolling (ad-libbed) conversation on the porch while looking in the opposite direction of Humbert. Later he shows up at Humbert’s abode masquerading as a school psychiatrist threatening to have a group of therapists come over to observe Lolita's homelife, unless she can be in his play. Why Sure! It doesn’t help that Humbert curiously goes along with both without question.

While overlong by at least half an hour, the cast is a highlight and the drama is fairly compelling and sometimes amusing despite the quaint datedness of the production and the eye-rolling Quilty scenes.

The film runs 2 hours, 32 minutes, and was shot in both America and England.

GRADE: B-

Media

Status:

Released

Original Language:

English

Budget:

$2,000,000.00

Revenue:

$9,250,000.00

Keywords

hotel
depression
lolita
small town
secret love
based on novel or book
sexual obsession
summer camp
midlife crisis
loss of loved one
literature professor
widow
flirt
eroticism
youngster
motel
diary
seduction
provocation
fascination
one-sided love
forbidden love
adoptive father
older man younger woman relationship
sex with a minor