Forbidden films: 10 interesting facts about film adaptations of Nabokov's novel "Lolita"

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

April 22 marks 117 years since birth Vladimir Nabokov - a writer, poet, screenwriter, whom Russians and Americans do not cease to dispute with each other to this day. To the general public, he is known primarily as the author of a scandalous novel "Lolita" … The few attempts to film this work were also accompanied by a number of scandals, the films repeated the fate of the novel: they were banned in many countries of the world.

For the first film adaptation of the novel "Lolita" in 1962, Nabokov himself wrote the script, which was later published as a separate book. The film was directed by the famous Stanley Kubrick. The film took part in the Venice Film Festival and was nominated for an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay.

The director explained his vision of Nabokov's Humbert as follows: “We are talking about an outsider, a stranger who passionately violates generally accepted norms. This is a criminal, a maniac, a poet, a lover, a revolutionary. The main characters of the films "Paths of Glory", "Murder", "Spartacus" and "Lolita" are all outsiders who fight to accomplish the impossible, be it a first-class robbery, or saving an innocent from execution by a militaristic state, or a love affair with a twelve-year-old girl. " The director introduced Humbert as a lonely romantic renegade.

Stanley Kubrick and Nabokov worked together on the cast. Certain difficulties have arisen due to the strict restrictions imposed by the Film Industry Association of America. In the novel, Lolita is 12 years old, but it was simply impossible to invite such a young girl to such a role. Nabokov insisted that the actress should look like a child, but act like a grown woman. The choice fell on 16-year-old Sue Lyon.

For censorship reasons, the eroticism in the film was minimized, which Stanley Kubrick later regretted: “The film had to have the same erotic power as the novel. Although the film retained the psychology of the characters and the mood of the novel … there was not as much eroticism in it as could be invested now. If we brought it closer to the novel, it would be more popular. The film was a success, but no doubt people expected to see something that they found in the book."

All details that characterize Humbert as a pedophile are excluded from Kubrick's film. So, there are no tricks with "sleeping pills" when the hero wanted to put Lolita to sleep and use her. The girl, on the other hand, appears as a vulgar beauty seducing Humbert.

The second film adaptation of "Lolita" was the film of the same name by Adrian Lyne, released in 1997, 20 years after the death of Nabokov. It was starred by Jeremy Irons and Dominic Swain. The film is based on the novel, it is built as a story of the defendant to the jury, which Nabokov did not have.

Dustin Hoffman was initially invited to play the role of Humbert, but he turned it down due to filming in another film. The role of Lolita was offered to Natalie Portman, but she also refused, due to her religious beliefs. About 2,500 actresses were auditioned, 15-year-old Dominique Swain was approved for the role.

In the joint scenes between the girl and Jeremy Irons, a pillow was laid. And in intimate scenes she was replaced by an understudy, since under American law, underage actresses cannot participate in the filming of scenes of sexual intercourse.

Lolita's screen age in both versions was increased to 14 years old for fear of causing anger and outrage in the public. In the final cut of the film, several explicit scenes were cut that remained on the DVD with the film, as cinemas in the UK and France refused to show Lolita in full.

Adrian Line's film was banned in Australia until 1999 for "propaganda of pedophilia", another 24 countries banned or restricted it from showing. Until now, in European countries, discs with "Lolita" are allowed to be sold only to adults. In fact, the film repeated the fate of Nabokov's novel, which at one time was banned in England, France, Argentina, New Zealand and South Africa, like others 10 most famous books banned in different countries