Nabokov's first love story: two exiles, one hotel, and a ghost who won't stay gone.
Acting
Cary Elwes before stardom, all nervous longing and repressed intensity.
Cinematography
Berlin's ghostly 1920s recreated in hazy, dreamlike greys.
Writing
Faithful to Nabokov's prose: cruel, tender, meticulously observed.
Director
John Goldschmidt
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
This was one of three Nabokov adaptations in the 1980s, predating the infamous 1997 Lolita by a decade.
Goldschmidt filmed in Luxembourg standing in for Berlin—a displaced production about displacement, accidentally perfect.
No ratings yet
Sign in to join the discussion — comments are spoiler-gated to your watch progress.
Discussion starters
GB
US
