Lessons from Kubrick's Lolita

[philhybels]

Kubrick's version of Lolita is a really great movie. But every time I watch it I feel it really hits me powerfully, as a male. I mean if there were ever a movie to make men feel guilty about the way we treat women, this is it! It's all about a man's obsession for this teenage girl. And although he goes way further than most people would with his

Comments

[bubbling]

Sorry just surfing around and found your interesting post.. you're a friend of a friend :)

I really like Lolita too, although I kinda feel a little sorry him (Humbert) at the end. I know he treated her horribly, but I think that's because he felt he truly loved her and wanted a real relationship with her, but she was too young to be looking for anything serious and wanted her freedom (which isn't a criticism of her, just stating the obvious).

Of course that doesn't excuse him from treating her so selfishly. He just couldn't see her as "a young teenager", but only as a love/lust object like you said.

Have you seen the remake? it's the only one i've seen, but from what I can tell it's pretty much the same, although it goes a little more into how his obsession with young girls began (when he was lolita's age, he had a girlfriend who died suddenly when their relationship started getting more serious.. he could never get over it.. etc.. u get the drift)

p.s. I read your post about when harry met sally.. oh yeah definately the king.. ;

[philhybels]

No haven't seen the remake, but hear it has some tacky things in it. I'm not sure I like the idea of giving Humbert a backstory that tries to excuse him a little. If it's all left open, it is easier to see yourself in him. After all we can't all relate to someone who had such a traumatic experience with love.

[bubbling]

You have a point there. That's a good way of looking at it :)

I think the remake tries to shift the focus from Humbert's actions to Lolita's part in relationship. I think they try to make her look more like the initiator and the power holder in the whole relationship. There are times where she's the one who climbs on top of him first (seemingly) to seduce him, or where she only sleeps with him in exchange for extra pocket money, etc. She comes off as the manipulator. Perhaps they, as you suggested, are trying to excuse him a little more in this one.

I don't think you'll like this one as much, but rent it sometime and see what think :)