How should Lolita be portrayed?

     Before reading the novel, I first saw the 1962 film version of "Lolita." I found it highly amusing, and I especially loved Sue Lyon's portrayel of Lolita. She was suave, classy, sophisticated, sexy, and bratty all at the same time. Although I hated the actor playing Humbert, I thought that Lyon did an amazing job playing the little seductress. Then I viewed the 1997 remake, and I hated Dominique Swan as Lolita. She was awkward, over-dramatic, and made the character very unlikable. I found it amusing that 16 or seventeen year old girls were playing the 12 year old Lolita, but I guess that was only appropriate regarding what the character does in the story.

       Then I read the novel. After finishing the book, I went out and rented the remake again. I changed my mind. I actually liked the new Lolita this time around. Dominique Swan played this character almost identical to how I pictured Lolita while reading the novel. Her portrayel followed the novel much more closely than Lyon's portrayel. Lolita was an awkward adolescent, she was an over-dramatic teenager, and she was a very unlikable character. I thoroughly loved the 1997 film and thought it was an adequate adaptation  of Nobokov's novel. Although the 1962 film is less risque and it does not follow the book as closely as the remake, I still love the original film. The original is a funnier and lighter side of the story, and I love the performances of the actors playing Lolita, Charlotte, and especially Clarence Quilty.