{"id":2312,"date":"2019-03-25T07:48:02","date_gmt":"2019-03-25T07:48:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/melodramaresearchgroup\/?p=2312"},"modified":"2019-09-02T08:02:41","modified_gmt":"2019-09-02T07:02:41","slug":"summary-of-discussion-on-death-in-venice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/melodramaresearchgroup\/2019\/03\/25\/summary-of-discussion-on-death-in-venice\/","title":{"rendered":"Summary of Discussion on Death in Venice"},"content":{"rendered":"

(Apologies for the few months delay in posting this summary. I’ve backdated it so that it fits in with the flow of discussion on the blog, allowing the focus to be on our more recent events such as The War Illustrated<\/em> project.)<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Our discussion on the film covered: its relation to melodrama; its music; its setting in time and place; films it reminded us of; the film\u2019s place in Dirk Bogarde\u2019s screen and star images; material in magazines.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>We discussed melodrama in terms of the suffering of the film\u2019s main character, composer Gustav von Aschenbach (Dirk Bogarde). The film unfolds at a leisurely pace with the seriousness of Von Aschenbach\u2019s purpose for staying at a hotel in Venice, an illness, revealed as time progresses. This is compounded by Von Aschenbach contracting cholera after witnessing those around him undergoing the awful effects of the disease. The film ends with dying on a beach. Furthermore, Von Aschenbach undergoes emotional distress as he feels unrequited, and inappropriate, desire for an adolescent boy, the Polish Tadzio (Bjorn Andresen).<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>The film\u2019s flashbacks also convey Von Aschenbach\u2019s previous suffering. This is mostly emotional, rather than physical. Von Aschenbach has an extreme reaction to the poor reception of one of his musical works, and subsequently collapses. The inclusion of these scenes suggests that Von Aschenbach is still feeling their effects. Not all the flashbacks are unhappy. Some show Von Aschenbach happily spending time with his wife and daughter. This fits in with the rhythm of melodrama, since it shows both the highs (happy moments with his wife and child) and the lows (his extreme grief at their loss). We thought it interesting that Von Aschenbach\u2019s wife and child, and indeed the happiness, was included given the film\u2019s main focus on Von Aschenbach\u2019s controversial desire for young Tadzio. Von Aschenbach is a complex character with a backstory which is revealed in a piecemeal fashion.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

We also commented on Death in Venice\u2019s<\/em> relation to the mystery, violence and chase elements of melodrama. Only the last of these was present in the film. As Von Aschenbach becomes increasingly ill, he worries about Tadzio\u2019s health, and pursues him through Venice\u2019s streets. This ends with him collapsing in the street with exhaustion. Unusually for a pursuer in the chase, then, Von Aschenbach action causes him suffering, heightening this aspect of melodrama.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Death in Venice\u2019s<\/i> musical score, later released by EMI, was also discussed by the group in terms of melodrama. The opening shots of the film are languid long takes accompanied by the music of Gustav Mahler. Music also punctuates other significant moments in the film. Von Aschenbach feels embarrassed by his desire for Tadzio and decides to leave Venice. As he embarks on a long boat journey leisurely music accompanies the close-up shots of his sad face. After a mix up with Von Aschenbach\u2019s luggage, he chooses to return to his hotel, and to Tadzio. Again, close-ups of Von Aschenbach are provided, though he is now smiling, and the mood of the music also seems to have lifted. Other points at which music is used especially effectively include the chase sequence referenced above, as well as the moving end of the film where Von Aschenbach falls ill on a beach and passes away.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>The film\u2019s extra-diegetic music seems especially appropriate because the occupation of Von Aschenbach is altered from a writer in Thomas Mann\u2019s 1912 novella, to a composer. Such a change also suits the medium of sound film. Von Achenbach\u2019s musical background affords opportunities for music to be present within the diegesis. The flashback to the failure of Von Aschenbach\u2019s concert includes music. We also see Von Achenbach\u2019s responses to others playing music. Tadzio briefly picks out a few notes, badly, on the piano at the hotel. This does not seem to dampen Von Aschenbach\u2019s desire. But he appears to be more judgmental about local musicians who are playing several instruments to try and inject some jollity into the cholera-stricken district.