Morte a Venezia (1971)

Director:

Luchino Visconti

Writers:

Thomas Mann (novel)
Luchino Visconti (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

17 June 1971 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Fantasy

Plot:

In this adaptation of the Thomas Mann novel, avant-garde composer Gustave Aschenbach (loosely based...

Plot Keywords:

Beauty | Composer | Corruption | Vacation | Sand Dial

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 17 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Dirk Bogarde	...	Gustav von Aschenbach
Romolo Valli	...	Hotel manager
Mark Burns	...	Alfred
Nora Ricci	...	Governess
Marisa Berenson	...	Frau von Aschenbach
Carole André	...	Esmeralda (as Carole Andre)
Björn Andrésen	...	Tadzio (as Björn Andresen)
Silvana Mangano	...	Tadzio's mother
Leslie French	...	Travel Agent
Franco Fabrizi	...	Barber
Antonio Appicella	...	Vagrant
Sergio Garfagnoli	...	Jaschu, Polish youth
Ciro Cristofoletti	...	Hotel clerk
Luigi Battaglia	...	Scapegrace
Dominique Darel	...	English tourist

Also Known As:

Death in Venice (Canada: English title) (UK) (USA)
Mort à Venise (France)
Morte a Venezia (Italy) (dubbed version)
Morte em Veneza (Brazil) (Portugal) [pt]
Döden i Venedig (Sweden) [sv]
Døden i Venedig (Denmark) [da]
Halál Velencében (Hungary) [hu]
Kuolema Venetsiassa (Finland) [fi]
Muerte en Venecia (Spain) [es]
Smierc w Wenecji (Poland) [pl]
Thanatos sti Venetia (Greece) [el]
Tod in Venedig (West Germany) [de]
Venedik'te ölüm (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]

Runtime:

130 min

Country:

Italy | France

Language:

English | Italian | Polish | French

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Spain:13 | France:Unrated | West Germany:12 (f) | Portugal:M/12 | Australia:M | Finland:S | Singapore:PG | Sweden:11 | UK:12A (re-rating) (2002) | UK:12 (video re-rating) (2004) | UK:15 (video rating) (1988) | UK:AA (original rating) | USA:GP (original rating) | USA:PG | Ireland:15

Filming Locations:

Banca Commerciale Italiana, St. Mark's Square, Venice, Veneto, Italy

Company:

Alfa Cinematografica

Trivia:

Second part of Luchino Visconti's German Trilogy also including La caduta degli dei (1969) and Ludwig (1972).

Goofs:

Continuity: Just before leaving his hotel room for the first time, Aschenbach puts a handkerchief ("pochet") in the pocket of his costume. Arriving downstairs, the handkerchief is gone.

Quotes:

Gustav von Aschenbach: You cannot reach the spirit with the senses. You cannot. It's only by complete domination of the senses that you can ever achieve wisdom, truth, and human dignity.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Aux sources de 'Mort à Venise' (2004) (V)

Soundtrack:

Adagietto From Symphony No.5

A Film Of Musical And Visual Merit

Famed Italian Director Luchino Visconti takes viewers back to the year 1911 in Venice, Italy, the setting for a story about an aging composer named Gustav von Aschenbach (Dirk Bogarde) who settles into an elegant hotel at a seaside resort, to recuperate from mental trauma. Here, he becomes fixated on a teenage boy who is at the resort with his family.

What is striking about this film is the relative unimportance of the plot. Yes, there is a story, but one wherein not much happens. The film is basically a study of Aschenbach's temperament and perceptions. Thematically, Aschenbach, as well as the boy, and even the city of Venice all symbolize various concepts and their interrelationships that include morality, art, beauty, perfection, death, and the passage of time.

To some extent one's reaction to this film will depend on what one thinks of Aschenbach. I would describe him as stiff and proper, formal, intellectual, unassertive, ambivalent, highbrow, and quietly tormented. To me, he seemed cold and remote. I could not identify with him or with his various internal conflicts.

Given minimal (maybe I should say subtle) plot points, the film's pace is extremely slow, with very, very long camera "takes". I don't have a problem with that, since it accurately reflects the leisurely pace of life in that historic era. But, with not much happening in a film whose runtime is over two hours, the film seems like a test of viewer endurance. The basic problem is a plot structure wherein the setup is way, way too long.

If the script is anemic, the non-script elements are excellent. Color cinematography is terrific. Some scenes are so well framed that they resemble picture postcards. There's lots of camera panning from left to right, as we observe secondary characters, all of whom are part of the Bourgeois class, chitchat, eat, or stroll along the beach, and generally idle away their time. Costumes are highly stylized, and convey a Victorian look and feel. Women's hats are flamboyant, colorful, and big. The film's production design is lush. Background music is beautiful and at times mournful. Sound effects seem slightly amplified, to give the impression of an everyday, you-are-there feel. Dirk Bogarde gives a fine performance. He acts largely by means of facial expressions, hand gestures, and mannerisms, while saying very little.

All of which is to say that the film's atmosphere overwhelms the story. The film's tone, conveyed through its music and photography, starts off quiet and reflective, and then gradually morphs into depression and sadness.

Inevitably, a listless, sluggish plot lessens the film's entertainment value. However, the non-script components render "Morte a Venezia" a stylized film of artistic merit, especially in the unification of music and visuals.