Definitely one of the most difficult, artistic, powerful and discussed films ever made "Death in Venice" had an almost impossible mission: Put blood on the veins of a story in which almost nothing happens and yet have a statement to made. If you consider that's quite difficult to read the book (I abandoned after 10 pages thinking that Thomas Mann took too long to told the story only pointing views on art and similar things which I felt very close to other book of his called "Tonio Kroeger" a very good book) you're gonna think that this cannot be filmed. Luchino Visconti tried, conquered and made an important film. But I must say this film entered in my list of one the most hated movies I ever watched and it only got out of it this year after 6 years of my first view.
By the time I watched I didn't care much for it, I was expecting a more developed story, a few more movements than it doesn't have and at the end I didn't get it all. A few years later, and much more older, finally I found "Death in Venice" an more complete film than it was years ago and thanks to the brilliant and unique performance of Dirk Bogarde I think I went further on my notions of perception of what's the story and what's the point of it. Still has some doubts about the excessive use of artistic licenses used by the screenplay and some never answered questions but still is a great movie.
Bogarde plays Gustav Von Aschenbach a famous composer that travels to a Venetian seaside resort in search of repose after a period of artistic and personal stress that includes the death of his son. His heart is weak, his emotional state is a completely mess, and he's desperate to achieve something great with his music. To make his travel worst (perhaps better depending on your view) he meets a beautiful young boy named Tadzio (Björn Andrésen, good actor with a magnetic presence almost without saying any lines) a teenage boy traveling with his parents. Gustav can't stop looking at Tadzio and vice-versa but the meaning between the look they gave to each other is very different.
Alternating with the trip to Venice Visconti shows us some flashbacks of Gustav's life while he was married; the conversations about the notion of art and real beauty with his friend Alfred (Mark Burns), and Gustav's breakdown which led him to Venice. Pay attention very closely to the conversations between Alfred and Gustav about beauty, and what a real artist is. These moments always get something to say about what Gustav is doing in Venice searching for Tadzio in all places even knowing that there's a epidemic of Cholera coming to town.
I don't know if the movie follows the book exactly but I think some notions of the main character were drastically changed. For instance people always say that Gustav is a cloistered homosexual, but in the film if you really pay attention Gustav is a little bit far of it, he was married with a women, and his supposed sexual interest in Tadzio comes from his thoughts about pure beauty, something that really makes him feel complete (along with his music) and that's what he really sees in Tadzio. Of course, there's the enigmatic and provocative look that Tadzio got in his eyes: "You must never smile like that. You must never smile like that at anyone." says Gustav to himself in one scene (best quote of the movie). Before you start to think that he's a pedophiliac, calm down and see Gustav's trying some approaches but doing noting except look and think about the boy. The book is one focus (Gustav's point of view) and so does the movie. If it wasn't we would be able to know what Tadzio had on his mind with such gestures.
Be patient and try to watch more than once because this is one of those films when you don't get the general idea by watching one time. It grows with you and the more you see, more the vision of what you think this story is it changes. Dirk Bogarde has the performance of a lifetime here and I can't imagine another actor playing Gustav. His last and moving scene is the most impacting and powerful scenes ever filmed: his character sitting in the chair, dying of the cholera, looking for the last time Tadzio running in the beach. Very well photographed. Gustav Mahler's music are well played in a good synchronized scenes. One of the forgotten films at the Academy Awards of 1972 it was nominated for best costumes (it lost for "Nicholas and Alexandra"). The costume designs are beautifully made and it is a key part for the film; notice the first time Gustav sees Tadzio dressed in white with some blue lines on the shirt, almost like if he was an angel to Gustav. What a vision! 9/10
By the time I watched I didn't care much for it, I was expecting a more developed story, a few more movements than it doesn't have and at the end I didn't get it all. A few years later, and much more older, finally I found "Death in Venice" an more complete film than it was years ago and thanks to the brilliant and unique performance of Dirk Bogarde I think I went further on my notions of perception of what's the story and what's the point of it. Still has some doubts about the excessive use of artistic licenses used by the screenplay and some never answered questions but still is a great movie.
Bogarde plays Gustav Von Aschenbach a famous composer that travels to a Venetian seaside resort in search of repose after a period of artistic and personal stress that includes the death of his son. His heart is weak, his emotional state is a completely mess, and he's desperate to achieve something great with his music. To make his travel worst (perhaps better depending on your view) he meets a beautiful young boy named Tadzio (Björn Andrésen, good actor with a magnetic presence almost without saying any lines) a teenage boy traveling with his parents. Gustav can't stop looking at Tadzio and vice-versa but the meaning between the look they gave to each other is very different.
Alternating with the trip to Venice Visconti shows us some flashbacks of Gustav's life while he was married; the conversations about the notion of art and real beauty with his friend Alfred (Mark Burns), and Gustav's breakdown which led him to Venice. Pay attention very closely to the conversations between Alfred and Gustav about beauty, and what a real artist is. These moments always get something to say about what Gustav is doing in Venice searching for Tadzio in all places even knowing that there's a epidemic of Cholera coming to town.
I don't know if the movie follows the book exactly but I think some notions of the main character were drastically changed. For instance people always say that Gustav is a cloistered homosexual, but in the film if you really pay attention Gustav is a little bit far of it, he was married with a women, and his supposed sexual interest in Tadzio comes from his thoughts about pure beauty, something that really makes him feel complete (along with his music) and that's what he really sees in Tadzio. Of course, there's the enigmatic and provocative look that Tadzio got in his eyes: "You must never smile like that. You must never smile like that at anyone." says Gustav to himself in one scene (best quote of the movie). Before you start to think that he's a pedophiliac, calm down and see Gustav's trying some approaches but doing noting except look and think about the boy. The book is one focus (Gustav's point of view) and so does the movie. If it wasn't we would be able to know what Tadzio had on his mind with such gestures.
Be patient and try to watch more than once because this is one of those films when you don't get the general idea by watching one time. It grows with you and the more you see, more the vision of what you think this story is it changes. Dirk Bogarde has the performance of a lifetime here and I can't imagine another actor playing Gustav. His last and moving scene is the most impacting and powerful scenes ever filmed: his character sitting in the chair, dying of the cholera, looking for the last time Tadzio running in the beach. Very well photographed. Gustav Mahler's music are well played in a good synchronized scenes. One of the forgotten films at the Academy Awards of 1972 it was nominated for best costumes (it lost for "Nicholas and Alexandra"). The costume designs are beautifully made and it is a key part for the film; notice the first time Gustav sees Tadzio dressed in white with some blue lines on the shirt, almost like if he was an angel to Gustav. What a vision! 9/10