Customer Reviews

Lolita

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I haven't read the book, yet, but I always thought Lolita was the manipulative one. Her stepfather seems the be one forcing the issue -- manipulative, creepy, obsessive. He is the one driving all the action, & she rides along semi-passively for most part. I imagined her the experienced seductress. She's more of a teenybopper half-heartedly playing mind games because she can.

Lolita (drama, romance)
Directed by Stanley Kubrick
Starring James Mason, Peter Sellers, Shelley Winters and Sue Lyon

Warner Bros. | 1962 | 154 min | Released May 31, 2011

Video:
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.66:1

Audio:
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0
French: Dolby Digital 1.0
German: Dolby Digital 1.0
Italian: Dolby Digital 1.0
Portuguese: Dolby Digital 1.0
Spanish (Castillan and Latin): Dolby Digital 1.0

Subtitles:
English SDH, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Norwegian, Portuguese, Portuguese (Brasil), Spanish (Castillan and Latin), Swedish

Disc:
Single 25GB Blu-ray Disc

Stanley Kubrick was capable of working in any genre, ranging from historical epics to futuristic science fiction. He gave us serious drama and dark comedy. Lolita certainly has its serious moments, but it's also filled with dark humor and is arguably his most controversial film.

Vladimir Nabokov's book was about a 12-year-old girl and would have been an even more controversial film if Kubrick had kept Lolita at that age. In the film, Lolita (Lyon) is a 14-year-old and it changes the overall tone somewhat.

Professor Humbert Humbert (Mason) is a British author looking for a home in New Hampshire. He visits Charlotte Haze (Winters) who is looking to rent a room. Humbert is on the verge of leaving and looking elsewhere, but sees her daughter, Lolita, sunbathing in the garden. He decides to stay and becomes obsessed with her. From his viewpoint, Lolita is flirting with him. She kisses him and plays with her hula hoop right in front of him. Meanwhile, Charlotte is hoping to start a relationship of her own with Humbert and doesn't notice the attention he gives Lolita.

Humbert's obsession grows and he keeps a secret journal about his feelings, but he's dismayed when Charlotte sends Lolita to summer camp 200 miles away. Charlotte then writes a letter to Humbert declaring her love for him and issues an ultimatum. She tells him to leave, or stay and marry her. He finds the letter hilarious and has no interest in her, but marries her to be close to Lolita. This act shows the extent of his obsession.

After the marriage, Charlotte decides to send Lolita to boarding school. Humbert fantasizes about killing her and spending the rest of his life with Lolita. Charlotte discovers his diary and true feelings and decides that she can't live with the knowledge, leaving Humbert to pursue his plan.

Another key character is that of Clare Quilty (Sellers). The opening scene of the film shows Humbert tracking down Quilty and shooting him. The remainder of the film shows the events leading up to Quilty's murder. Sellers plays the part well and tries to manipulate Humbert by pretending to be several different people. In Dr. Strangelove, the characters he portrays actually are separate individuals, but that's not the case here. Sellers writes plays and wants Lolita to appear in one, but seems to have an ulterior motive.

We see everything from Humbert's point of view and he's also the narrator at times. Was Kubrick trying to make us empathize with Humbert's feelings by placing us in his position? Was he trying to get us to root for Humbert and hope that he would somehow end up with Lolita?

The film is long at 154 minutes, but never seems to drag. Although we know that Humbert shoots Quilty, we don't know why until we see the preceding events. Kubrick makes some of Lolita's actions deliberately ambiguous so that we're left wondering whether she was flirting with Humbert. The overall impression is that she's not as innocent as she may appear.

The film is mainly about obsession and its impact on people's lives. Humbert's thoughts are far from pure. He wants Lolita and, although he doesn't kill Charlotte, he certainly considers doing so. The choice to make Lolita 14 helped avoid some of the controversy, but this is still a film that will be emotionally upsetting for some. Much of its impact depends on our imagination and will vary from one viewer to the next.

Mason is particularly effective as the polite Englishman, while Sellers and Winters also play their parts well. Lyon doesn't get much time on screen considering she's the motivation for everything that Humbert does, but she's believable in the role.

With the release of Lolita and Barry Lyndon, and The Killing announced for August (with Killer's Kiss among the special features), all of Kubrick's films will be available on Blu-ray with the exception of Fear and Desire which he disowned.

