Death In Venice DVD Review

"DEATH IN VENICE" reviews

DVD

DEATH IN VENICE

Author

anonymous

Date reviewed

2005-10-26 11:16:32

Provider

DVD Review

The most triumphal moment of Dirk Bogarde's film career came with his graceful performance as Gustav von Aschenbach in the adaptation of Thomas Mann's novel of obsession.

Directed by Italian master Luchino Visconti, Bogarde plays an avant-garde composer visiting Venice to recuperate after a breakdown and physically approaching death. His capacity to love his fellow humans is all but exhausted until he spots a photogenic young boy on the beach with his parents. A small spark of humanity is restored as he becomes obsessed with the boy.

A visual triumph, Bogarde's character is said to have been based on Gustav Mahler whose Third and Fifth symphonies are widely used to provide the haunting score to accompany some elegaic cinematography. Widely criticised and misunderstood at the time of its release in 1971 the film can must viewed today as a classic.