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Actors: Jeremy Irons, Dominique Swain, Frank Langella, Melanie Griffith
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| Review Summary and Plot Commentary about Lolita (1997) |
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There was good reason for anxiety when Adrian Lyne, the crass director of "Nine 1/2 Weeks," "Fatal Attraction," and "Indecent Proposal," decided to tackle Nabokov's celebrated yet all-but-unfilmable novel of a middle-aged professor's sexual obsession with a 12-year-old girl. The results, while not an artistic triumph, are surprisingly good, given an outstanding performance by Irons, a fine bit of acting by 15-year-old Swain (said to be 14 in this movie), and remarkably sensitive and restrained direction by Lyne (save for the farcical murder of Quilty, as taken from the book). I assume Lyne can take some of the credit for the lovely soundtrack as well, spiced with Fats Waller, Lena Horne, Count Basie, Red Ingle, Louis Prima and others. Griffith is too grating as the mother, Langella suitably annoying in the role of Quilty. But see this film for Irons's ravaged, obsessed, and ultimately self-defeating Humbert. Truly excellent.
--David Loftus, Resident Scholar
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| Analysis of Lolita (1997) |
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Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about
books by breaking them down into many different literary
elements, all of which are searchable (click here). |
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Time/era of movie:
- 1930's-1950's
Romance/Love/Hugging
Yes
Kind of romance:
- love triangle/polygon
- seduction (yum!)
Taboo Sex Story?
Yes
Kind of sex:
- rape
- molestation
Main Character
Identity:
- Male
Profession/status:
- teacher/professor
Age:
- 40's-50's
Eccentric:
Yes
- eccentric
- obsessed
- deluded
Hair color?
- brunette (Brown)
Hair type
- (man) short/standard straight
Body type
- (man) average
Unclothed?
- Chest
Events of movie makes character more...
- sensitive
- sad
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor?
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- average physique
Secondary Main Character
Identity:
- Female
Unclothed?
- buttocks and chest
How much in movie?
- 60%
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 40's-50's
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- 20%
Hair color
- brunette (Black)
Hair type
- (man) short/standard straight
Body type
- (man) average
unclothed?
- chest
How sensitive is this character?
- mean, arrogant
Sense of humor
- Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
Physique
- average physique
Setting
United States
Yes
The US:
- Southeast
- Texas
- West
- Northeast
Farm/Ranch?
Yes
Small town?
Yes
Misc setting
- fancy mansion
- resort/hotel
Style
Accounts of torture and death?
- moderately detailed references to deaths
Movie makes you feel...
- depressed/sad
Sex/nudity in movie?
Yes
What kind of sex:
- kissing
- sex under blankets
Any profanity?
- Occasional swearing
Is this movie based on a
- book
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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