 |
| James Mason, Shelley Winters, Sue Lyon,
Peter Sellers |
|
 |
Anamorphic
widescreen |
|
Dolby Digital
5.1 |
|
DTS |
|
 |
Trailer(s) |
|
Featurette(s) |
|
Documentary |
|
Audio commentary
|
|
Deleted scenes
|
|
Concept art
/ storyboards |
|
Multi-angle
feature |
|
|
|
|
Charlotte
Haze (Shelley Winters): Whenever you touch me, darling, I go as
limp as a noodle.
Humbert Humbert (James Mason): Yes, I am familiar with that feeling.
An
English college professor in America develops a passion for the underage
daughter of his landlady, but ultimately finds it impossible to sustain
a relationship with her.
 The
first movie of Stanley Kubrick's to cause major U.S. controversy, Lolita
was bold for its time but can today clearly be seen as a victim of the
Production Code restraints that were still active at the time. And although
it's still a picture of barbed wit, generous intellect and meticulously
staged, beautifully shot visuals, there's a keen sense of missing elements
that lessens the film's overall impact. One can now only imagine the
film Lolita might have been had Kubrick enjoyed the absolute
freedom he had on every consecutive picture.
The film can however still be greatly enjoyed on many levels: for the
serendipity of its unusual narrative, which slowly develops towards
an unusual kind of understated climax. For the barbed wit of its screenplay,
which masterfully translates a limited but effective cinematic version
of the novel to the screen. And most notably for its performances, with
James Mason in absolutely marvelous form as the pathetic, pretentious,
often idiotic but never wholly despiccable Humbert Humbert. Shelley
Winters also delivers a brave, outstanding performance as the gauche,
insecure and very lonely landlady who meets a tragic end. Peter Sellers'
remarkable scene-stealing performance is as odd as it is brilliant,
with his hilarious turn impersonating 'Professor Zempf' a comic, crazy
high point in the film. |
|
 |
 |
|
|
The
first DVD release of Lolita was available separately or as part
of the original Region 1 release of the Stanley Kubrick Collection box
set, and featured a rather soft transfer drawn from damaged source elements.
A remastered edition was released earlier this year for Region 1, again
both separately and as part of the newly remastered Stanely Kubrick
Collection box set, and features a cleaned-up transfer.
The Region 2 release of Lolita features the remastered version
of the film, and is available both separately and as part of the newly
released Stanley Kubrick Collection box set. The Region 2 release, which
is identical to the R1 version, served as basis for this review.
Unfortunately
for all those with widescreen TV sets or projectors, Warner Home Video's
policy is to release non-anamorphic transfers of films with a 1.66:1
aspect ratio, and contrary to what the Region 2 packaging would claim,
Lolita is no exception. But although a windowboxed anamorphic
transfer would probably have pleased the majority of DVD buyers more,
the transfer on this newly restored and remastered presentation is no
less than outstanding. The source print is all but flawless, with deep
blacks, subtle shadings of grays and whites, and little or no graininess.
The monaural sound mix, presented from the center channel in single-channel
Dolby Digital, has a very natural sound, with both music and dialogues
clearly and pleasantly brought forward without any distracting distortions.
The
theatrical trailer is the only extra on the disc. The
menu screens, presented in anamorphic widescreen, are static and accompanied
by a cue from the score.
Dan
Hassler-Forest
Reviewed: 2001
Click
here for IMDB info on Lolita.
Click here
to return to the front page.
|
|
| |
