Death in Venice () is a 1971 historical drama film directed and produced by Italian filmmaker Luchino Visconti, adapted by Visconti and Nicola Badalucco from the 1912 novella of the same name by German author Thomas Mann. It stars Dirk Bogarde as Gustav von Aschenbach and Björn Andrésen as Tadzio, with supporting roles played by Mark Burns, Marisa Berenson and Silvana Mangano. It was filmed in Technicolor by Pasqualino De Santis, with a soundtrack featuring classical composers such as Gustav Mahler, Ludwig van Beethoven and Modest Mussorgsky. It is the second part of Visconti's thematic "German Trilogy"—preceded by The Damned (1969) and followed by Ludwig (1973).
The film premiered in London on 1 March 1971, and was entered into the Cannes Film Festival. It received positive reviews from critics and won several accolades, including BAFTA Awards for Best Cinematography, Best Production Design, Best Costume Design, and Best Sound. It was nominated for Best Film, Best Direction, and Best Actor in a Leading Role for Dirk Bogarde. Visconti won the David di Donatello for Best Director.
In 2012, Death in Venice was ranked the 235th greatest film of all time in the Sight & Sound critics' poll. In 2010, the film was ranked the 14th greatest arthouse film of all time by The Guardian. In 2016, it was ranked the 27th greatest LGBT film of all time in the British Film Institute poll.
Plot
Composer Gustav von Aschenbach travels to Venice for rest, due to serious health concerns. During his ship's arrival, an importunate and conspicuously made-up older man molests Aschenbach with suggestive gestures and phrases, whereupon Aschenbach turns away indignantly. Aschenbach takes quarters in the beachside Grand Hotel des Bains on the Venice Lido. While awaiting dinner in the hotel's lobby, he notices a group of young Poles and their governess mother, and becomes spellbound by the handsome boy Tadzio, whose casual dress and demeanor distinguishes him from his modest sisters. Tadzio's image causes Aschenbach to recall an increasingly emotional and violent conversation with his friend and student Alfred, in which they question whether beauty is created artistically or naturally and if beauty, as a natural phenomenon, is superior to art.
In the following days, Aschenbach observes Tadzio playing and bathing, and manages to get close to him in the hotel's elevator; Tadzio seems to throw a lascivious look at Aschenbach while exiting the lift. Returning to his room in an agitated state, Aschenbach remembers a particularly personal argument with Alfred, and he hesitantly decides to leave Venice. However, when his luggage is swapped at the train station, he is relieved and delighted at the prospect of returning to the hotel in order to be near Tadzio again. Before his return, he sees an emaciated man collapse in the station concourse. When Aschenbach attempts to investigate this, the flattering hotel manager speaks in a dismissive matter of exaggerated scandals in the foreign press.
Aschenbach adopts Tadzio as an artistic muse, but fails to master his passion for him and frequently loses himself in daydreams of the unattainable boy; when a travel agency employee on Saint Mark's Square hesitantly reports to Aschenbach that a cholera epidemic is sweeping through Venice, Aschenbach's attention falters and he fantasizes of warning Tadzio's mother of the danger while stroking her son's head. Though the two never converse, Tadzio notices that he is being watched and reacts by giving mysterious looks and poses. Aschenbach follows Tadzio and his family to St Mark's Basilica, where he observes him praying. Aschenbach gets a makeover from a chatty hairdresser, giving him a resemblance to the pushy fop who had pestered him upon his arrival. He pursues Tadzio's family again until he collapses near a well and cries out in despair. Back in his hotel room, Aschenbach dreams of a booed performance in Munich and Alfred's accusations.
When Aschenbach learns that Tadzio's family will be leaving, he weakly makes his way to a nearly deserted beach, where he watches with concern as Tadzio's game with an older boy degenerates into a wrestling match. Upon recovering, Tadzio strolls and wades through the seawater to the enraptured tones of Mahler's Adagietto. He slowly turns and looks toward the dying Aschenbach, then raises his arm and points toward the distance. Aschenbach tries to rise, but collapses dead in his deck chair.