Peppermint Friday Film Review #9: Lolita

I watched this film last night just after I did the post of 'Kubrick Vs Hitchcock' and I knew this film, and of the book. Plus I knew it would be easy to do a review of a Kubrick film that I've seen countless times. As this is a film that's still fresh to me, I thought it be nice.

Everyone knows the story of Lolita, its about a man called Humbert who needs a place to stay, so he becomes a lodger for this woman called Charlotte, she has a daughter called Lolita. Soon over time Humbert becomes infatuated with her, he then marries Charlotte problem being that Humbert is in his 40s and Lolita is a teenager. We all know the story, and its one of Kubrick's most memorable films. 

This film is something, its incredibly done for what it is as the story in itself is not exactly easy to film and create because the book is very graphic. I loved the film as it was done because it was made with such charm, and that sounds weird but I enjoyed it because it's so unlike any film I had ever seen before. I loved Peter Sellers in this film, as he was brilliant in it I loved it when he started talking to Lolita about the facts of life, it was just so creepy, and amazing. This film makes you feel like its creepy and weird, and thats good but also it makes you feel that its normal. One of the scenes that freaked me out was when Lolita was hula-hooping in the garden, and Humbert just sat there watching her. 

I gotta admit this film does go on not that, thats a bad thing its just very thick and dense. I mean lets face it theres not happy smiley songs and dance in this film is there? its very serious and intense which is good, because with a story like this you can't make it fun, you can try but that would hard. I also love both Sue Lyon who plays Lolita, who I'd like to point out was 14 at the time of filming this and Jason Mason who plays Humbert they did the job of the characters and the book wonderfully. I know that the Kubrick film version is different from the book, but the characters are still there. 

There are two versions of this story, the 1997 version which is more accurate to the book and obviously this version the 1962 which is based of the book but it has the Kubrick element to it. I love the fact that its in Black and White and I know films back then were mainly in Black and White, but there were loads of films in colour and it wasn't exactly weird. I loved the Black and White colour to it because for me it makes everyone neutral. Not saying everyone's innocent just feel that everything is neutral, its muted and I feel its free but intense at the same time. I feel this film is something you need to watch regardless of what you think of the story or the characters but, you will not forgot this film that does sound very corny but there honestly isn't really a film like it. 

Kubrick Vs Hitchcock

We're gonna talk about two very famous and credited Directors, and this post was a long time coming. These two Directors are totally unique in there own way, but at the same time they're very much the same.

 

We'll start with there backgrounds shall we? Alfred Hitchcock was born in England, his childhood was quite an unhappy one as, he got bullied alot for his weight, and theres a story that when he was around 5 he misbehaved and his father sent him to prison with a note asking to lock him away for 5 minutes, and I guess thats why in alot of his films he has characters that are wrongly accused or have harsh punishments in.  He loved silent films, and dabbled in creative writing. Stanley Kubrick was born in New York, to a wealthy family he had an above average IQ, although he did miss school alot and loved stories and Grimm brothers, Greek and Roman Myths. 

 Both of them are born in completely different countries, at different times there films are very similar, at the same time not. Kubrick's films are very diverse, like you could easily find something for everyone. Whereas with Kubrick his films are abit more out of this world, and thats not a reference to 2001: A Space Odyssey. Or should I say controversial his films for me broke so many boundaries, I was 12 when I first watched The Shining, that was the first Stanley Kubrick film I watched, and at the time I love reading and still do but back then I got into Stephan King books, so I didn't think it was something that I couldn't watch because it was a 15 I liked it because I like the Stephan King Novels, and I thought it was a good film, never thought I wasn't technically allowed to watch it. I feel with Kubrick he can be controversial, I mean he did an adaptation of Clockwork Orange, that alone screams controversial. 

I'm not as familiar with Hitchcock's work, his work is amazing for what it was at the time and still even now, many filmmakers who create anything with suspense and horror to it that includes Kubrick. His films back then were seen as weird, and just terrifying, now they are but just with all the suspense of films now and ten years ago its all different now, but still amazing. The Birds is the one film I will never forget, it's so spell bounding and sinister I loved it, it just completely resonated with me. Again I never thought that I wasn't necessarily allowed to watch it, because of the age ratings, and I've always been like that. But I mean really who's gonna arrest or fine someone because they're watching a Kubrick or Hitchcock film.

 
 But I mean again I say this with every post, but I don't think theres much of a competition, just preference really. Either way both of these men create brilliant stories to show, and they're remembered, but I just prefer Stanley Kubrick, because not gonna lie when I found out that I wasn't allowed to technically watch it cus of the age rating, I just thought to myself 'I'll watch some more..' Despite the rebellious 12 year old me breaking the law, cus I watched a film. I love the vision it provided from the books I read a voice, and I got to watch characters from what I imagined they should be on screen, and sometimes its disappointing but sometimes its fun to watch. But thats why we watch films, its storytelling and emotions and feelings, and everything.