set in venice mainly on the lido and visconti death in venice be a triumph of filmmaking combine the excellence of dirk bogarde characterisation and expert photography of the resort area in all it various daily mood . for those who love venice and this be a film to cherish . mahler music frequently hear throughout the film heighten the drama . the mood it create be not always happy . but then what else would you expect with a title like that . there be not a lot of dialogue in the film . rather sparse in fact . it mainly background noise and chatter and laughter among the hotel guest . the intriguing part be to interpret the exchange of glance between gustav von aschenbach a composer of some renown and a slim teenage youth tadzio who see each other from time to time across the table of the hotel dining room and on the beach and at odd unexpected place around venice . they seem to acknowledge each other presence shyly at first with little more than the suggestion of a smile but later with a strong and riveting and urgent gaze . each viewer will have his own interpretation . the composer have lose a child of his own . be this behaviour an expression of yearn for the child he love . be it perhaps a sexual attraction towards this fragile young man with his dazed somewhat girlish stare . could he be discover some new inspiration for a yet unwritten musical masterpiece . who know . from begin to end this film capture the true spirit of 19th century venice . the elegance of the lady and the deck chair on the sand and the child frolic in their neck to knee bath costume and the glow of sunset and a general feeling of satisfaction with the world . while some may think the pace be rather slow at time and the film have an overall gentle quality and but with a simmer indecision between two repress human being . be prepare for a sad and beautiful end .