Published on the eve of World War I, a decade after Buddenbrooks had established Thomas Mann as a literary celebrity, Death in Venice tell the story of Gustav von Aschenbach, a successful but aging writer who follows his wanderlust to Venice in search of spiritual fulfillment that instead leads to his erotic doom.
In the decaying city, besieged by an unnamed epidemic, he becomes obsessed with an exquisite Polish boy, Tadzio. "It is the story of the voluptuousness of doom," Mann wrote. "But the problem I had especially in mind was that of the artist's dignity."
Quote:The entire story fascinates me. I have found new layers of fascination since reading the novella, and watching the movie again just last night. Yes - I am temporarily obsessed! I was blown away at my second viewing - and realised afresh why my young mind was so enthralled two decades ago. Now, watching with "grown up" eyes - I was astonished at just how overt the flirtations between Tadzio and von Aschenbach are. The secret smiles. The knowing glances. And more often than not emanating from the adolescent. Tadzio is depicted as holding all of the cards. As possessing all of the power. And wielding it with such finesse, perhaps more knowingly than one may suspect an adolescent boy could be capable of. (though they are capable of many things, none of them surprising to me).
This power perhaps best depicted in the famous scene where Aschenbach encounters the boy while entering the beach, beneath the veranda (below). The boy's silent, nonchalant, yet deliberate flirtation seems an almost cruel use of the power which he knowingly holds. Indeed if you watch the scene closely, could it be that Tadzio has planned this little moment? Laying in wait, his youthful companions seem to be curtly dismissed, just as Aschenbach enters the scene.
I was also fascinated to read that the encounter that led Thomas Mann to find a lead character for his yet unwritten novella, was a chance encounter with Gustav Mahler, the prominent Austrian composer, on a train from Venice. Although the author gave his central character an occupation other than "musician", Aschenbachs physical attributes are those of Mahlers. Movie director Luchino Visconti recounts that:
"You know it is about Mahler, Gustav Mahler? Thomas Mann told me that he met him
in a train, coming from Venice; this poor man, in the corner of the compartment, with make-up, weeping
