Vladimir Nabokov

NABOKV-L post 0002830, Wed, 11 Feb 1998 07:53:06 -0800

Subject
Re: Lolita in France (fwd)
Date
Body
From: Christine Raguet-Bouvart <ollier@montaigne.u-bordeaux.fr>

I didn't feel like writing about LOLITA/LYNE (and apparently no other French
spectator did. Quite rightly!!!), but I must say that the German petition
incites me to do so. I feel fortunate not to have had to return a petition
to the face of those who mistake fiction for reality. To my knowledge,
nothing of the like happened here.

Now, what about the film?

Nerveless. A sort of biscuit with B-B-Qed marshmallow covered with too sweet
running chocolate. The thing that sticks on your fingers, palate and then
stomach. In other words: I didn't like that very David Hamiltonesque
romantic trash. I am sure VN would have hated it. It even made me think of
the atmosphere of DEATH IN VENICE. Knowing his immoderate dislike of Thomas
Mann, I think Lyne hit the point. On top of it there is the music: so
romantically vibrating to make sure you get the message...
I got bored throughout.

Jeremy Irons, an excellent actor (his reading of the text is very good) is
not at all fit for the role. Humbert is so tormented, pathetic and lost that
I felt the spectator was invited to sympathize with him...
Is the film more true to the original because a narrator reads passages from
the text and Lo's hair is almost chestnut??? Please, we are talking of art!!!
There was a couple of words at the end of the film that perfectly summarized
all that trash. I was sure I would memorize them, but haven't. Probably did
not want to waste brain-space on that! Listen to them, if you have the
opportunity of seeing the film, that may help you stay alert until the end.

Christine Raguet-Bouvart
>
>WIR FORDERN SIE AUF, DIESEN FILM ZU BOYKOTTIEREN.
>
>WIR FORDERN SIE AUF, GEGEN DIESEN FILM, GEGEN ALLE KINOBETREIBER, DIE
>IHN ZEIGEN UND GEGEN DEN FILMVERLEIH "TOBIS FILMKUNST" (BERLIN) ZU
>PROTESTIEREN.
>
>WIR FORDERN SIE AUF, STELLUNG ZU BEZIEHEN GEGEN SEXUELLE AUSBEUTUNG VON
>MAEDCHEN UND FRAUEN.
>
>V.i.S.d.P. Frauke Kohl, Woerthstrasse 22, Muenchen- Eigendruck im
>Selbstverlag
>
>This petition I was given at the entrance to 'Cinema', one of the
>English-speaking movie theaters in Munich.
>By the way, it seemed to me that this Lolita is better than Kubrick's
>but still far behind the book.
>
>Happy New New and Old New Year! Leonid Oknyansky.
>
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>