▁found ▁N ab ok ov ' s ▁screen play ▁" a ▁model ▁of ▁adaptation " ▁and ▁the ▁cast ▁" near - per fect ," ▁though ▁she ▁described ▁Kub rick ' s ▁attempts ▁at ▁er otic ism ▁as ▁" per fun ct ory ▁and ▁mis gu ided " ▁and ▁thought ▁his ▁" g ift ▁for ▁visual ▁comedy ▁is ▁as ▁faint ▁as ▁his ▁dep iction ▁of ▁sens ual ity ." ▁ ▁Vari ety ▁had ▁a ▁mixed ▁assess ment , ▁calling ▁the ▁film ▁" occ asion ally ▁am using ▁but ▁sh ap eless ," ▁and ▁li ken ing ▁it ▁to ▁" a ▁be e ▁from ▁which ▁the ▁st inger ▁has ▁been ▁removed . ▁It ▁still ▁bu zz es ▁with ▁a ▁sort ▁of ▁prom ising ▁irre ver ence , ▁but ▁it ▁la cks ▁the ▁power ▁to ▁shock ▁and ▁eventually ▁makes ▁very ▁little ▁point ▁either ▁as ▁comedy ▁or ▁sat ire ." ▁Harrison ' s ▁Re ports ▁was ▁negative , ▁writing , ▁" You ▁don ' t ▁have ▁to ▁be ▁an ▁em ulating , ▁pr iss y ish ▁uncle ▁from ▁Dub u que ▁to ▁say ▁that ▁the ▁film ▁leaves ▁you ▁with ▁a ▁feeling ▁that ▁is ▁rep uls ively ▁dis g ust ing ▁in ▁much ▁of ▁its ▁telling ," ▁adding ▁that ▁" even ▁if ▁the ▁exhib itor ▁makes ▁a ▁doll ar ▁on ▁the ▁book ing , ▁he ▁may ▁feel ▁a ▁sense ▁of ▁shame ▁as ▁he ▁pl ods ▁his ▁we ary ▁way ▁down ▁to ▁the ▁bank ." ▁▁ ▁The ▁film ▁has ▁been ▁re - app ra ised ▁by ▁critics ▁over ▁time