Review of Lolita (1962) by Movie K — 08 Apr 2017

Finally I get to watch this movie and it sure got my attention and approval. But I think it is a bit too lengthy for such a story. At the start, James Mason go to Peter Sellers home and kills him. Flash to 4 years earlier, James is a Professor finding a place to rent.

He met Shelly Winters a widow and her beautiful daughter Sue Lyon. He agree to rent the place after seeing her and smitten by her. Shelly also likes James and soon they are in a relationship. Eventually they married and James still infatuate with Sue.

Peter is a play writer who had an affair with Shelly before James. Sue is growing up and coming of age which James is trying to prevent her from exposure to other boys. Shelly send her to a summer camp and gonna send her to a all girls' boarding school like what James warn about.

He is disappointed he won't be able to see her again. Shelly read his diary which noted his lust for Sue and many ugly names for Shelly. He try to calm her down and rush to make a martini. But Shelly ran out in the rain and was killed by a car.

James goes to the camp to pick Sue, first by lying to her he is bringing her to see the sick mother in hospital. At the hotel, Peter saw them and talked to James. When they are driving next day, James reveal the truth of Shelly's death.

Sue cries and hope they can be together and not go into some organization shelter. They begin their relationship and settle down in another place. But Sue is growing up and more interested in boys of her age.

Peter track them down and pretend to be a school counselor who want to study Sue. James forbid her continue the school play and gonna escape to another new place again. Along the way he seems to spot a car following them.

At the gas station, James saw Sue talking to a driver. She got ill and stay at hospital. James got a weird phone call and he feel uneasy. He goes to the hospital to pick Sue but she's already pick by her "uncle".

For 3 years there's no news of her. Suddenly he received a letter from an unfamiliar name but content is familiar. It is Sue who wrote it. Now she is married to a nice Korean war veteran and pregnant.

They are in debt and in need of money in order to settle down in another place and so James is her last hope. He want to know what happen back then. Sue told him it is Peter that came to pick her from hospital and he is going to Hollywood and promise her glamour.

But hanging out with his weird friends and he want her to act in his "art house" film, Sue refuse and was chase away. She survive on her own and eventually met the husband. She tell James that Shelly had affair with Peter way before too and she actually like Peter for his smartness that's why she agree to follow him.

Sue also had sexual affair with Peter back then. James give $13,000 to her from the sales of the house and rental. He want her to go back with him and restart but Sue refuse. She don't want to hurt her husband and also grown up now, she don't want that kind of relationship anymore.

James left sadly and that's where he go find Peter and kills him. Then James dies of heart attack while awaiting trial for murder.