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@e.r.f.g_films
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This is a dark tale, a tale told beautifully. It is a story of a man falling in love with a young girl (or should I say becoming infatuated with the idea of her) but through his eyes. And here from his position we are forced to sit through the uncomfortable ordeal that follows. To quote another film, “because it’s written from his perspective, you sort of understand and sympathise with him, which is kind of amazing because he’s essentially a child molester” (Captain Fantastic 2016).
I think the casting is fantastic in terms of story-telling. I have heard that there was some controversy over Jeremy Irons (Humbert) being too “young and handsome” however, I think this is intentional. It is the juxtaposition of it all, Humbert is the villain, he is the monster, he ruins this girl’s life, but he is also charming and appealing. He takes her across the country presenting as her father with little questions asked. Lotlita’s mother falls for him, perhaps making her blind to his relationship with her daughter. I think the controversy is in the age gap between Jeremy Irons and Dominique Swain (Lolita). I believe Swain was no older than 14 during filming and Irons in his 30s which, although works for the plot of the movie, it does beg some questions. Although a body double is used for some of the nude scenes, Swain is undeniably very involved in the film.
It is rare to see a main character that is not morally just. It is not often that the main character is the villain of the story. We hear his thoughts and see his actions first hand as the audience. And this is what makes this movie even more uncomfortable than it already would be. We, as an audience, are reminded of this girl’s age throughout the first half of this movie. Be it her braces, her pyjamas being too long at the legs and just her childlike body language, masterfully played by Swain. As we move into the second half of the film we see deeper character development and the movie takes an even darker turn. It is honestly interesting to see their “relationship” struggles.
Lastly, I must touch on the filmography, I think the film’s plot does sometimes steal the light away from the actual filmography. The colour pallet is gorgeous, the scenes from the Haze’s back garden are stunning. We do also essentially go on an American road trip for part of the film. Director Adrian Lyne really focused on his two main characters. He made special care to capture the most subtle of glances, the tiniest level of contact between Lolita and Humbert. It really builds the tension and adds to the forbidden, hidden side of the “relationship” in the beginning.
Lolita is a twisted sad tale, told through a warm hazy lens. I think this film should be on people’s watch lists.
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