At long last it appears that Stanley Kubrick‘s never realized ambitious script – as Kubrick scripts often were – for Napoleon is finally going to get made.  In a recent interview with the French website Canal+ Steven Spielberg is quoted as saying, “I’ve been developing Stanley Kubrick’s screenplay — for a miniseries not for a motion picture — about the life of Napoleon“

As for Spielberg’s actual role in the movie, that is yet to be decided.  Chances are he won’t direct, but if he were, it wouldn’t be his first time working with Kubrick’s material.  Remember, he took over the 12 years of Kubrick’s preproduction work for A.I.: Artificial Intelligence after Kubrick passed in 1999.  Though met with polarizing reactions, personally, I quite like that film, and that’s coming from someone who is not the biggest Spielberg fan to begin with, especially as of late.

I guess the only questions I want answers for are: Who is going to direct the series; Can Patton Oswalt really handle the rigorous demands to portray the eponymous lead (I’m starting that rumor); and most importantly, will the end result be worthy to stand next to Kubrick’s other classic screenplays?

August 4: The Searchers (Castro)

“John Ford’s superb Western saga charts former Confederate soldier John Wayne pursuing his five-year quest – to kill both the Indian who abducted his niece and the tainted girl herself. At once a grand outdoor spectacle and a film about one man’s troubling moral codes, this is arguably Ford’s greatest film.” – www.castrothatre.com

August 10: Meek’s Cutoff (Castro)

There is nothing like a western to get my juices flowing.  Though I loved this film, fans of the traditional story structure in Hollywood films might absolutely hate it.  This is not a glorified western with shootouts and outlaws, it’s about getting from point A to point B in an unknown and unforgiving landscape.

August 13: I Live In Fear (VIZ Cinema)

Toshiro Mifune’s collaboration with master filmmaker Akira Kurosawa in where he plays a factory worker so obsessed with the idea of nuclear annihilation, that his family tries to have him committed to a nuthouse.  I’d be crazy to miss the chance at seeing Mifune act crazy on the big screen, or to see yet another Kurosawa film on its originally intended format.

August 14: Ikiru (VIZ Cinema)

Yet another classic Kurosawa film unseen by yours truly.  I was actually going to watch this the other day but as soon as I saw it was going to be playing at the VIZ, I promptly put the DVD back in its sleeve and watched Yojimbo instead.  Now I have a date with the VIZ theatre, a cup of Blue Bottle coffee, and a trip down the existentialist highway that is Ikiru. Read More…

For my first Remake Wars segment I thought I would choose films that are already controversial. Even though both are based on the steamy Vladimir Nabokov novel of the same name, the two Lolita films tackle the subject in a very different way.

Novel to Movie/Writing

When making a film about pedophile and a nymphet you are going to offend someone. The key is to not offend the whole audience and both films accomplish this very well considering the source material. The two films change the age of the girl from 12 to 14.  Kubrick changed the age to get it passed the strict censorship of the MPPDA, Adrian Lyne changed it in hopes of getting a major theatrical release (he didn’t). The films differ on the novel adaption when it comes to genre. Kubrick’s film cuts out a fair amount of the back story to turn the movie into dark comedy, where as Lyne’s  film stays true to the story, making the movie much more dramatic.

In the end the inclusion of the back story is something I really enjoyed. It really expanded the character of Humbert, making the film much more human. However, the back story was not capitalized on as the film replaces much of the cruelty in the novel with sappy romance. Kubrick’s film was adapted by Vladimir Nabokov himself and it shows as the dark humor from the novel and cold soul of Lolita really shine.

Winner: Lolita (1962)

Directing/Aesthetics

Stanley Kubrick is one of the greatest directors to ever live, Adrian Lyne is not. Kubrick realized that the story was too dark to be taken seriously. He thus crafted it into a witty, relentless satire on a confused man and a heartless little girl. Kubrick’s shot composition and Oswald Morris‘ cinematography combine to make a beautiful film.  Lyne’s directing on the other hand is inconstant. Over stylized shots to display the youthfulness of Lolita, paranoia of Humbert, and mysteriousness of Quilty are distracting and don’t fit in with the flow of the film. Not to mention that Kubrick’s iconic image of Lolita lounging on the lawn peering over her stylish glasses is replaced with Lyne’s seemingly shameless image of Lolita being ejaculated onto by a sprinkler (see images here, and in trailers below). These moments unfortunately overshadow an otherwise well made movie.

This wasn’t much of a contest as all. Kubrick’s amazing satire shines and fully illustrates the absurdity of the story.

Winner: Lolita (1962)

Acting

Both films have brilliant acting. In Kubrick’s film James Mason, Sue Lyon, Shelley Winters, and Peter Sellers all shine and help carry the film through any slow points. Lyne’s film has some great acting as well. Jeremy Irons and Dominique Swain have great chemistry as the forbidden couple. Melanie Griffith‘s awful performance however, ruins every second of the film she’s in.

Winner: Lolita (1962)

Final Verdict

The results look pretty one-sided, not to say that Lolita (1997) is bad. It’s a very interesting take on the story and could be great if it was better executed. Its extreme shots show its lack of commitment to the drama genre and are what ultimately bring down this film. Lolita (1962) is a truly beautiful and original film. It is clearly the better of the two films.

Winner: Kubrick’s Lolita (1962)

Loser: Lyne’s Lolita (1997)