‘Lolita’ – Film Review Friday

This week, I dedicated my time to experiencing, what I was told to be, one of the most disturbing film adaptations to be filmed, boasting inappropriate relationships to make you squirm and wither like a dried apricot. What I found, however, was an examination into the mind of a sexual deviant, which I ultimately found to be the most enjoyable. An investigation into the morals and crimes of one Humbert Humbert. I am Mason, juror number 5, and this was Humbert Humbert’s poetic but ghastly testimony of his crimes against innocent Delores ‘Lolita’ Haze.

As I watched the 1997 film adaptation this morning, I simultaneously joined the “the book was better” club, as not only were minor, but integral, events omitted from the final cut, but one of my favourite scenes, a threatening monologue by Humbert to Lolita to keep their relationship was removed entirely. That is not to say, though, this film wasn’t one of the best adaptations I have seen. In a little over 2 hours, the sprint through the novel kept, and at times amplified, some of the most agonising romantic scenes I have experienced. Even a single shot of a milk mustache over Lolita’s 13-year-old lips were enough to make me look away.

Humbert Humbert is a man hopelessly lost in Lolita’s presence, herself matching perfectly the essence of Humbert’s past love, Annabel. Despite her being underage, Humbert marries his landlord, Lolita’s mother, in order to get closer to her and start a relationship. However, within only a few months, Humbert and Lolita are forced to dodge her mother, doctors, teachers and a mysterious man driving a car with a Connecticut license plate, in order to hide their distressing bond, leading to a final confrontation with no one to root for.

Jeremy Irons plays Humbert in this adaptation, alongside Dominique Swain playing Lolita. Initially, I thought Irons was not quite handsome enough, and Swain not quite young enough, but as their performances will testify, it’s all about the pain and suffering. Swain, like Lolita, keeps you on your toes, giving you enough reasons to feel sympathy for her and enough reasons not to. Rest assured, one of the major times you’ll want to turn the TV off is during Lolita’s emotional breakdown. Irons performs masterfully, he’ll have you mentally debating whether he’s a good person, however, to properly perfect, he should have shown Humbert’s cards a little more to remind you of his psychopathic activities.

If I only had one correction to plead, I would beg for them to add in the scenes in which Humbert grows closer and closer to Lolita, before any physical contact is even made. I felt the film framed the events as Lolita’s own fault, when everybody who has read the book knows that Humbert planned everything from the start.

Overall, ‘Lolita’ is one of the best adaptations I’ve seen, while I can’t recommend this to anyone light-heartedly, if you’re prepared to put yourself in a position of anxiety and disgust, give this film a try. I try to keep my ratings at whole stars, but alas, while I want to give this film five stars (but is definitely not for everybody), and feel that it’s higher than four, I have no other choice!

Mason’s Rating: Four and a half stars!

Image Credit: The Samual Goldwyn Company/screenshot