Chirphymium It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

Brennan Camacho Mostly, the movie is committed to the value of a good time.

Marva It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

Edwin The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.

jonathanruano The opening of "Death in Venice" is masterful. Gustav von Aschenbach (Dirk Bogarde) is portrayed as an over-disciplined and exhausted German composer travelling by ship to Venice. But then the film fails to live up to the pretensions of its great opening scene and becomes a story about nothing much in particular. I should emphasize the beautiful scenes in this movie, because director Luchino Visconti really does create a whole new world complete with ostentatious luxury. Yet at the centre of this world is a dull story. The film is basically about Gustav von Aschenbach's infatuation with an enigmatic Polish boy named Tadzio (Björn Andresen), which is fine except that the whole movie hangs almost entirely on this single plot point. Moreover, this infatuation amounts to Gustav becoming more and more miserable as he stalks Tadzio through the plague-ridden streets of Venice, while Tadzio gives him penetrating stares which amount to enigmatic portends. What could Tadzio be thinking? It occurred to me that Tadzio was asking himself, "Why is this stranger following me through the streets of Venice?" Once those types of thoughts entered my head, Gustav's behaviour is difficult to take seriously. Then Dirk Bogarde's Gustav made things a lot worse by being dull and prissy and putting white paint and rouge on his face to apparently appear like the living manifestation of death.While this absurd love story was unfolding, we are treated to flashbacks involving Gustav and his mercurial friend Alfred (Mark Burns) discussing art. Gustav opined that beauty can only come from the spirit and that the spirit cannot be accessed through the senses. Alfred countered that beauty can only be accessed through the senses, "evil is the food of genius," and music is the most ambiguous art of them all transformed into a science. I am not sure what the point of these discussions are, but they seem out of place in a movie like this. Equally mystifying was watching Alfred threaten to deliver Gustav to an angry mob who had just booed his symphony.This movie is not completely lacking in interest, owing to the stylish way it was filmed. Visconti inserts the soundtrack from Mahler's third, fourth, and fifth symphonies at every conceivable opportunity, which works out pretty well. The scenes in early 20th century Venice are also elegantly filmed. We see everything from the brothels to the darkly lit corridors to the gloomy decadence of the hotels to the canals. This is a visual feast for the eyes, but sadly there is not much of a story.

gavin6942 In this adaptation of the Thomas Mann novel, avant-garde composer Gustave Aschenbach (loosely based on Gustav Mahler) travels to a Venetian seaside resort in search of repose after a period of artistic and personal stress. But he finds no peace there, for he soon develops a troubling attraction to an adolescent boy, Tadzio, on vacation with his family.What strikes me about this film is the odd coloration. Some have said it makes the film look like a moving painting. I can see that, but I also think it looks muted. A step up from Technicolor, but a far cry from other methods. I wish I knew more about cinematography so I could express the thought more clearly.There is a bit of a scandalous subplot, as it suggests pedophilia or something similar. Strange how many films (or books) have heroes (or protagonists) afflicted with this. What are we to make of them? Are they evil or just flawed? The cholera epidemic plays a major part in the story, and it is interesting that the film seems to be known less for that than the "romance" angle. Not many films have cholera in them, which seems odd considering its deadliness. Everyone in old movies seems to die from tuberculosis!

C.J. Blanda I have seen this brilliant film more than five times, and l have never seen a more beautiful film made for the screen in any country; every frame of this film is like a magical painting, to savor, and to see again and again. The acting by Dirk Borgard reached his peak here in 'Death in Venice', Silvana Mangano has never been more elegant. The Music by Mahler is haunting. This film is poetic master piece, it is the most beautiful work of Luchino Visconti's direction that take's you for a ride in History, and place, as no other film has ever done; right now, as l write this, l want to see it again. The young Swedish actor, Bjorn Anderson, is like a mystical painting of an innocent individual, and only a boy, he is a danger to a cultivated man of a certain age; well performed by the young actor. The scenes of the degradation of the elder professor played so brilliantly by Dirk Bogard, is so good, it is painful to see this can happen to a man of letters, l recommend this film on every level.,C.J.Blanda

ma-cortes This is an adaptation of the Thomas Mann novel , avant-garde composer Gustave Aschenbach (Dick Bogarde) , loosely based on Gustav Mahler character , being well portrayed in this brooding as well as slow-moving classic movie . The celebrated story of a man obsessed with ideal beauty written by prestigious Thomas Mann is magnificently brought to the screen , concerning about desire , homosexuality , children lost , plagues and adult situations throughout .Thought-provoking character studio of a reputed artist , his mishaps , digresses , loves his homosexuality and continuous search for beauty and perfection . this is the second part of Luchino Visconti's German Trilogy also including The damned (1969) and Ludwig (1972). It deals with Gustav Mahler lookalike whom Dick Bogarde is made up to resemblance . However , the film results to be overlong , it seems longer than its 130 minutes running time . Colorful as well as visually absorbing cinematography in Panavision by Pascualino de Santis . Impressive and immortal musical score by Mahler , in fact his Third and Fifth Symphonies were adapted as background music for the film ; being excellently conducted by orchestra director Fanco Mannino.This studied as well as slow motion picture was masterfully directed by Luchino Visconti . Visconti was a director and writer, considered to be one of the best Italian filmmakers . At the beginning his career he developed the movement of "Italian neo-realism" together with other directors such as Vittorio De Sica or Roberto Rossellini in the 1940s and 1950s such as ¨Bellissima¨ (1952) , ¨La Terra Trema¨(1948) , and ¨Ossessione¨ (1943) was based on James M. Cain's 'The Postman Always Rings Twice' . Luchino is especially known for Rocco and brothers (1960), "Il Gattopardo" or "The Leopard" (1963) , ¨The damned¨ (1969) , ¨Ludwig¨(1972) , "The Innocent" (1976) and , of course , this Death in Venice (1971). His sense of visual style was equally impressive in his film work, never better demonstrated than through his masterpiece Senso (1954).