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Death in Venice (film)

Updated: 12/11/2025, 10:42:05 AM Wikipedia source

Death in Venice (Italian: Morte a Venezia) is a 1971 historical drama film directed and produced by Italian filmmaker Luchino Visconti, and adapted by Visconti and Nicola Badalucco from the 1912 novella of the same name by German author Thomas Mann. It stars Dirk Bogarde as Gustav von Aschenbach and Björn Andrésen as Tadzio, with supporting roles played by Mark Burns, Marisa Berenson, and Silvana Mangano, and was filmed in Technicolor by Pasqualino De Santis. The soundtrack consists of selections from Gustav Mahler's third and fifth symphonies, but characters in the film also perform pieces by Franz Lehár, Ludwig van Beethoven, and Modest Mussorgsky. Preceded by The Damned (1969) and followed by Ludwig (1973), the film is the second part of Visconti's thematic "German Trilogy". The film premiered in London on 1 March 1971, and was entered into the 24th Cannes Film Festival. It received positive reviews from critics and won several accolades, including, at the 25th British Academy Film Awards, the awards for Best Cinematography, Best Production Design, Best Costume Design, and Best Sound, in addition to nominations for Best Film, Best Direction, and Best Actor in a Leading Role for Dirk Bogarde. For his work on the film, Visconti won the David di Donatello Award for Best Director. Retrospectively, Death in Venice was ranked the 235th greatest film of all time in the 2012 Sight & Sound critics' poll, the 14th greatest arthouse film of all time by The Guardian in 2010, and the 27th greatest LGBT film of all time in a 2016 poll by the British Film Institute. It is the 209th greatest film of all time as per the list aggregation site They Shoot Pictures, Don't They?

Infobox

Italian
Morte a Venezia
Directed by
Luchino Visconti
Screenplay by
mw- Luchino Visconti Nicola Badalucco
Based on
Death in Veniceby Thomas Mann
Produced by
Luchino Visconti
Starring
Dirk Bogarde Björn Andrésen Mark Burns Romolo Valli Nora Ricci Marisa Berenson Carole André Silvana Mangano
Cinematography
Pasqualino De Santis
Edited by
Ruggero Mastroianni
Productioncompanies
Alfa Cinematografica PECF
Distributed by
Dear International (Italy) Warner Bros. (International)
Release dates
1 March 1971 (1971-03-01) (London premiere) 5 March 1971 (1971-03-05) (Italy) 4 June 1971 (1971-06-04) (France)
Running time
130 minutes
Countries
Italy France
Language
English
Budget
$2 million