Video Quality 3.5/5
Lolita looks a little disappointing on Blu-ray. The 154-minute running time is contained on a single-layered disc with a modest bitrate, making me wonder whether the quality was compromised. The black and white presentation is lacking in detail and generally looks soft. It doesn't hold up well alongside a title such as Psycho. Grain is light and some scenes do look quite impressive, but I hoped for more. It's still a clear upgrade over the DVD of course.

Audio Quality 4/5
The DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0 track is a definite upgrade. The mono presentation packs quite a punch and dialogue is clear throughout. We can also hear background effects such as water filling Charlotte's bath. There are no disturbing pops or crackles. The sound quality couldn't have been much better considering the limitations of the source.

Special Effects 0/5

With the exception of a 1-minute trailer in SD, there's nothing included apart from the film.

Lolita demonstrates the variety of Kubrick's subject matter and challenges the audience. I would recommend the Blu-ray to any Kubrick fan as I believe it's one of his best films. It has drama, a sense of mystery and a lot of humor. It's an easy decision for fans of the film with Amazon.com's asking price of $14.99 at the time of writing.

For those new to the film, be aware that the presentation is merely adequate. The story won't be for everyone and could drag if you aren't familiar with Kubrick's style.

I'm delighted to have it in my collection, but did hope for a release with better video quality and extensive special features.

Overall 4/5

Do yourself a favor-and see this version of Lolita before you, or if you ever do get around to watching the 1997 film.This movie captures the novel's essence a whole lot more; not to mention, it's superbly acted and written, and feautures an array of great scenes.

James Mason is wonderful as Humbert Humbert. Stiff and charming and doomed all at the same time, he conveys his characters' feelings perfectly.Shelly Winters is an absolute riot and adds all the spunk and humor to the first part of the film.Peter Sellers works in some great lines as the pathetic Quilty, and Sue Lyons; well, she's not much of an actress, and she's a tad too old for the part.But the age gap is hardly noticeable, and one doesn't need to be much of an actress in order to convey the part of Lolita-she's more like a backdrop to the movie than an actual character. Yes, things get a bit drab in the end-the movie is certainly a whole lot more fun and irresistable in the beginning,due partly to the presence of Shelly Winters. And this film lacks the emotional impact, although I'm pretty sure it was intended as more of a dark comedy than a drama.

I don't think this movie is worthy of classic status or anything, but it's quite a great film.It's got great performances, and the script is absolute perfection,a marvel, I can't tell you how good it is(written by Nabokov himself).It's definately worth a watch, whatever your tastes.Don't expect to be blown away, but do expect to be fairly pleased, as all in all, this is a fine film.And if you're really,really curious, well then read the novel, which is more dense and difficult than one would imagine.

"Lolita" is an ode to the sexually experimental sixties delivered by directorial baton master Stanley Kubrick. While the film's listed screenwriter is Vladimir Nabokov, author of the novel being adapted to the screen, when his scenario was ultimately published it became obvious that Kubrick had placed his own stylish imprint on the script of the daring film.

The film begins in the manner of 1950 noir classic "Sunset Boulevard" in that we learn that one main character has been eliminated by another. In the earlier film it was William Holden being shot by live in love Gloria Swanson, while in the 1963 Kubrick masterpiece an enraged and helpless James Mason makes good in his threat to kill Peter Sellers. Before he is shot Sellers chides him, preferring to believe that his adversary will never follow through with his homicidal plan.

We then proceed to action four years earlier via flashback, when professor of literature Mason decides to spend a quiet summer in New Hampshire before starting a new job in the fall at an Ohio college. He encounters love-starved widow Shelley Winters. She hopes that his decision to rent a room in her home is occasioned by mutual attraction. The motivator is instead an overpowering attraction toward her 14-year-old daughter, beautiful blonde Lolita played by screen newcomer Sue Lyon.

Tragedy occurs when Winters, reading Mason's private diary, learns that he thinks of her as a "love sick cow" and is passionately in love with Lyon. She runs out into the street and is killed by an oncoming car.

Mason uses his strategic wits to become more than Lyon's stepfather, making good on his romantic designs. Trouble soon looms, however, from an invading force.