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The film\u2019s European Edwardian-era setting as a backdrop for Von Aschenbach\u2019s suffering was also commented on. This is undoubtedly connected to the date and location of the original setting of Mann\u2019s, novella. But we thought that Death in Venice\u2019s<\/em> title, as well as its depiction of disease, foreshadowed the upcoming first world war which would decimate Europe. Tadzio\u2019s family also reminded us of the Russian royals the Romanovs who were killed following the Russian Revolution which began in 1917. Much of this was connected to the film\u2019s mise en scene<\/em>. The hotel is large and ornately furnished, denoting its expensive nature. The people who can afford to stay there are generally of the upper classes \u2013 such as Tadzio\u2019s family. The clothing worn by Tadzio\u2019s family, especially the exquisite dresses, also suggest wealth. Tadzio\u2019s sailor suit costume reminded us of some of the photographs of the Romanovs. His costume therefore effectively reflects the time period in which the film is set, and his status as a member of the upper class. It also significantly emphasises his youth in comparison to Von Aschenbach. (We thought that Tadzio\u2019s hair style reproduced the 1970s of the film\u2019s era of production, however!) We also briefly mentioned other films set in Italy\u2019s iconic landscape, such as Don\u2019t Look <\/em>(1973, Nicolas Roeg) and A Room with a View<\/em> (1985, Merchant and Ivory).<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Since we have been screening several Bogarde films, we compared the melodrama in Death in Venice<\/em> to other Bogarde films we\u2019ve discussed. The suffering of Von Aschenbach raised thoughts about Esther Waters<\/em> (1948, Ian Dalrymple), especially William Latch\u2019s death-bed scene. We thought that the beautifully lit last moments of Bogarde\u2019s character recalled similar deaths of heroines in film melodramas (https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/melodramaresearchgroup\/2018\/10\/06\/summary-of-discussion-on-esther-waters\/<\/a>) The fact that some aspects of chase were involved in Death in Venice<\/em> reminded us of our discussion of Hunted<\/em> (1952, Charles Crichton), which depicts killer Chris Lloyd\u2019s attempt to escape pursuing police (https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/melodramaresearchgroup\/2018\/10\/18\/summary-of-discussion-on-hunted\/<\/a>).<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Like Hunted, Victim<\/em> (1961, Basil Dearden) combined suffering with mystery, violence, and chase. Death in Venice<\/em> has significant differences from the UK-set Victim<\/em> which had a crusading agenda tied to its time. Von Aschenbach\u2019s desire for a young boy is of course not the same as the gay theme of Victim<\/em>, and he is a more tragic character than Melville Farr in Victim<\/em>. In Victim<\/em>, Farr lost a close friend and was a closeted homosexual who the film suggested would continue to live with his wife in what might be seen as a compromise at a time when gay sex was illegal. Von Aschenbach\u2019s sexual desire for a child places him further on the outskirts of society. His wish to be desirable to Tadzio means that Von Aschenbach undergoes a makeover. At the start of the film, Von Aschenbach visibly recoils from an older man whose hair looks suspiciously colourful and who is acting in a jaunty manner. After he becomes increasingly ill with cholera, Von Aschenbach visits a barber. The barber not only dyes \"\"<\/a>Von Aschenbach\u2019s hair to remove the grey but applies heavy make-up to his face. This sad visual demonstration that Von Achenbach is trying to recapture his youth is made even more poignant when he collapses sobbing in the street after losing sight of Tadzio. With his hair dye and make-up running, Von Aschenbach is a pitiful figure.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Bogarde did not exclusively portray provocative characters like Von Aschenbach after Victim<\/i>. For example, in 1963 prior to playing the sinister titular character in Joseph Losey\u2019s The Servant<\/i>, Bogarde starred in I Could Go on Singing<\/i> (Ronald Neame \u2013 see blog post here: https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/melodramaresearchgroup\/2019\/01\/15\/summary-of-discussion-on-i-could-go-on-singing\/<\/a> ) as well as the last Doctor film, Doctor in Distress<\/i> (Ralph Thomas). The move to comedy was even briefly seen in Bogarde\u2019s work with Losey, as he appeared in the spy parody Modesty<\/i> Blaise<\/i> (1966) before the pair returned to more serious fare with Accident<\/i> (1967). Bogarde\u2019s work with other European directors included Visconti. Just before Death in Venice<\/i>, Bogarde starred as a man with links to the Nazi party in Visconti\u2019s The Damned<\/i> (1969).