Debuting in 1971, the film "Death in Venice" was hailed as a landmark gay film, even if a few interpreted its depiction of homosexuality as homophobic. At a time when there were scant depictions of same-sex relationships on screen, even a controversial, tragic "love" story was considered an advance. Now, almost a half-century later, we can consider whether the mostly negative reviews ascribed to "Death in Venice" remain valid, since Criterion has released the film for the first time in Blu-ray with a new, impressive 4K digital resolution.
Released a mere seven months after Stonewall, the film's alienation was seen at cross-purposes with the liberation consciousness that was then de rigueur for artistic creation. Many straight critics were also upset that homosexuality, barely hinted at in Thomas Mann's novella, was made clear in the film in the "vulgar" form of pederasty. Queer reviewers questioned its repressive ambience, which now seemed archaic. Gay Italian auteur Luchino Visconti pleased no one except aesthetes who praised his film's visual beauty and re-creation of Belle Epoque Venice.
In one of the superlative extras included on the DVD, a documentary about Visconti, "Venice" star Dirk Bogarde comments that Visconti regarded the film as an opera. Visconti had directed many operas on stage, discovering Maria Callas and coaching her on acting. The movie has minimal dialogue, bordering on being a silent film. Music takes center stage as a narrative element. In the novel, the main character Gustav Aschenbach is a writer, but Visconti recast him as composer (based on Gustav Mahler; the soundtrack features his third and fifth symphonies).
The film relies on visual cues to advance the plot. Recovering from a musical failure in Munich, Aschenbach travels to the Grand Hotel des Bains on the Lido in a city gripped by a cholera epidemic hidden from visiting tourists. He sees the gorgeous Polish adolescent Tadzio (Bjorn Andresen) staying with his family, and becomes obsessed with him as the epitome of physical perfection, akin to a Greek god. He stalks him through the city's decaying grandeur, mirroring his own bodily deterioration. Aschenbach conceals his passion, but Tadzio responds with gazes, smiles, and poses. He seems to be seducing the older man. Aschenbach becomes seriously ill after eating a contaminated strawberry, eventually collapsing in a chair on the beach while watching Tadzio fight and cavort with friends, leading to the famous climactic scene.
Neither the novella nor the film views Aschenbach as a pedophile, since he never touches Tadzio, but simply admires his loveliness. The movie asks what is the essence of beauty, in an erudite dialogue shown in flashback between Aschenbach and his pupil Alfred as he struggles with the question, Is beauty created through effort or art, or, like nature, does it exist on its own? Is the source of creativity a Platonic spiritual ideal or a sensual physical act? What happens when Platonic love is confused with Eros? The problem for Aschenbach is that he has intellectualized this debate. He has never realized true love, despite being married and fathering a daughter. Like many artists he has become self-absorbed, even arrogant, in his dealings with others. Tadzio becomes his redemption, transforming Aschenbach into a kinder, more open man. Some critics perceived the film as a call to stay in the closet. But it's possible to interpret Aschenbach's homosexuality not as repression leading to reinforcement of shame, but as liberation. In appreciating beauty through his intense love for another man (even if it lacks sexual fulfillment), he discovers joy and transcendence.
While this release rehabilitates an undeservedly maligned film, "Death in Venice" can be ponderous, plodding, and melancholic for viewers used to a story-driven plot rather than arty, languid camera pans and close-ups conveying internal monologues. Still, the movie boasts a beautiful career capstone performance by the gay Dirk Bogarde, who acts with his eyes, exuding both decline and dignity. Venice has never looked more wondrous, a feast for the senses, even with its decay and menacing aura. "Death in Venice" deserves to be rediscovered on its own terms. Those who succumb to its charms will be amply rewarded.