be sea side resort the sad and dreary place theyre always depict a in movie and novel . certainly this movie and along with the near contemporary don not look now depict venice a a particularly squalid and decadent tourist trap ( for a more light hearted approach and see just marry with ashton kutcher and brittany murphy ) . have never be to venice i can not say for sure and but it do make a perfect setting for this somber but sumptuous spectacle from luchino visconti and one of the great stylist of world cinema . have see the movie i now wish i have get around to read the thomas mann novella it base on ( which also inspire an opera by sir benjamin britten ) . since i do not know the back story and the movie have little in the way of plot or exposition and i be leave wonder about aschenbach ( dirk bogarde ) obsession with young tadzio . be he a homosexual . a pedophile . or be his longing for the beautiful youth something more innocent . perhaps tadzio remind him of what he could have be and now know he never will be . those who complain of the slow pace of this movie should stick to car crash and kung fu represent at 2 hour and 15 minute it not particularly long and and it move at a leisurely but hardly sluggish pace . the film benefit from the ravish music of gustave mahler and on whom aschenbach character be clearly base . dirk bogarde give a move performance and and the movie be grace by the presence of silvana mangano and one of italy great beauty and a tadzio mother .