<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Bogarde\u2019s more controversial roles \u2013 especially in The Damned<\/i> and Death in Venice<\/i> \u2013 seem to occur in films which in some way foreground artifice. The makeover scene in Death in Venice<\/i> emphasises that while Von Aschenbach is trying to present himself in a certain way to Tadzio, as an actor, Bogarde, is also casting himself in a certain light. The hair dye and make-up in fact cover the greying hair and subtler make-up Bogarde is already sporting as Von Aschenbach. We also considered the Bogarde\u2019s star image \u2013 the way his \u2018real self\u2019 appears to us. <\/b>We primarily thought about this in relation to the changing of the novella\u2019s character from a novelist (and perhaps a stand in for Thomas Mann) to another type of artist \u2013 a composer. Classical music could still have been heavily used in film whose main character was a novelist, so the change perhaps has further significance. Bogarde\u2019s main writing career occurred well after Death in Venice\u2019s<\/i> 1971 release. His first memoir, Snakes and Ladders<\/i>, appeared in 1978, with his first novel, A Gentle Occupation<\/i>, following two years later. Bogarde had, however, previously written articles for magazines (perhaps most notably a series of 5 for Woman<\/i> magazine in 1961). The fact that he writes essay and poems is even mentioned in coverage about Death in Venice<\/i> from the time. In Gordon Gow\u2019s interview with Bogarde in Films and Filming, <\/i>he self-deprecatingly comments that he doubts anyone will want to publish him (May 1971, p. 49): https:\/\/dirkbogarde.co.uk\/magazine\/films-and-filming-may-1971\/<\/a> Although it was unlikely to have happened, it would have been unfortunate if audiences mistakenly conflated the character of Von Aschenbach with the \u2018real\u2019 Bogarde.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Such a view is of course retrospective, and heavily Bogarde-centric. Other magazine coverage from the time instead emphasised the similarity of Von Aschenbach to composer Gustav Mahler. Gordon Gow\u2019s review of Death in Venice <\/i>comments that Von Aschenbach\u2019s hairstyling and spectacles make him resemble Mahler (Films and Filming<\/i>, May 1971, p. 87). Furthermore, Gow claims that the director Visconti thought Mann\u2019s novella was responding to Mahler\u2019s 1911 death. By changing Von Aschenbach to a composer, Visconti believed he was able to draw out Mann\u2019s original intent. A <\/b>similar opinion is expressed in Philip Strick\u2019s review in the Spring issue of Sight and Sound<\/i> (pp. 103-4): https:\/\/dirkbogarde.co.uk\/magazine\/sight-and-sound-spring-1971\/<\/a>. Analysis of contemporary publicity and promotion therefore reveals that rather than distancing Von Aschenbach from Bogarde, changing him to a composer made him closer to Mahler.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re interested in reading more about Dirk Bogarde\u2019s screen and star images, I\u2019ve written several posts about the British Film Institute\u2019s (BFI\u2019s) collection of magazines bequeathed to them by his estate. You can find these on the NoRMMA blog: http:\/\/www.normmanetwork.com\/tag\/dirk-bogarde\/<\/a><\/p>\n

As ever, do log in to comment, or email me on sp761@kent.ac.uk<\/a> and let me know that you\u2019d like me to add your thoughts to the melodrama blog.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

(Apologies for the few months delay in posting this summary. I’ve backdated it so that it fits in with the flow of discussion on the blog, allowing the focus to be on our more recent events such as The War … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5401,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[50576],"tags":[217637,217622,217631,100350,50738,211604,50633,100348,211606,211602,177905,217591,217627,177906,211501,217632,217626,177937,211503,177909,211470,211603,177780,20536,217623,217625,1252,177943,217628,100081,217633,211477,217629,211505,217634,217636,50834,100155,217624,217630,211605,211445,217635],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/melodramaresearchgroup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2312"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/melodramaresearchgroup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/melodramaresearchgroup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/melodramaresearchgroup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5401"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/melodramaresearchgroup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2312"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/melodramaresearchgroup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2312\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2332,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/melodramaresearchgroup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2312\/revisions\/2332"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/melodramaresearchgroup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2312"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/melodramaresearchgroup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2312"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/melodramaresearchgroup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2312"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}