i first saw death in venice 1971 ) about 15 year ago and find it profoundly move and often think about it . watch it again few day ago and i realize that it be close to the top of the great work of cinema . with hardly any dialog it captivate a viewer with the beautiful cinematography and the fine acting and and and above all and the mahler music without which the movie simply could not exist . death in venice be a stunning luchino visconti adaptation of the thomas mann novella about a famous composer ( in the novella he be a writer but make him a composer in a movie be a great idea that work admirably ) gustav von aschenbach ( loosely base on gustav mahler ) who travel to venice in the summer of 1911 to recover from personal loss and professional failure . his search for beauty and perfection seem to be complete when he see a boy of incredible divine beauty . ashenbach ( dirk bogard ) follow the boy everywhere never try to approach him . the boy and tadzio and belong to very rare creature that own an enigmatic and inconceivable power which captivate you and enchants you and conquers you and make you it prisoner . ashenbach become one of the prisoner of tadzio spellbinding charm . he become addict to him while he fell in love with him . be it bless or curse for him . i think both . he die from unreachable and impossible yet beautiful love which object be perfection itself . the last image ashenbach eye capture be that of the boy silhouette surround by the sea and golden sun light . nothing could compare to the beauty and charm of the scene and to take it with you to the grave be the death one can only dream about . if he could and ashenbach probably would have say and i be able to witness one of the face of perfection and i could not bear it but i be choose to learn that it exist here and in this world and i can die in peace now because it do happen to me . unforgettable music and gustav mahler haunt adagietto of his fifth symphony find perfect use in a perfect movie . it reflect every emotion of a main character it sob and it long and it beg for hope and and it summarize the idea that once you be bless to encounter beauty you be condemn to die . i may come up with hundred movie that use classical music to perfection but nothing will ever compare to death in venice . i dare say that mahler music be it main character it would change and sound differently depend on what be happen on the screen . it sound triumphantly when ashenbach return back to venice and to what he think would be his happiness but turn to be his death . it sound gloomy when he first enter venice from the sea . you can hear so many different feeling in it tenderness and adoration and confusion and self loathing and worship and melancholy and but always love that give the purest happiness and break the heart ( literally ) . the movie for a viewer be similar to what the boy be for the age composer or writer or artist . we be enchant and captivate by it power and beauty as much a achenbach be by the boy mysterious charm .