The catalyst of danger is none other than Peter Sellers, who puts his virtuosity to work by masquerading as various characters such as a policeman and psychiatrist, tormenting Mason by convincing him that he knows what he is up to and that he might be perilously close to the jailhouse door.

Ultimately Lyon leaves a devastated Mason. When he realizes that the zany but wily Sellers has let him court danger through sex with a minor while he plots to successfully take her away in a cleverly subtle ploy, Mason's desperation is pushed to full throttle. The scenes between masterful tortured intellectual Mason and innovatively zany Sellers are some of the best in cinema annals, daring explorations of sexually driven psyches orchestrated by the imaginative Kubrick.

Kubrick's masterpiece of 1962 with James Mason & Shelley Winters. It far surpasses in every way the 1998 remake (although I loved Jeremy Iron's portrayal of Humbert). Sometimes the imagination is more graphic & shocking than what is able to be filmed (especially in 1962!).

Plus, the B&W lends itself well to Nabokov's novel... Read the book! It is MOST EXCELLENT also!

This is a long film (152 minutes) and actually two-films-in-one. The first focuses on Humbert Humbert (James Mason) and his involvement with his landlady, Charlotte Haze (Shelley Winters), as well as on his strong physical attraction to her teenage daughter Lolita (Sue Lyon). The second and (in my opinion) much less effective segment continues the plot but without Charlotte. Winters brings so much energy to her role as a sexually frustrated widow whose cultural pretensions are both hilarious and pathetic but never endearing. When she is no longer on screen, the plot sags. Mason's performance is consistently first-rate but Lyon's body makes promises her acting skills cannot keep. When she and Mason are required to sustain the narrative, the results are often disappointing. As for the character Clare Quilty (Peter Sellers), I really don't know what quite to make of him. Presumably he represents corruption in various forms and is viewed by Humbert is an unworthy, indeed despicable rival for Lolita's attention. For whatever reasons, Sellers seems to be going through the motions. The supporting players are OK. None stands out.

Lolita was directed by Stanley Kubrick and is essentially based on Vladimir Nabakov's controversial novel in which the nymphet is 12 (not 15) and therefore her relationship with Humbert is (or was in 1955) all-the-more shocking. Because of its truly effective social satire, I would rate the first segment more than Five Stars if I could but rate the second segment (at best) Three Stars, hence the rating which appears above.

The Vladimir Nabokov novel from which this film came is ranked among the top 100 novels of all time in a list published by Random House, and in my estimation, Stanley Kubrick's film would make a Top 100 list as well.

As nearly everyone knows, "Lolita" is about the desires of a European professor in his mid forties named Humbert Humbert (played by James Mason) for the young daughter (Sue Lyon) of a woman (Shelley Winters) from whom he's renting a room for the summer. The fourth character, TV writer Clare Quilty (Peter Sellers) offers a mix of comic relief and intrigue as he continues to show up in unlikely places throughout the film.

Brilliant performances are what drive this film. Winters, especially, is brilliant as a reasonbly attractive and very needy widowed housewife. Mason moves into her home and quickly marries her for access to her daughter, who is flirting with him relentlessly. There are one liners and black humor aplenty in this film, including the funny/tragic moment when Winters' character Charlotte Haze is struck by a car and killed. This opens the door for Humbert to take Lolita away--but Clare Quilty somehow learns of the escape and follows them to Ohio, where Humbert begins teaching in earnest that fall.

Ultimately, Humbert's fantasy goes up in smoke. Lolita, as he realizes, doesn't love him, and he's caught between his desires and his awareness that he's damaging the girl by stealing her childhood. And in the end, Quilty steals her away from him in an escapade that's both humorous and tragic. The prologue, which shows a broken Humbert finally locating Quilty and killing him, turns out to be effective, as the film's most moving scenes are just before we reach the end (and the murder of Quilty)--Humbert tracks down Lolita, who's now 17-18, pregnant and married. Although Humbert was despicable in his inability to curb his desires, we pity him at this juncture.

This film stands the test of time as one of the all time greats. Although Adrian Lyne's remake was a worthy effort, it doesn't hold a candle to the original. Highly recommended, and a film I definitely hope won't be tampered with--adding color would rob much of the tension and ambience that made it so great.

