Subject
Kubrick & LOLITA
Date
Body
EDITOR's NOTE. Although NABOKV-L declared a moratorium on the further
discussion of Kubrick's LOLITA, the posting below presents some an
important insight from its author, as well as some little known comments
on the subject from Kubrick himself. The sender, Dieter Zimmer,
long-time literary editor of Hamburg's _Die Zeit_, is Nabokov's
major German translator and editor of the splendid annotated 24 volume edition of VN
put out by Rowolht. He is also also the author of two works on VN's
butterflies: "Nabokov's Lepidoptera" in _Les papillons de Nabokov_
(Lausanne, 1994) and the privately printed _Nabokov's Lepidoptera: An
Annotated Catalogue (Hamburg, 1996).
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************
Why do people's nerves lie so bare at the mention of Stanley Kubrick's
"Lolita" movie? I personally believe that he has made some superb films
and that "Lolita" isn't one of them, but I would not want to make a credo
of it. (Superb, by the way, isn't quite the word, because to me, one or
two of his films belong into that rare category of art which has proved to
possess the power to model the mind, in this case the visual awareness of
the spectator -- of course, I am thinking especially of "Space Odyssey"
which has shaped how we all picture outer space, including the Strauss
waltz.) I am comforted by the fact that Kubrick himself has been critical
of his "Lolita" movie. I translate a passage from an interview conducted
by Hellmuth Karasek (DER SPIEGEL, October 5, 1987):
SPIEGEL: And which is your most personal movie?
KUBRICK: I would cite a whole group: "Space Odyssey", "Clockwork Orange"
and "Dr. Strangelove". I believe these are my best films, if only in that
they have a more filmlike story than "Barry Lyndon".
SPIEGEL: And "Lolita"? Is "Lolita" perhaps one of your weaker films because
its nymphet theme could not well be realized in the prim fifties?
KUBRICK: Possibly. But you also have to see that Nabokov's book simply
cannot be turned into something that is not disappointing. Nabokov's novel
is so wonderfully written...
SPIEGEL: ... lives so much by its language...
KUBRICK: Completely. If you take away its language, it certainly remains a
good story. If "Lolita" had been written by a worse author, perhaps the
film would have been better. But Nabokov was such an exceptional writer
that it wasn't very intelligent to try to turn his novel into a film.
SPIEGEL: A good narrative style as a danger. How about "The Shining"?
KUBRICK: In the case of "The Shining" I think the film is better than the
novel. Stephen King, of course, thinks the novel superior.
Dieter E. Zimmer, Hamburg, Germany
discussion of Kubrick's LOLITA, the posting below presents some an
important insight from its author, as well as some little known comments
on the subject from Kubrick himself. The sender, Dieter Zimmer,
long-time literary editor of Hamburg's _Die Zeit_, is Nabokov's
major German translator and editor of the splendid annotated 24 volume edition of VN
put out by Rowolht. He is also also the author of two works on VN's
butterflies: "Nabokov's Lepidoptera" in _Les papillons de Nabokov_
(Lausanne, 1994) and the privately printed _Nabokov's Lepidoptera: An
Annotated Catalogue (Hamburg, 1996).
***************************************************************************
************
Why do people's nerves lie so bare at the mention of Stanley Kubrick's
"Lolita" movie? I personally believe that he has made some superb films
and that "Lolita" isn't one of them, but I would not want to make a credo
of it. (Superb, by the way, isn't quite the word, because to me, one or
two of his films belong into that rare category of art which has proved to
possess the power to model the mind, in this case the visual awareness of
the spectator -- of course, I am thinking especially of "Space Odyssey"
which has shaped how we all picture outer space, including the Strauss
waltz.) I am comforted by the fact that Kubrick himself has been critical
of his "Lolita" movie. I translate a passage from an interview conducted
by Hellmuth Karasek (DER SPIEGEL, October 5, 1987):
SPIEGEL: And which is your most personal movie?
KUBRICK: I would cite a whole group: "Space Odyssey", "Clockwork Orange"
and "Dr. Strangelove". I believe these are my best films, if only in that
they have a more filmlike story than "Barry Lyndon".
SPIEGEL: And "Lolita"? Is "Lolita" perhaps one of your weaker films because
its nymphet theme could not well be realized in the prim fifties?
KUBRICK: Possibly. But you also have to see that Nabokov's book simply
cannot be turned into something that is not disappointing. Nabokov's novel
is so wonderfully written...
SPIEGEL: ... lives so much by its language...
KUBRICK: Completely. If you take away its language, it certainly remains a
good story. If "Lolita" had been written by a worse author, perhaps the
film would have been better. But Nabokov was such an exceptional writer
that it wasn't very intelligent to try to turn his novel into a film.
SPIEGEL: A good narrative style as a danger. How about "The Shining"?
KUBRICK: In the case of "The Shining" I think the film is better than the
novel. Stephen King, of course, thinks the novel superior.
Dieter E. Zimmer, Hamburg, Germany