Lolita

( 10 )

Overview

Adapted from the novel by Vladimir Nabokov previously filmed by Stanley Kubrick in 1962, Lolita stars Jeremy Irons as Humbert Humbert, a college literature professor. In early adolescence, Humbert fell hopelessly and tragically in love with a girl his own age, and, as he grew into adulthood, he never lost his obsession with "nymphets," teenagers who walk a fine line between being a girl and a woman. While looking for a place to live after securing a new teaching position, he meets Charlotte Haze Melanie Griffith,...
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Overview

Adapted from the novel by Vladimir Nabokov previously filmed by Stanley Kubrick in 1962, Lolita stars Jeremy Irons as Humbert Humbert, a college literature professor. In early adolescence, Humbert fell hopelessly and tragically in love with a girl his own age, and, as he grew into adulthood, he never lost his obsession with "nymphets," teenagers who walk a fine line between being a girl and a woman. While looking for a place to live after securing a new teaching position, he meets Charlotte Haze Melanie Griffith, a pretentious and annoying woman who seems desperately lonely and is obviously attracted to Humbert. Humbert pays her little mind until he meets her 13-year-old daughter Lolita Dominique Swain, the image of the girl that Humbert once loved. Humbert moves into the Haze home as a boarder and eventually marries Charlotte in order to be closer to Lolita. When Charlotte finds out about Humbert's attraction to her daughter, she flees the house in a rage, only to be killed in an auto accident. Without telling Lolita of her mother's fate, Humbert takes her on a cross-country auto trip, where their relationship begins to move beyond the traditional boundaries of stepfather and step-daughter. Lolita proved to be controversial in the United States due to its clear if not explicit depiction of sex between a middle-aged man and an underaged girl; no major studio was willing to release it in America, and it finally had its U.S. premiere on the Showtime cable network. This version, directed by Adrian Lyne, was publicized as being more faithful to Nabokov's book than Stanley Kubrick's adaptation which was scripted by Nabokov himself; however, it manages to be closer to the letter of the novel without capturing its spirit and tone as well as Kubrick did.
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Editorial Reviews

Barnes & Noble - Ed Hulse
Vladimir Nabokov's darkly satirical novel about forbidden passions became a cinematic classic when Stanley Kubrick filmed it in 1962. The infamous paean to pedophilia is transposed to the screen somewhat more explicitly in this glossy adaptation directed by Adrian Lyne 9 1/2 Weeks. Despite its unsavory theme -- the self-destructive sexual obsession of a middle-aged man for a pubescent nymphet -- Lolita establishes a humorous, ironic tone that only dissipates toward the movie's climax, when an unfortunate chain of events hurtles the story toward a tragic conclusion hinted at in the opening scene. Jeremy Irons, who has essayed many complex characters in his illustrious career, is letter-perfect as Humbert Humbert, the erudite English professor whose infatuation with a 14-year-old girl draws him into a sexual relationship that ultimately ruins his life. Making her film debut as the seductive Lolita, Dominique Swain is appropriately sensual and shrewdly manipulative. Veteran soft-core director Lyne stages the sex scenes with surprising restraint and imbues the film with a cheesy lyricism that makes it more amusing than one might expect.
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Product Details

  • Release Date: 9/18/2007
  • EAN: 4897007030644
  • Original Release: 1997
  • Source: Castaway Pictures
  • Region Code: 0
  • Presentation: Subtitled / Pan & Scan
  • Format: DVD
  • Sales rank: 810

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits
Jeremy Irons Humbert Humbert
Melanie Griffith Mother
Frank Langella Claire Quilty
Dominique Swain Lolita
Suzanne Shepherd Miss Pratt
Keith Reddin Reverend Rigger
Erin J. Dean Mona
Technical Credits
Adrian Lyne Director
Howard Atherton Cinematographer
Jenny Beavan Costumes/Costume Designer
F. Paul Benz Editor
David Bremner Editor
Ellen Chenoweth Casting
Stephan R. Goldman Musical Direction/Supervision
W. Steven Graham Art Director
Jon Hutman Production Designer
Mario Kassar Producer
Judianna Makovsky Costumes/Costume Designer
Joel B. Michaels Producer
Julie Monroe Editor
Ennio Morricone Score Composer
Jeffrey A. Okun Special Effects
Stephen Schiff Screenwriter
Albert M. Shapiro Asst. Director
Charles Wilborn Sound/Sound Designer
Vladimir Nabokov Source Author
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Scene Index

Disc #1 -- Lolita
1. Voluptuous Charlotte and nymph Lolita [22:31]
2. Romantic dream of Charlotte [18:25]
3. Poisonous wound of Humbert [24:25]
4. Haunting urge of lost passion [22:03]
5. Journey being followed [22:39]
6. Secret desires with disastrous results [27:23]
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Menu

Disc #1 -- Lolita
   Play Movie
   Scene Selections
   Subtitles
      English
      Traditional Chinese
      Simplified Chinese
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Customer Reviews

Average Rating 4.5
( 10 )
Rating Distribution

5 Star

(7)

4 Star

(2)

3 Star

(1)

2 Star

(0)

1 Star

(0)

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Sort by: Showing all of 10 Customer Reviews

  • Posted July 14, 2011

    Eng 128

    I first had to read the novel version of this book as a class assignment and after we were finished with the book we watched this movie. I felt this version of Lolita was far more accurate to the book than the 1962 version of this film. The actors in this films played their roles extremely well and got me really in to the movie when I first saw it. I also felt that the sugar coating to the whole issue it was originally trying to captivate was at a minimum. You could tell through this film the true intentions of each character from the deep obsessions of Humbert to the manipulating behavior of Lolita. Overall, I liked this film. I also recommend reading the book as well to gain a more broad understanding of everything!

