▁of ▁their ▁relationship ▁indirect ly , ▁through ▁double ▁ent endre ▁and ▁visual ▁c ues ▁such ▁as ▁Hum bert ▁painting ▁L ol ita ' s ▁to es . ▁In ▁a ▁ 1 9 7 2 ▁News week ▁interview ▁( after ▁the ▁ratings ▁system ▁had ▁been ▁introduced ▁in ▁late ▁ 1 9 6 8 ), ▁Kub rick ▁said ▁that ▁he ▁" pro bably ▁wouldn ' t ▁have ▁made ▁the ▁film " ▁had ▁he ▁realized ▁in ▁advance ▁how ▁difficult ▁the ▁c ensor ship ▁problems ▁would ▁be . ▁ ▁The ▁film ▁is ▁deliber ately ▁vague ▁over ▁L ol ita ' s ▁age . ▁Kub rick ▁commented , ▁" I ▁think ▁that ▁some ▁people ▁had ▁the ▁mental ▁picture ▁of ▁a ▁nine - year - old , ▁but ▁L ol ita ▁was ▁twelve ▁and ▁a ▁half ▁in ▁the ▁book ; ▁Sue ▁Lyon ▁was ▁th ir teen ." ▁Actually , ▁Lyon ▁was ▁ 1 4 ▁by ▁the ▁time ▁film ing ▁started ▁and ▁ 1 5 ▁when ▁it ▁finished . ▁Although ▁passed ▁without ▁cut s , ▁L ol ita ▁was ▁r ated ▁" X " ▁by ▁the ▁British ▁Board ▁of ▁Film ▁C ens ors ▁when ▁released ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 2 , ▁meaning ▁no ▁one ▁under ▁ 1 6 ▁years ▁of ▁age ▁was ▁permitted ▁to ▁watch . ▁ ▁Vo ice - over ▁narr ation ▁Hum bert ▁uses ▁the ▁term ▁" nym ph et " ▁to ▁describe ▁L ol ita , ▁which ▁he ▁explains ▁and ▁uses ▁in ▁the ▁novel ; ▁it ▁appears ▁twice ▁in ▁the ▁movie ▁and ▁its ▁meaning ▁is ▁left