One of Stanley Kubrick's creepier films, if such a thing is possible, this adaptation of Nabokov's novel of forbidden lust is significant in how it broke though a number of Hollywood barriers without really violating any previously established moral codes. Also, it represents a change in Kubrick's filmmaking, as he started to make more daring, more inventive, more bizarre works outside of the traditional Hollywood system.

James Mason is effective and disturbing as the slightly deluded college professor Humbert Humbert who comes to stay at the house of Charlotte Haze (Shelley Winters) and her mature-beyond-her-years daughter Dolores, nicknamed Lolita (Sue Lyon). Winters is terrific as the over-the-top, lonely mother looking to seduce the European professor, who only has eyes for her teenage daughter. This trio proves satisfactory in getting the story moving and setting up the dynamics of Humbert and Lolita's relationship for the rest of the film. It does this in such a subtle, tricky way that at times you are forced to read so far into glances and seemingly off-handed statements you can't distinguish between regular dialogue and subtext. In order to film as racy and controversial a novel as this in the early 60s, it was no doubt necessary to eliminate a great deal of the original story, so as not to be too offensive to the audience's sense of propriety, but an unfortunate amount of necessary plot development and character interaction is lost in this fashion.

The most interesting character, despite all the underage sex and pedophilia going on, turns out to be the enigmatic Clare Quilty, played masterfully by Peter Sellers. Quilty emerges as Humbert's nemesis right of the bat, in the sequence-shifting scene that opens the film. His chameleon-like alterations from one scene to the next keep you guessing his motives and reasoning, even though his death is the first moment of the film. Sellers' performance directly foreshadows the multi-character work he would do in Kubrick's next and far superior film, Dr. Strangelove. But this in no way belittles the show he puts on here. From the surreal opening moments at his chaos-ridden home to his impersonation of a slightly effeminate police officer to his embodiment of the German psychologist Dr. Zemsh, Sellers is brilliant every step of the way and provides an interesting contrast in styles with Mason and his downward spiraling Humbert.

Sexual obsession is the obvious theme here, but it is one Kubrick would go to again years later in his confusing Eyes Wide Shut, with similar results. Neither film really succeeds in its attempts to explain what drives the characters to the extremes they go to nor do either hold up well over the course of viewing the movies. Both drag throughout and have unnaturally slow moments, yet both are bolstered by terrific performances (Lolita's Mason, Winters and Sellers; Eyes' Kidman and, to a lesser degree, Cruise). Abnormal sexuality also is prevalent in a few of Kubrick's other films, such as the strange bathing scene in Spartacus and the violent rapes in A Clockwork Orange. This was a theme he was obviously interested in, but never could get a proper handle on.

Kubrick had only begun to mark his stylistic individuality with Lolita, but he would never turn back from this point. Up until now, he had made quality, but pretty typical Hollywood fare such as Paths of Glory and Spartacus. But after this would come the nightmare comedy Strangelove, the man vs. machine brilliance of 2001, the hellish future world of A Clockwork Orange, and the sheer madness of The Shining. His personal directing style would be so particular and so impossible to duplicate that the idea of Steven Speilberg of all people directing Kubrick's A.I. is abhorrent and sad, but time will indeed tell on that one.

Even though I am recommending this film, I do feel compelled to explain that I really don't feel it is a four star movie as I've listed it. However, it isn't what I'd call three stars, so I rounded up. If they ever add a half-star option to the rating system here on Epinions, I will adjust my review accordingly.


Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: None of the Above
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older