Monday, May 29, 2006
NYMPHET
Today's NYTimes Best Film was
Stanley Kubrick's X-rated version of the Nabokov novel.
It is pretty dull. Black and white. James Mason fulminates. Peter Sellers does dialects. Shelley Winters does slatternly sex-starved suburbanite. A sad stereotype that she fell into after her blonde bombshell period. Too bad because she was a really good actress; studied with Lee Strasburg and all. See her in The Balcony.
In 1962, this was really shocking stuff. We are told that the remake in the nineties still could not get US distribution.
I believe it.
What a bunch of blue noses we are.
But, for someone who has even a bit of sexual sophistication and a liberal attitude, the film is a yawn. I felt 'sleepy' for most of it and watched my watch.
The fact is that they kept the wraps on this pretty tight. There are no sex scenes. Only the suggestion of it. There is little nudity; mostly James Mason in a bath and bathrobe but he is not close to his enamorata. The women are as chaste looking as you can be.
If you are a foot-man (or woman) you will like the two toe-nail polishing scenes. If you are not you will not.
Sue Lyon is way too old for this film. Lolita was 'pre-pubescent'; Lyon an older looking 16.
She is also more 'knowing' or (John says) predatory than Lolita should be.
Yes. I broke one of my rules. You know: I don't see anything that I have read or read anything that I have seen; no sequels, no remakes. And I did read/skim Lolita. Years ago. I didn't like the book much either. It made me squirm. I don't have a blue nose but I am a father.
Let's use the word; pedophilia.
We would have to wait for the 2000's for a film that really addressed that visually as well as thematically; The Woodman and others.
I more found it slimy than provocative.
As for the film, it is more about an obsession with a teenage girl. The funny thing is that the most worrisome aspect of a March-November relationship is that there is absolutely nothing to talk about 'after'. And this film proves the point.
I will give it a 2 out of Netflix5. It dodged the bullet and Kubrick made a tedious film despite the best efforts of his cast.
