Vladimir Nabokov

NABOKV-L post 0004494, Mon, 18 Oct 1999 08:30:36 -0700

Subject
Re: VN Filmography: "American Beauty" (fwd)
Date
Body
From: "Suh, Michael (M&C)" <MSuh@exchange.ML.com>

"VN has often shown us the "beauty" that is often
hidden or travestied by vulgarians, money-grubbers, and the like,
which is precisely the governing idea in *American Beauty*."

Dana Dragunoiu forgot to include in this list Nabokovian parrots.


> -----Original Message-----
> From: Donald Barton Johnson [SMTP:chtodel@humanitas.ucsb.edu]
> Sent: Monday, October 18, 1999 11:15 AM
> To: NABOKV-L@UCSBVM.ucsb.edu
> Subject: Re: VN Filmography: "American Beauty" (fwd)
>
> From: Dana Dragunoiu <ddraguno@chass.utoronto.ca>
> Dear Galya and List Members:
>
> A more covert reference to VN and his work in *American
> Beauty* was (perhaps) being made during the sequence
> when Ricky is showing Jane his favourite cinematic moment:
> the bag being "played with" by the wind, which Ricky
> identifies as a benevolent force behind all visible existence.
> My guess would be that the screenplay writer makes a direct
> reference to *Lolita* (via "Angela Hayes") in order to signal
> a wider, more subtle and generous relationship with VN and
> his outlook. VN has often shown us the "beauty" that is often
> hidden or travestied by vulgarians, money-grubbers, and the like,
> which is precisely the governing idea in *American Beauty*.
>
> Dana Dragunoiu