Film analysis

Film Analysis: 'Lolita' and 'Leon: The Professional' Name Institution Course Code and Title Instructor Date Film Analysis: 'Lolita' and 'Leon: The Professional' Introduction The field of visual and performing arts develops an illustrative understanding that the development of various scenes can help entertain the audience. Films are developed with various aims. Although the main objective is to ensure that the audience is entertained, films have considerable influence on how people perceive various issues and help develop an elaborate understanding of a given issue. Films have been effective in reflecting on what has been happening in society, mainly through condemning an issue or promoting an activity. The films "Lolita" and "Leon: The Professional" have been largely controversial films that have normalized the fact that older men can be in relationships with younger girls (Di Pardo Léon-Henri, 2012). Whereas the films have received criticism that they promote immoral or unethical acts, they simply present an issue that has been happening quietly in society. Although there have been consequences where old men dating young girls have been normalized, the films present a unique opportunity to analyze how the relationships are inappropriate, given that the scenes have been seen in other works of art. Therefore, the film analysis of "Lolita" and "Leon: The Professional" focuses on the inappropriate relationships and the influence that the films have on normalizing the inappropriate relationships between older men and young girls. Brief Films' Summary Lolita is a film produced in 1997 based on Vladimir Nabokov's novel that features scenes on inappropriate relationships between old men and young girls. The film experienced various challenges during its production and release, given that it took time to find an American distributor, it received huge controversy in various countries' film industries, and negative criticism was carried from Nabokov's novel. The film's plot involves a university professor who is attracted to adolescent girls. The sexual attraction to the girls makes the professor call the girls "nymphets", which indicates that he views them as sexual objects. The professor's sexual attraction to young girls leads him to rent a room in a house where he targets a young girl (ZabalbEascoa, 2021). The house that the professor rented a room belongs to a young widow whose daughter is the professor's target. Given that the daughter is fourteen years old, it indicates that the professor is highly scheming to satisfy his sexual targets. The professor succeeds in getting the daughter after taking the girl for a cross country. The film's plot is clear on the inappropriate relationship between old men and young girls, which has been the main basis of criticism for the film. On the other hand, the film "Leon: The Professional" illustrates the same theme of inappropriate relationships between young girls and old men. It is a French film produced in 1994 that has a plot based on Leon, an old hitman, who has a relationship with Mathilda, a twelve-year-old man. Mathilda finds rescue at Leon's premises after her family is killed by a corrupt Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) officer. Mathilda's parents were drug dealers. During the refuge at Leon's place, Leon and Mathilda get into an inappropriate relationship as Leon trains Mathilda how to be a hitman. Mathilda seeks to take revenge against the DEA agent for murdering her family. Despite the revenge storyline, the film illustrates that the basis of the revenge is an inappropriate relationship, which is openly visible in the film's scenes. Therefore, the films Leon: The Professional and Lolito indicate how inappropriate relationships have engulfed characters in the films, thus making it a major theme. Films' Analysis The films present the theme of inappropriate relationships that have been uniquely driven by the motive for selfish interests in each of the films. Whereas each film presents a different story on how characters find themselves in the relationships, it is evident that either the male or female characters find themselves in the relationships with an agenda to satisfy their selfish interests. In the film 'Lolita', obsession, manipulation, and corruption of innocence are the main factors that lead the professor to get into an inappropriate relationship. The professor was highly obsessed with his attraction to young girls (ZabalbEascoa, 2021). The obsession is demonstrated through the professor's attempts to get into a romantic engagement with several young girls. In fact, the fourteen-year-old widow's daughter rented a room out to the professor and became a target of the professor, which helps indicate the depth that the professor is willing to go to quench his obsession. The professor rents out a room from the widow to ensure that his selfish drive to be romantically engaged with young girls is achieved. More so, the professor manipulates the widow into believing that he is in need of a room. The manipulation is an illustration of the basis that the inappropriate relationship the professor seeks is a target that the professor is willing to emotionally and phy...