Von Aschenbach is a complex character with a backstory which is revealed in a piecemeal fashion. We thought it interesting that Von Aschenbach’s wife and child, and indeed the happiness, was included given the film’s main focus on Von Aschenbach’s controversial desire for young Tadzio. 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). Some show Von Aschenbach happily spending time with his wife and daughter. The inclusion of these scenes suggests that Von Aschenbach is still feeling their effects. Von Aschenbach has an extreme reaction to the poor reception of one of his musical works, and subsequently collapses.

This is mostly emotional, rather than physical. The film’s flashbacks also convey Von Aschenbach’s previous suffering. Furthermore, Von Aschenbach undergoes emotional distress as he feels unrequited, and inappropriate, desire for an adolescent boy, the Polish Tadzio (Bjorn Andresen). This is compounded by Von Aschenbach contracting cholera after witnessing those around him undergoing the awful effects of the disease. The film unfolds at a leisurely pace with the seriousness of Von Aschenbach’s purpose for staying at a hotel in Venice, an illness, revealed as time progresses. We discussed melodrama in terms of the suffering of the film’s main character, composer Gustav von Aschenbach (Dirk Bogarde). 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’s place in Dirk Bogarde’s screen and star images material in magazines. 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 project.) (Apologies for the few months delay in posting this summary.

Deathinvenice