Lolita de Vladímir Nabókov: anàlisi de les dues interpretacions cinematogràfiques

Abstract

Vladimir Nabokov was a Russian-American writer from the second half of the 20th century, most famous for his novel Lolita, and admired for his lyrical descriptions, experimental style and well-thought out plots. Stanley Kubrick, in 1962, and Adrian Lyne, in 1997, brought the novel to life in two cinematographic adaptations with a very dissimilar vision. The purpose behind this study is to, first of all, determine in which way they have portrayed the main structural points of the novel and how this shapes the main characters’ personalities. Second of all, it aims to expose the motivation and intentions that caused the directors to make executive decisions about different aspects of their adaptations. This essay is based on the results extracted from extensive research into the work and style of the author and two directors, along with an exhaustive study of Nabokov’s Lolita and the cinematographic adaptations. Having completed this study, the results proved that the director’s vision alters the final product: Kubrick’s adaptation accentuates Nabokov’s humour, leaving behind the psychology behind it, while Lyne focuses on maintaining the original structure, but chooses to victimize his version of Humbert and sexualize the female characters. Overall it becomes apparent that the authors procured three different versions of Lolita.