Stanley Kubrick: Ranking His Films From Worst To Best

5. Lolita (1962)

Lolita, light of my life, fire of my loins. Vladimir Nabokov's notorious novel was made into a film by Kubrick in 1962. The book is notorious, yes, but it is also an absolute work of art which is also miserably sad and hilariously funny, all of which are a testament to Nabokov's style and ranking as the greatest novelist of the twentieth century. Considering English was his third language he puts all his peers to shame. The film was originally penned by Nabokov but scripts weren't his thing and so Kubrick took on an unaccredited role as screenwriter to polish it down. Lolita stars James Mason and Sue Lyon alongside the impeccable actress Shelley Winters as Charlotte Haze. Mason plays Humbert Humbert, a middle-aged European professor and intellectual who falls in love with his landlady's twelve year old daughter Dolores (Lolita). In order to become closer to Lo' he marries her mother and when Charlotte dies he begins a sexual relationship with his step-daughter. Sick. Wrong. Wonderfully enjoyable - read the book and watch the film, you'll probably agree. Lo's age in the film was increased so as to reduce some of the controversy, controversy Kubrick didn't expect and he once said had he known what the limitations would be he would have never made the film. Most of the film relied on what we the audience thought was happening because naturally the film couldn't show Humbert raping Lolita or doing other unspeakable things to and with her. One of the great features of the film is Claire Quilty, intelligent playwright/paedophile/child pornographer who is acted wonderfully by Kubrick-favourite Peter Sellers, a man who proved his extreme talent in Dr. Strangelove. The great thing about the film in terms of money-making which I believe Kubrick knew is that we as humans love controversial things, even hebephillia such as this and that is why the film relied almost purely on word of mouth for its audience to arrive at the cinemas, which they did.