Morte a Venezia (1971)
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A composer seeking rest in Venice becomes obsessed with the ethereal beauty of a young boy.
The story
Composer Gustav von Aschenbach travels to Venice for rest due to serious health concerns. While staying at the beachside Grand Hotel des Bains on the Venice Lido, he becomes spellbound by the handsome young boy Tadzio, who is visiting with his mother and governess. Aschenbach finds himself increasingly captivated by the boy's presence, leading to a series of internal conflicts and daydreams. Despite his initial attempts to maintain distance, Aschenbach's obsession grows as he observes Tadzio's movements and interactions, all while a cholera epidemic begins to sweep through the city.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Composer Gustav von Aschenbach travels to Venice for rest due to serious health concerns. While staying at the Grand Hotel des Bains, he becomes obsessed with a handsome young Polish boy named Tadzio. Aschenbach's obsession leads him to recall heated debates with a friend about the nature of beauty. He watches Tadzio from afar, eventually following the boy's family to St Mark's Basilica. Aschenbach even undergoes a makeover to resemble an older man who had pestered him earlier. As a cholera epidemic strikes Venice, Aschenbach's fantasies of Tadzio become more intense. When he learns Tadzio's family is leaving, he goes to the beach and watches Tadzio wade into the sea to the sounds of Mahler's Adagietto. Tadzio looks at the dying Aschenbach and points into the distance before Aschenbach collapses and dies in his deck chair.
- Original title
- Morte a Venezia
- First release year
- 1971
- Runtime (minutes)
- 130
- Production countries
- Italy; France
- Original languages
- Italian; English
- Directors
- Luchino Visconti
- Writers
- Luchino Visconti · screenplay; Nicola Badalucco · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Dirk Bogarde · Gustav von Aschenbach; Björn Andrésen · Tadzio; Mark Burns; Marisa Berenson; Silvana Mangano
- Genres
- historical drama
- Themes
- beauty vs. art; sexual repression; obsession
- Tone and mood
- slow; precise; beautiful
- Premise and plot tags
- historical drama; LGBTQ-related; classical music; viral outbreak
- Source material / true-story basis
- 1912 novella by German author Thomas Mann
- Franchise connections
- German Trilogy
- Content notes
- sexual repression; viral outbreak
- Reception
- The film received positive reviews from critics and was ranked as one of the greatest films of all time in various polls.
- Awards and nominations
- Best Cinematography · British Academy Film Awards · 25th · win; Best Production Design · British Academy Film Awards · 25th · win; Best Costume Design · British Academy Film Awards · 25th · win; Best Sound · British Academy Film Awards · 25th · win; Best Film · British Academy Film Awards · 25th · nomination; Best Direction · British Academy Film Awards · 25th · nomination; Best Actor in a Leading Role · British Academy Film Awards · 25th · nomination; Best Director · David di Donatello Award · win
- Production trivia
- Warner Bros. executives initially feared the film would be banned in the United States for obscenity.; The film is the second part of Visconti's thematic 'German Trilogy'.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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