On M List of Movie Reviews
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Morte a Venezia (1971)
Rate:
4
Viewed:
3/07
3/07:
Slow, slow, slow!
One of the slowest pictures I've ever seen in my life, nothing...absolutely nothing happens in Morte a Venezia
otherwise known as Death in Venice. Yet the cinematography is beautiful. Another highlight is Dirk Bogarde's
performance.
But the overemphasis on pace and zoom effects, which reveal nothing of the story, have doomed the picture. A suitable
title should be A Slow Death in Venice. I keep waiting for something to happen, but nothing ever does.
The first half-hour is difficult to sit through, and then the protagonist begins to evince interest in some weird-looking boy
which gets the ball rolling. And the rest of the way is a massive dud. It'll be nice to hear some meaningful
dialogue like how Gustav's daughter died or anything else about his past to learn more about him.
All in all, had Morte a Venezia gone faster, Gustav might've been saved.