Vladimir Nabokov

NABOKV-L post 0003118, Wed, 20 May 1998 08:55:02 -0700

Subject
Jeremy Irons on 'Lolita' (fwd)
Date
Body
From: "steven a. benko" <sabenko@email.msn.com>

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Lolita film does not encourage pedophilia -Irons By Paul Majendie

LONDON (Reuters) - Oscar-winning actor Jeremy Irons, proud
of his role in ``Lolita,'' said Monday the controversial film
did not encourage pedophilia.
Irons, who threatened to leave Britain if the film did not
find a distributor in his home country, said feedback from
British audiences had been positive.
But the new adaptation of Vladimir Nabokov's classic 1954
novel has been deemed too controversial for U.S. theatrical
release. It will be shown on cable television instead.
``It is going on Showtime (the cable channel) and will be
seen widely without censorship. It will be beaming into
everyone's homes while the 10-year-olds and the nine-year-olds
will be watching it. It is ludicrous,'' Irons said.
Lolita tells the story of a 45-year-old college professor,
Humbert Humbert, who falls in love with his landlady's
14-year-old daughter, played by Dominique Swain.
``It does not encourage pedophilia in any way,'' Irons told
Reuters in an interview.
``The feedback I am getting is that it is a very good film,
very moving, very disturbing -- everything that a piece of art
should be ...It was a difficult role to do but it is a role I am
very proud of,'' he said.
``Actors should be like the medieval clown standing behind
the ear of the king and telling him he is mortal. Somebody in
life has to tell the truth and when you are surrounded by
political correctness, fashion, all of that, someone has got to
stand up and make sense,'' he added.
In Britain, family groups and film industry watchdogs
protested at the decision by the censor to allow the screeningof the film.
Known pedophiles have been hounded from their homes in many
parts of Britain and tabloid newspapers have carried many
alarming reports of pedophile rings.
The film is directed by Adrian Lyne, famous for his steamy
``Nine and A Half Weeks'' and the sex thriller ``FatalAttraction.''
Although the movie shows almost no nudity, Lyne used a
19-year-old body double for sex scenes so as not to breakobscenity laws.
Sue Lyon, who played a lollipop-sucking Lolita in the 1962
version of the film with James Mason and Peter Sellers, says her
sudden fame led to a downward spiral of drink, drugs anddepression.
``I am appalled they should revive the film that caused my
destruction as a person,'' she said of the remake.
Irons was confident that Dominique Swain, the new Lolita,
would not be knocked off course by all the media attention.
``I think her career will survive it. Sue Lyon's didn't but
I think it wasn't so much Lolita as the enormous interest that
surrounded her. I don't think Dominique has that. She has done
other things since then and is a bright girl.''