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Amazon.co.uk Review
Luchino Visconti's adaptation of the Thomas Mann story Death in Venice is the very definition of sumptuous: the costumes and sets, the special geography of Venice, and the breathtaking cinematography combine to form a heady experience. At the centre of this gorgeousness is Aschenbach (Dirk Bogarde in a meticulous performance), a controlled intellectual who unexpectedly finds himself obsessed by the vision of a 14-year-old boy while on a convalescent vacation in 1911. Visconti has turned Aschenbach into a composer, which accounts for the lush excerpts from Mahler on the soundtrack (Bogarde is meant to look like Mahler, too). Even if it tends to hit the nail on the head a little too forcefully, and even if Visconti can test one's patience with lingering looks at crowds at the beach and hotel dining rooms, Death in Venice creates a lushness rare in movies. --Robert Horton
Special Features
- Visconti's Venice featurette
- A Tour Of Venice photo gallery
- Trailer
- Interactive menu
- Scene access
DVD Technical Information:
- Aspect Ratio: Widescreen 2.35:1 Anamorphic
- Audio: Dolby Digital (1.0) Mono
- Running Time: 2 hours and 5 minutes approx.
- Region Code: 2
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
23 of 24 people found the following review helpful
Format:VHS Tape
Luchino Visconti's Death in Venice, like no other film I know, seems to have as many detractors as admirers. Critics refer to the apparently muddled storyline and infidelity to Mann's original Novelle.
The Novelle is undoubtedly a masterpiece of late Romantic Symbolism, but in my personal opinion the film stands on its own as a work of art. For me, the performance of Dirk Bogarde, Pasquale de Santis' stunning photography and the inspired choice of Mahler for the soundtrack unite to form a quite unforgettable tour de force, quite the most moving and awe-inspiring film about beauty ever created.
I would also add that Björn Andresen, who plays the androgenous youth so perfectly, was never a member of Abba, as a previous reviewer believes to be the case.
34 of 36 people found the following review helpful
Format:VHS Tape
A commercial failure at the cinema due to the fact that many movie distributers wouldnt touch it, it made the rounds in Art Houses and gained many admirers. Now, often shown on late night BBC. It is one of the most beautiful, haunting films ever made. Slow and solemn, it tells the story of a dying composer who is sent to Venice to recuperate. He then develops a crush on a young Polish boy and follows him around a cholera stricken Venice. The final scene of the composer dying of heart failure as he watches the boy wading into the sea is painful to watch. There is much to admire in this film, notably Dirk Bogarde;s sensitive performance as the dying composer, the Venice scenery; and of course the wonderful music composed by Gustav Mahler. Indeed, a movie producer admired the music so much he asked if Mahler could be signed up not realising that Mahler had died 60 years previously!!! If you like Art House films, and especially if you are an admirer of Mahler's music like I am, then it will be a good buy. One thing though, the sound is not up to scratch and needs to be digitally remastered for a DVD release to make it a worthwhile purchase. Moreover, it also needs to be seen in widescreen rather than full screen. Fans should demand a DVD release soon.
32 of 34 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
This is an absolute classic. Dirk Bogarde is superb playing the troubled Gustav Von Aschenbach, I would go as far as to say it is one of his finest roles. Adapted from the novella of Thomas Mann, this film is a true credit to the industry of cinema. It has a very well scripted plot that tells the audience everything without needing to show graphic details. It tells of Aschenbach's obsession with a boy named Tadzio...though nothing is ever done about it, he simply watches him from a distance in an admiring manner. The ending of the film is so unbearably tragic that once you see this film it will remain with you forever... Don't let this film pass you by...watch and enjoy.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Death in Venice
Hi,
This film is visually stunning and while probably a masterpiece is not to everyones taste. Read more
This film is visually stunning and while probably a masterpiece is not to everyones taste. Read more
Published 23 days ago by R. Claytor
Death in Venice
I recently listened to Desert Island disc on the radio and the music from this film was a choice I immediately bought the dvd. Read more
Published 1 month ago by diddly di
Death in Venice opera
I recently watched Nicholas Roeg's Death in Venice film. On being offered the Benjamin Britten opera version by Amazon, I decided to try it. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Dr. R. W. Slee
Attracting death
Venice has a strange attraction to dying: Richard Wagner did, and Thomas Mann, who wrote the short novel Tod in Venedig, had Gustav Mahler in mind, while Visconti most likely had... Read more
Published 8 months ago by Dr René Codoni
No-one got it!
I've read all the 5* reviews, and am shocked that no-one actually understood the film/story. Ascenbach is an artist, ie in the work of Thomas Mann, by definition an outsider, an... Read more
Published 10 months ago by Belfast Barbara
Shiny and pretentious... when it could be great melodrama.
I watched this first when i was about 20 years old and as i saw the opening shot of the ship coming out of the mist, and i heard the Mahler music, i was convinced that this was... Read more
Published 16 months ago by S. Hyde
Glad I've seen it, but not on my favourites list
As a visualization of the short story, it's done well, but I'm not sure it stands up as a film in its own right. Read more
Published 16 months ago by adrian406
poor dvd - useless
Dear Sirs,
some time ago I bought "The Death in Venice", directed by
Visconti. Unfortunately, the DVD lifted from and old VHS is not
very good. Read more
some time ago I bought "The Death in Venice", directed by
Visconti. Unfortunately, the DVD lifted from and old VHS is not
very good. Read more
Published 17 months ago by hans
In some ways a film about Mahler!
The director of this film Luchino Visconti was a great admirer of the music of Gustav Mahler. Although he adheres closely to Thoma Mann's novel (Thomas Mann attended the first... Read more
Published 18 months ago by Mahlerian Duck
film comment
A wonderful film and has been a favourite of mine for years, I think though a small part has been cut out of it, and this is just not me who noticed this. However not to worry. Read more
Published 18 months ago by mr jones
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