Lolita

[Emil Miller]

Oh, you couldn't had an American play him!
We need a new film of Lolita, I think.

Well, we could have an American play him if there were anyone available, but the current crop of Hollywood pretty boys, who couldn't act their way out of a paper bag, would be out of their depth. Who do you propose for the part? Bruce Willis perhaps; but unfortunately there are no car chases or fireball explosions in the story. There may be other possiblities but I no longer bother with a Hollywood that relinquished genuine film making to the inanities of Wall Street backers years ago. The Oscars were presented recently: who cares? They give them away in Corn Flake packets these days.

[kelby_lake]

Well, we could have an American play him if there were anyone available, but the current crop of Hollywood pretty boys, who couldn't act their way out of a paper bag, would be out of their depth. Who do you propose for the part? Bruce Willis perhaps; but unfortunately there are no car chases or fireball explosions in the story. There may be other possiblities but I no longer bother with a Hollywood that relinquished genuine film making to the inanities of Wall Street backers years ago. The Oscars were presented recently: who cares? They give them away in Corn Flake packets these days.

Hmm...not sure actually. We need someone who looks sort of dignified and well-spoken...and I think they should have stubble. And they shouldn't be so old! Poor Humbert was only 36, not 50 million!

[Emil Miller]

Hmm...not sure actually. We need someone who looks sort of dignified and well-spoken...and I think they should have stubble. And they shouldn't be so old! Poor Humbert was only 36, not 50 million!

Mason was 43 when he made Lolita, somewhat short of 50 million and a very convincing age for Humbert, despite 36 being the original protagonist's age. By today's standards 36 is the new 17-years-old, although the coming depression is going to force them grow up. Personally, I am looking forward to the days when real men, rather than spoilt little pretty boys, set the standard of acting and behaviour in general. Currently, I can't think of anybody who is well-spoken and dignified, and stubble is the sign of a slob and the antithesis of dignity; despite advertisers trying to persuade impressionable people otherwise.

[kelby_lake]

Yeah, you have a point. Though Jeremy Irons didn't have the right build I think, he had the right sort of style.

[Emil Miller]

Yeah, you have a point. Though Jeremy Irons didn't have the right build I think, he had the right sort of style.

I thought Irons was pretty good and the girl was more in keeping with Nobokov's creation but the direction was a disaster.

[kelby_lake]

It did look a bit awkward.

[WICKES]

Well, we could have an American play him if there were anyone available, but the current crop of Hollywood pretty boys, who couldn't act their way out of a paper bag, would be out of their depth. Who do you propose for the part? Bruce Willis perhaps; but unfortunately there are no car chases or fireball explosions in the story. There may be other possiblities but I no longer bother with a Hollywood that relinquished genuine film making to the inanities of Wall Street backers years ago. The Oscars were presented recently: who cares? They give them away in Corn Flake packets these days.

It would have to be a European playing him. You really need someone with an upper class English accent- an RSC actor type. If Hollywood made it though it would be sanitised, have an ugly script, star Tom Cruise and be completely unwatchable.

[Emil Miller]

It would have to be a European playing him. You really need someone with an upper class English accent- an RSC actor type. If Hollywood made it though it would be sanitised, have an ugly script, star Tom Cruise and be completely unwatchable.

I think the film would have to be sanitised to a certain extent because ( even in these degenerate days ) it would be difficult to get away with a 12 year old girl as the lover of a 36 year old man in a film. Which is why the 1961 version starring James Mason had to be made in the UK rather than the USA even though a major backer of the film was MGM. Even then, the girl was presented as a 15 year old which is practically the age of consent.
The 1997 version starring Jeremy Irons was a Franco/USA co-production but, apart from Irons and the girl, was totally unconvincing to the extent that I switched off about a quater of the way through.
Both films failed for different reasons. The girl in the earlier version was a regular little glamour puss whereas the one in the later version was much nearer the mark and actually looked childlike. However, the first film was well directed by Stanley Kubrick but the second was all at sea.
Another important fact is that Nobokov scripted the earlier version.
As British actors, Irons and Mason were good as Humbert but they were not best served by the factors I have mentioned.

[kelby_lake]

I found it hard to see why a 12 year old girl, or her mother, would be attracted to Mason. He wasn't at all good-looking.

[Emil Miller]

I found it hard to see why a 12 year old girl, or her mother, would be attracted to Mason. He wasn't at all good-looking.

Not in the pretty boy way so prevalent among actors (?) these days, but there was a time when women were attracted to genuine masculine personalities as opposed to the male celebrities (?) ( don't make me laugh ) who infest the cinema nowadays with their total lack of personal, as opposed to publicity generated, charisma.

[kelby_lake]

Not in the pretty boy way so prevalent among actors (?) these days, but there was a time when women were attracted to genuine masculine personalities as opposed to the male celebrities (?) ( don't make me laugh ) who infest the cinema nowadays with their total lack of personal, as opposed to publicity generated, charisma.

They don't really have charisma these days, do they?

Maybe we should get a French guy in, with a seductive accent...

[Emil Miller]

They don't really have charisma these days, do they?

Maybe we should get a French guy in, with a seductive accent...

Why are you so against Mason's portrayal? OK he didn't look like Jude Law or whoever the current flavour of the month may be, but he was convincing in the role. Admittedly, it's a long time since I saw the film but, given the circumstances under which it was made, I thought Stanley Kubrick got within a reasonable shot of the story. One of the things I remember from the book is that there seemed to be a certain amount of tedious prose writing that had to be waded through which, thankfully, Kubrick was able to dispense with in the film version. However, the premise of the story is so good, that I intend to read it again to see if a second reading overcomes my reservations.

[Mariamosis]

I really appreciate this thread! All of the interesting feedback urged me to read this book. Although I am only 1/3 of the way through it, I am entranced.

It did feel uncomfortable to get into, but Nabokov really pulls you in. His style is exactly what I have been looking for, and I expect to read many more of his books....

[kelby_lake]

There's a beautifully sad bit right near the end- genius.

[Emil Miller]

There's a beautifully sad bit right near the end- genius.

Where have you been Kelby? Don't you realise that we are the only ones keeping this thread alive ?