Plot: What’s it about?
Humbert Humbert (James Mason) is a middle-aged writer in a most unusual situation, to say the least. Humbert rents a room from a lonely widow, Charlotte (Shelley Winters) and her daughter Lolita (Sue Lyon). He finds his new home to be a restful place to write and what not, but he has become swept into a strange romantic circle as well, which complicates his life. Charlotte is a widow and is desperate for attention, so she falls in love with Humbert and tries to win him over, but his affections are directed somewhere else, somewhere he doesn’t often speak of. You see, Humbert has become taken with Lolita, who is beautiful and quite attractive in all respects, but she is only fourteen and as such, represents potential trouble for him also. As if that wasn’t enough, a strange chap by the name of Quilty (Peter Sellers) seems to surface at bad times, who also has an interest in Lolita, that’s for sure. What will become of Humbert’s obsession with Lolita and in the end, how far he will take his affections and what will be the consequences?
This is one of those movies were it all comes together, no real weak spots can be seen, which is quite impressive indeed. The film is based on the controversial novel by Vladimir Nabokov, but Kubrick tries less to replicate the novel, instead reworking it to better suit his own vision. I think it all pans out very well and of course, Kubrick’s direction is as solid as ever, especially in terms of visuals and performances. The black & white photography is superb and adds a lot to the experience, but this is Kubrick, so that’s to be expected. The cast is dynamic and excellent, including stunning turns by James Mason, Shelley Winters, Peter Sellers, and in the title role, young Sue Lyon. I think this story is a very interesting one and Kubrick brings it to the screen in fine form, while the cast seems well chosen and more than up to the task. I do wish Warner could have done more with this disc, but since the movie looks and sounds good, I give it a more than solid recommendation.
I think this film has several impressive performances, but this is Lolita and as such, I think the title role is of utmost importance. Here that role is played by Sue Lyon, who is excellent and brings across all the needed elements. It is easy to see why Humbert would fall for Lolita, but we also see her immature nature and of course, that is vital to the role’s impact. Her looks and body language are used to perfection here, but Lyon also shows a lot of skills in delivery, especially when dealing with Humbert’s advances. She also adds a lot of small touches, ones that flesh out her character and add a lot to the movie, to be sure. You can also see Lyon in such films as Four Rode Out, Alligator, Invisible Strangler, The Night of the Iguana, The Flim-Flam Man. The cast also includes James Mason (Salem’s Lot, Heaven Can Wait), Shelley Winters (Pete’s Dragon, The Greatest Story Ever Told), Lois Maxwell (Endless Night, A View to a Kill), Peter Sellers (Dr. Strangelove, Casino Royale), and Gary Cockrell (The Bedford Incident, Man in the Middle).
Video: How does it look?
Lolita is presented in a 1.66:1 widescreen transfer, which is not enhanced for widescreen televisions. This has been restored and remastered, which is good news indeed, though some flaws can still be seen. This is an excellent to be sure, but some debris and damage is still evident, though not enough to be concerned with. The print looks very clean and sharp at all times, which allows more detail to surface and that’s always welcome. The black & white image is well presented, with well balanced black levels and no serious problems to speak of.
Audio: How does it sound?
Unlike the others in this collection, Lolita retains the original mono option, which should please some fans. The track is clean and shows minimal signs of age, which allows for a sharp overall experience. I heard no hiss or harshness in the least, while music and sound effects come across in fine form at all times. The dialogue is smooth also and never falters, thanks to a high level of crispness and no volume errors to report. This disc also includes a French language option, as well as subtitles in English, Spanish, French, and Portuguese.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes a list of awards the film has won, as well as the film’s theatrical trailer.