After reading the comments here, I find myself coming to the (for me) unusual position of defending Stanley Kubrick, whom I feel has to be one of the world's most overrated directors. It's somehow perfectly fitting that *Lolita*, perhaps his very best movie along with *2001*, appears not to be very highly regarded (and *2001* isn't all that well-liked either), while technically perfect but morally void exercises in sadism and misogyny like *Clockwork Orange* and *The Shining* are praised to the skies by this director's fans. But that really comes as no surprise, since the major gripe about *Lolita* seems to be that Sue Lyons isn't YOUNG enough! I guess all the would-be Alexes out there wanted a 12-year-old (Lolita's age in the novel) to get all kissy-face with James Mason. Or failing that, the critics seem to prefer what Adrian Lyne accomplished in his numbingly literal-minded remake: an older teenager that has simulated sex with Humbert. At any rate, criticisms that Kubrick's movie is too "coy" fall beside the mark when compared to Lyne's film, which ALSO "cops out" with the casting of Dominique Swain, who was obviously not twelve during the shoot. The fact is, no audience, whether 40 years ago or today, wants to see a movie that features a pre-adolescent engaged in sexual activity. This works in terms of Nabobov's novel, but would be disgusting in a movie. The miracle is that Kubrick got so much of the novel into his film (and past the censors!). Let's face it, much of the credit goes to Nabokov himself: he wrote the screenplay. I've read the novel, and I can tell you that Kubrick's *Lolita* doesn't vary all that wildly from the original. The essential thing that Nabokov and Kubrick alter is the focus on Humbert's intense passion for his "nymphet" to a focus on the hypocrisy, with regards to sexual matters, of society at large. I.e., *Lolita* the book is about one sick man; *Lolita* the movie is about one sick society. And Humbert the perfect hypocrite perfectly fits into the hypocritical milieu of suburban America. It's telling that Humbert goes as far as he does with his nubile "step-daughter" without attracting attention from anyone . . . except for fellow-pervert Quilty. (It takes one to know one.) But the great thing is that movie isn't as serious-minded as all that. There are many laughs along the way, in particular the Quilty monologues by Peter Sellers, which, while seeming at first to be of doubtful relevance, eventually emerge as commentary on the film's action. Quilty is Humbert's sick conscience, and Humbert can't get away from him. And that's lucky for us. Finally, it can't be stressed enough that *Lolita* boasts of career highs -- and I mean the highest of high watermarks -- for no less than Sellers, James Mason, Shelley Winters, Sue Lyon . . . and, I daresay, Stanley Kubrick. [DVD note: I have a copy of a Remastered Digital edition, purchased elsewhere, that Amazon doesn't appear to carry. So, you know, keep your peepers peeled.]

There is another recent version of the Lolita story, starring Jeremy Irons. This one stars James Mason.

I expected a character drama, but the first minutes quickly set me straight. This is a dark comedy. With that in mind, Kubrick's version of the famous story is highly enjoyable, if somewhat ham-fisted. It is mainly a comedy about cruelty : Humbert's cruelty towards Charlotte Haze, Lolita's mother, Humbert's cruelty towards Lolita, and Lolita's cruelty towards Humber.

It is, of course, pathetic, and the opening scene (which chronologically is the ending) is a good display of that, as Humbert guns down a drunkard in his own house. Who that drunkard is, and why he is gunned down, is part and parcel of the whole story (albeit no one will have trouble seeing how it will all end after the first hour).

Charlotte Haze: Whenever you touch me, darling, I go as limp as a noodle.
Humbert Humbert: Yes, I am familiar with that feeling.

There is another recent version of the Lolita story, starring Jeremy Irons. This one stars James Mason.

I expected a character drama, but the first minutes quickly set me straight. This is a dark comedy. With that in mind, Kubrick's version of the famous story is highly enjoyable, if somewhat ham-fisted. It is mainly a comedy about cruelty : Humbert's cruelty towards Charlotte Haze, Lolita's mother, Humbert's cruelty towards Lolita, and Lolita's cruelty towards Humber.

It is, of course, pathetic, and the opening scene (which chronologically is the ending) is a good display of that, as Humbert guns down a drunkard in his own house. Who that drunkard is, and why he is gunned down, is part and parcel of the whole story (albeit no one will have trouble seeing how it will all end after the first hour).

Charlotte Haze: Whenever you touch me, darling, I go as limp as a noodle.
Humbert Humbert: Yes, I am familiar with that feeling.