"Lolita" 100% Kubrick stamp, controversial work that still causes debate

Peter Sellers, a genius comedic actor, a talent that Kubrick admired.

James Mason and Sue Lyon are also great, but Peter Sellers, who plays Claire Quilty, deserves special mention in this film. He is one of Britain's most well-known comedic actors, best known for his role as Inspector Clouzot in the Pink Panther series. I was shocked when I saw the comedy movie "The Battle of the Sexes" (1960) in which he starred, and I was impressed when I listened to the comedy album "The Best Of Sellers" (1958), which includes manzai-like skits. Kubrick immediately rejected his appointment.

Quilty plays an unusual role in which he takes on various disguises in order to follow Humbert and Lolita. At the same time, he is also Mephistopheles who lures Lolita into corruption. In other words, a clown and a devil coexist. Recognizing the immense talent of Peter Sellers, a versatile and acrobatic comedian, Kubrick added significantly more scenes than the original and brought a unique sense of humor to the film.

In order to bring out Sellers' unique qualities, Kubrick allowed him to improvise in most scenes. The scene where he plays table tennis with Humbert was suggested by Sellers. Concerned that repeated takes would degrade the quality of his ad-libs, his scenes were shot simultaneously with multiple cameras. The film's black comedy-like appearance is brought about by Sellers' solo performance.

"The Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb" Preview

In Kubrick's next film , How I Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (64), he played the roles of Dr. Strangelove, Colonel Mandrake, and President Muffley. His acting shows off his Monster nature even more.

Influence on contemporary pop culture