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What is wrong with Clare Quilty? (Obvious Spoilers to ensue)

posted 9 years ago by Catfishbunter
8 replies | jump to latest

What is wrong with Quilty? I don't mean his implied pedophilia, I suppose that is well established, I mean what mental or personality disorder made him act the way he did? Could someone with a background in psychology (or at least someone well-versed in the subject) shed some light on it? He clearly is not a normal human being, and I don't think that can simply be glossed over as him being an eccentric artist. In the opening sequence he is drunk, sure, but he's also sitting in a extremely messy, apparently abandoned mansion under a sheet. That is not normal behavior. Nor is the countless bottles, plates, glasses, and general mess which can be found. He seems manic at times and unable to understand the gravity of any general situation. He mocks Humbert even when its clear that Humbert himself is deranged and clearly willing to exact some sort of personal, vigilante justice to him. Even before the supposedly implied mental degeneration of Quilty over the course of the film, he seems frantic and manic at the police convention, on the porch with Humbert. I get that many of his actions were motivated by lust for Lolita, but I think that clearly, independent of her effect on him, he has some mental or personality disorder. Any suggestions as to what they could have been would be appreciated.

Also, what was the deal with his slender dark-haired companion? She seemed rather odd, and knowing, too.

[–] jcb-nyc 9 years ago

The big, messy mansion was just the scene of a big, messy party the night before. Quilty fell asleep in that chair as the party ended. That most certainly is normal behavior, under those circumstances.

Quilty is extremely intelligent and uses his lightning-fast thinking to mock people, to ridicule them, to outwit them, to confuse them, and frequently, to buy himself some time and get himself out of whatever mess he's in. Except the last mess; that's the one time it didn't work. Humbert was being totally single-minded, not hearing or absorbing any of Quilty's verbal dancing, just focusing on killing Quilty after he's sure Quilty understands why.

Also, remember that names have meaning here: "Quilty" means "like a quilt" or multi-faceted, a huge patchwork of manipulative tricks and performances, for the sole purpose of using people for his amusement.

The companion was Vivian Darkbloom, an anagram of Vladimir Nabokov. She seems more or less a prop for Quilty, and a facilitator.

[–] Interlepos (1807) 5 years ago

You truly nailed it.

[–] atucci-1 9 years ago

Quilty behaved as he did because they were playing to Sellers' style, which I think was over the top. Frank Langella in the remake is more controlled and truer to the book.

[–] Druffmaul 8 years ago

The Sellers version of the character is much more madcap and zany, but the Langella version is still very obviously quite sick in the head.

[–] WhiteDiablo 9 years ago

His whole social circle was like that. They were degenerate hedonists that aspired to live like Roman nobility (hence walking around with his blanket like a toga, playing 'Roman ping pong'..).

Considering he tried to have Lolita gang banged on film, I imagine his friends were just as messed in the head as he and Vivian Darkbloom were.

[–] dt123 8 years ago

He was someone who recognized a fellow degenerate and wanted in on the action.

[–] mcannady1 8 years ago

Movie girl: I saw the film for the first time in years and thought Quilty did
seem unusual to be so out of it that he taunted Humbert. He had just heard Humbert saY SEVERAL TIMES about him dying. So he does not take it seriously. I think, too, that he wanted Lolita and that is why he kept following Humbert from place to place. He clearly wanted to outwit Humbert and have Lolita in his drama classes. Humbert was so upset that he did not realize that the psychiatrist and the cop from earlier were one and the same. To top if off, the doctor at the hospital where Lolita was recovering was Quilty. I do think Quilty was amused to do this too. IF Lolita had told Humbert the truth, the tragedy might have been averted. Or was his the shooting of Quilty a wish-fulfillment dream because he could not find him in the end to exact revenge?

[–] Drooch (5333) 4 years ago

I don’t think the doctor was Quilty. Quilty pretended to be the uncle that discharged Lolita, it wouldn’t make sense for him to also be a high level doctor surrounded by staff who knew him. No, he’s eloped with Lolita.

I also doubt that Humbert killing Quilty was a dream, there’s no reason to think it was, especially since Humbert had murder by gun on his mind from Act 1. By Act 3 he was driven completely insane by Lolita and it makes perfect sense that he would be ready to kill. The only bizarre thing is how Quilty behaves, but I can only guess he was also driven mad by loving and losing Lolita.