Search - Lolita [Widescreen] on DVD

MPAA Rating: NR Content Advisory: Adult Situations, Not For Children, Adult Language, Adult Humor Movie Release: 1962 DVD Release: 06/29/1999 Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV Edition: Special Collection Audio Tracks: English, French Subtitles: English, French SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 2 hrs 32 mins Studio: Warner Home Video Members Wishing: 20 Genres: Comedy Drama, Satire, Black Comedy, Romantic Drama, Psychological Drama See Also: Lolita, Lolita

"How did they make a movie out of Lolita?" teased the print ads of this Stanley Kubrick production. The answer: by adding three years to the title character's age. The original Vladimir Nabokov novel caused no end of scandal by detailing the romance between a middle-aged intellectual and a 12-year-old nymphet. The affair is "cleansed" ever so slightly in the film by making Lolita a 15-year-old (portrayed by 16-year-old Sue Lyon). In adapting his novel to film, Nabokov downplayed the wicked satire and sensuality of the material, concentrating instead on the story's farcical aspects. James Mason plays professor Humbert Humbert, who while waiting to begin a teaching post in the United States rents a room from blowzy Shelley Winters. Winters immediately falls for the worldly Humbert, but he only has eyes for his landlady's nubile daughter Lolita. The professor goes so far as to marry Winters so that he can remain near to the object of his ardor. Turning up like a bad penny at every opportunity is smarmy TV writer Quilty (Peter Sellers), who seems inordinately interested in Humbert's behavior. When Winters happens to read Humbert's diary, she is so revolted by his lustful thoughts that she runs blindly into the street, where she is struck and killed by a car. Without telling Lolita that her mother is dead, Humbert packs her into the car and goes on a cross-country trip, dogged every inch of the way by a mysterious pursuer. Once she gets over the shock of her mother's death, Lolita is agreeable to inaugurating an affair with her stepfather (this is handled very, very discreetly, despite the slavering critical assessments of 1962). But when the girl begins discovering boys her own age, she drifts away from Humbert. One day, she leaves without warning. This is humiliation enough for Humbert; but when he discovers who her secret lover really is, the results are fatal. We are prepared for the ending because the film has been framed as a flashback; what we are not prepared for is Stanley Kubrick's adroit manipulation of our sympathies and expectations. An incredibly long film considering its subject matter, Lolita is never dull, nor does it ever stoop to the sensationalism prevalent in the film's ad campaign. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

James Mason - Humbert Humbert
Shelley Winters - Charlotte Haze
Peter Sellers - Clare Quilty
Sue Lyon - Lolita Haze
Marianne Stone - Vivian Darkbloom

Stanley Kubrick's satirical look at human obsession, in the guise of Vladimir Nabokov's -Lolita, is as timely today as it was upon release. James Mason's droll, uncool Humbert Humbert and Peter Sellers' stammering, dada Clare Quilty stumble around this excellent widescreen DVD presentation. The high-contrast black-and-white imagery, courtesy of cinematographer Oswald Morris, is consistently stunning, with a very good digital transfer. Lighting effects and shadows paint subtle and not-so-subtle symbols across the actors' and actresses' faces. In this letterboxed format, the visuals more than astound. The Mono sound, Kubrick's preferred format, is quite fitting when paired with the period look of the movie. The dialogue, the musical score, and all sound effects are clear and crisp in the Dolby Digital mix. The theatrical trailer is a stylish if dated look at the film's interesting marketing campaign, which does indirectly express some of the controversy of the subject matter. Other features include direct access to all of the DVD's 42 chapters and a one-page list of awards and nominations. ~ Tim DiGravina, All Movie Guide