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  • Posted June 22, 2011

    Worth a watch.

    Adrian Lyne's adaptation of Lolita has it up and downs but overall, it was exactly what was needed. The design elements of the film were absolutely gorgeous, distracting, and interesting. However, I would like to discuss the acting in the film. First is that of Jeremy Irons who plays our narrator, Professor Humbert. I found him to be very direct in his dialogue. He also created a sense of boyish charm to the character of Humbert, which helped personify his actions. He did not seem just like a creepy old man chasing after a young girl, but he had such tenderness towards Lolita that outshined his questionable nature. Now as for the title character Lolita, Dominique Swain, I found to be very mature. She did not seem believable as a young girl, and when watching the film I found her to just be Charlotte Haze's daughter until later learning she was in high school. I thought she played with age too much and did not establish or ground herself in one certain behavior mindset. As I have mentioned Charlotte Haze, played by Melanie Griffith, being Lolita's mother; I felt did not deliver. I found her annoying qualities to be desperate and half-hearted. I did not believe her to be dominant in the household or have any character depth. Got a sense of just doing a character. Overall, I found this film to be very enjoyable and entertaining, however I felt that Jeremy Irons carried the film through to the end.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    Helpless Obsession

    I almost feel that it takes a great writer even to review this movie, or the book it was written from. I am not a great writer, just a consumer who was deeply touched by the book and the movie. It tells the story of a man who is tragically obsessed with his first love, Annabelle. In the book, Humbert Humbert tells us that as a 13 year old boy, he was deeply in love with a 12 year old girl. They were about to complete their first sexual encounter when suddenly interrupted, and he never saw his love again. She died of typhus shortly after the incident, and he never saw her again. Thus, he became sexually and romantically obsessed with her, and could never love anyone else. Humbert tells us in the book that he had many other women, but he was just "marking time" and would never love anyone else. Then, one day in his late thirties, when looking for a room to rent, he is being shown the back of a house by the landlady. Then, the shock of his life, he said looking down to the ground was a young girl, laying on a blanket on the ground, "there was my riviera love, peering at me, over dark glasses." She was 12 years old, and identical to his lost love, Annabelle, right down to a small mole on her hip. Thus, his sick and helpless obsession with Delores Haze, Lolita. It is not a book about sex. It is a book about forbidden and sick love. Sadly, poor Humbert knows he is a sick pervert, and grieves about it, but is helpless to do anything about it. It is deep, and profound, heartbreaking and funny. Unfortunately, niether of the movies let the moviegoer know much about Annabelle, so they probably don't understand why poor Humbert is the way he is. To really appreciate the movie, one needs to read the book.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    not that Bad of a film

    well i never read the book or seen the first one they made but this movie is a good movie for any one who likes the stars of this film. so have a nice night.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    Perfect!!

    Wow okay when I first was being bored just sitting on my booty trynna watch something good..I passed ''lolita'' on the tv guide and I was like omg um okay I'll watch it..it sounded interesting..so I put it on and it was awesome lol Im only 15 so yeah but alot of ppl get lyke um weird with me because Im like obsessed with the movie..I talk about it all the time and recommend it to my friends and they love it too..I mean its just a real sedutive movie and entertaining I think..I laughed hard a few times through it..the director did an awesome job with picking the actress dominique swain I so cant see kirsten dunst doing a role like that lol but dominique was great I love her acting..shes now one of my favorite..Id recommend any movie that she is in to anyone..shes just so great..Lolita was I dunno ta put it in words is so hard screw this..JUST WATCH THE MOVIE U'LL LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    PERFECT

    This is one of the most controversal movie I've ever seen in my life. The moment I saw its commercial on showcase, it just drew me in. (I don't mean the ''girl'' necessarily although she's very hot) If I can describe this movie's personality with one phrase, I got to say its very seductive. Obviously that's what the director Adrian(Fatal Attraction and Unfaithful) does the best. I just couldn't take my eyes off the screen since it was so addictive and I got so much into it from the beginning. Adrian didn't make this movie for a box-office reason but for the REAL movie-getters who'd like to see the real masterpiece which will be stuck in your head for a long time. (that's what happened to me)

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    Excelent movie!

    I had to see this movie for my spanish class in College. I have to say that this has been the movie I have seen in my life. Great actors (except Melanie Griffith) and great story. I recomend it to anyone who loves dramas,and well, any kind of movie!

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    Beautiful

    Although this movie tells the story of all we were taught to be wrong, sinful and not to mention illegal, it is so beautifully made that you soon find yourself being swept away in the intensity of the characters emotions. The love Humbert feels for Lolita is so deep and despite its immorality so pure, it secretly makes you wish that they are meeting a bright future together. Unfortunately, their relationship is doomed to fail, like a dark cloud hanging over the few wonderful moments they share together. To me, this was a beautiful and captivating love story and I must mention the wonderful performances by Dominique Swain and Jeremy Irons, of course (he stole my heart).

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  • Anonymous

    Posted April 1, 2009

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted January 5, 2011

    No text was provided for this review.

Sort by: Showing all of 10 Customer Reviews