Tables

· Critical reception › Awards and honors
Academy Award
Academy Award
Award
Academy Award
Year
1972
Category
Best Costume Design
Nominee
Piero Tosi
Result
Nominated
BAFTA Award
BAFTA Award
Award
BAFTA Award
Year
1972
Category
Best Film
Nominee
Nominated
Best Direction
Best Direction
Award
Best Direction
Year
Luchino Visconti
Category
Nominated
Best Actor in a Leading Role
Best Actor in a Leading Role
Award
Best Actor in a Leading Role
Year
Dirk Bogarde
Category
Nominated
Best Cinematography
Best Cinematography
Award
Best Cinematography
Year
Pasqualino De Santis
Category
Won
Best Production Design
Best Production Design
Award
Best Production Design
Year
Ferdinando Scarfiotti
Category
Won
Best Costume Design
Best Costume Design
Award
Best Costume Design
Year
Piero Tosi
Category
Won
Best Sound
Best Sound
Award
Best Sound
Year
Vittorio Trentino, Giuseppe Muratori
Category
Won
Cannes Film Festival
Cannes Film Festival
Award
Cannes Film Festival
Year
1971
Category
25th Anniversary Award
Nominee
Luchino Visconti
Result
Won
Palme d'Or
Palme d'Or
Award
Palme d'Or
Year
Nominated
David di Donatello
David di Donatello
Award
David di Donatello
Year
1971
Category
Best Director
Nominee
Won
French Syndicate of Cinema Critics
French Syndicate of Cinema Critics
Award
French Syndicate of Cinema Critics
Year
1972
Category
Best Foreign Film
Nominee
Won
Kinema Junpo Award
Kinema Junpo Award
Award
Kinema Junpo Award
Year
1972
Category
Best Foreign-Language Film
Nominee
Won
Best Foreign-Language Director
Best Foreign-Language Director
Award
Best Foreign-Language Director
Year
Luchino Visconti
Category
Won
Nastro d'Argento
Nastro d'Argento
Award
Nastro d'Argento
Year
1972
Category
Best Director
Nominee
Won
Best Supporting Actor
Best Supporting Actor
Award
Best Supporting Actor
Year
Romolo Valli
Category
Nominated
Best Supporting Actress
Best Supporting Actress
Award
Best Supporting Actress
Year
Silvana Mangano
Category
Won
Best Cinematography
Best Cinematography
Award
Best Cinematography
Year
Pasqualino De Santis
Category
Won
Best Production Design
Best Production Design
Award
Best Production Design
Year
Ferdinando Scarfiotti
Category
Won
Best Costume Design
Best Costume Design
Award
Best Costume Design
Year
Piero Tosi
Category
Won
National Board of Review
National Board of Review
Award
National Board of Review
Year
1972
Category
Top Ten Films
Nominee
Won
Sant Jordi Award
Sant Jordi Award
Award
Sant Jordi Award
Year
1973
Category
Best Foreign Film
Nominee
Luchino Visconti
Result
Won
Award
Year
Category
Nominee
Result
Academy Award
1972
Best Costume Design
Piero Tosi
Nominated
BAFTA Award
1972
Best Film
Nominated
Best Direction
Luchino Visconti
Nominated
Best Actor in a Leading Role
Dirk Bogarde
Nominated
Best Cinematography
Pasqualino De Santis
Won
Best Production Design
Ferdinando Scarfiotti
Won
Best Costume Design
Piero Tosi
Won
Best Sound
Vittorio Trentino, Giuseppe Muratori
Won
Cannes Film Festival
1971
25th Anniversary Award
Luchino Visconti
Won
Palme d'Or
Nominated
David di Donatello
1971
Best Director
Won
French Syndicate of Cinema Critics
1972
Best Foreign Film
Won
Kinema Junpo Award
1972
Best Foreign-Language Film
Won
Best Foreign-Language Director
Luchino Visconti
Won
Nastro d'Argento
1972
Best Director
Won
Best Supporting Actor
Romolo Valli
Nominated
Best Supporting Actress
Silvana Mangano
Won
Best Cinematography
Pasqualino De Santis
Won
Best Production Design
Ferdinando Scarfiotti
Won
Best Costume Design
Piero Tosi
Won
National Board of Review
1972
Top Ten Films
Won
Sant Jordi Award
1973
Best Foreign Film
Luchino Visconti
Won

References

  1. This was a special award created to make it possible to honor both this film and Joseph Losey's The Go-Between, which wo
  2. "Morte a Venezia (1971)"
    https://web.archive.org/web/20160321065930/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b6b0ce272
  3. "Death in Venice (1971)"
    https://en.unifrance.org/movie/47925/death-in-venice
  4. Chicago Tribune
  5. BFI
    https://web.archive.org/web/20220329021414/https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b6b0ce272/sightandsoundpoll2012
  6. The Guardian
    https://www.theguardian.com/film/2010/oct/20/death-venice-arthouse
  7. BFI
    https://www.bfi.org.uk/lists/30-best-lgbt-films-all-time
  8. TSPDT
    https://www.theyshootpictures.com/gf1000_all1000films.htm
  9. The Guardian
    https://www.theguardian.com/film/2003/oct/16/gender.film
  10. IndieWire
    https://www.indiewire.com/2021/01/the-most-beautiful-boy-in-the-world-review-bjorn-andresen-1234611909/
  11. "The Most Beautiful Boy in the World"
    https://themostbeautifulboy.com
  12. Death in Venice
    https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1005512-death_in_venice
  13. The Guardian
    https://www.theguardian.com/film/2021/mar/04/death-in-venice-review-slow-precise-beautiful-film-1971
  14. Time
    https://time.com/archive/6839171/cinema-soul-destroyed/
  15. "Death in Venice movie review & film summary (1971) | Roger Ebert"
    https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/death-in-venice-1971
  16. Quirk 1974, p. 208.
    https://archive.org/details/greatromanticfil00quir/page/208/mode/2up
  17. The Guardian
    https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2003/feb/14/artsfeatures5
  18. Xtra Magazine
    https://web.archive.org/web/20120615092650/http://www.xtra.ca/public/National/Montreal_author_Will_Aitken_revives_Death_in_Venice-11432.aspx
  19. LA BIENNALE DI VENEZIA
    http://www.labiennale.org/en/news/restored-films-venezia-classici
  20. The Criterion Collection
    https://www.criterion.com/films/28699-death-in-venice
  21. "Festival de Cannes: Death in Venice"
    https://web.archive.org/web/20120925071455/http://www.festival-cannes.com/en/archives/ficheFilm/id/2424/year/1971.html
  22. www.goodiesruleok.com
    http://www.goodiesruleok.com/articles.php?id=62/
  23. Los Angeles Times
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