#campiellodeicalegheri

[faithfamilyfilms]

In Venice last week I visited the square where ailing composer Gustav von Aschenbach (Dirk Bogarde) first sees the city being disinfected against the spead of cholera in Visconti's 'Death in Venice' (Morte a Venezia - 1971). This slow, beautiful film is for many an enchanting reflection on art, beauty, longing, and death. But as well as having a good attention span you need to be convinced of author Thomas Mann's premise that Aschenbach's infatuation with the teenage Tadzio makes him an appreciator of beauty and not a pervert. I can't say I was entirely convinced, but then the films powerful mixture of beauty and decay, symbolised by Aschenbach/Tadzio and by Venice in the grip of a cholera epidemic, is meant to make it ambiguous. For us visiting Venice in a crisp, sunny February its beauty was overwhelming - so much so that despite reminders of the city's difficult history (and headlines full of coronavirus) we felt that beauty must triumph and that life must be stronger than death. . . . . . . . . . #CampiellodeiCalegheri #veniceitaly #venice #deathinvenice #visconti #dirkbogarde #morteavenezia #luchinovisconti #aschenbach #thomasmann #cholera #coronavirus #tadzio #italianfilm #italianmovie #infatuation #cineaste #cinema #cinephile #cinephilecommunity #cinéaste #filmlocations #filmlocation #movielocation #movielocations (at Campiello Dei Calegheri) https://www.instagram.com/p/B8oU4NPFAYi/?igshid=1797oqkeoz8x7