Lolita Russkaya

Criminally overshadowed by the moral uproar surrounding Adrian Lyne's film remake of Vladimir Nabokov's groundbreaking novel Lolita was Ennio Morricone's remarkable score, a hauntingly beautiful (and beautifully haunting) effort on par with Il Maestro's finest work. The music possesses a darkly dreamlike sensuality that perfectly communicates the erotic obsession at the material's core. Morricone's elegant melodies are daring yet subtle, shaded by melancholy strings and ethereal electronic textures. Milan's official soundtrack release is something of a misfire, however, interrupting Morricone's reverie with period pop hits like Ella Fitzgerald's "Tain't What You Do" and Louis Prima's "Civilization (Bongo, Bongo, Bongo)." Great music, without a doubt, but poorly matched to the intimacy of the instrumental score.