Tod in Venedig (1971)

Tod in Venedig: Directed by Luchino Visconti. With Dirk Bogarde, Romolo Valli, Mark Burns, Nora Ricci. While recovering in Venice, sickly composer Gustav von Aschenbach becomes dangerously fixated with teenager Tadzio.

“Death in Venice is a must see for all of those interested in u0026quot;greatu0026quot; film-making. I regard the film as essential watching. The final scene, in which the lovesick middle aged man watching a beautiful boy as his absurd makeup runs and he dies of the plague is one of the most horrific and sad in film history. Featuring the music of Gustav Mahler, we are visited by the dark, amber strains of his Fourth Symphony as we visit Venice, which has been beset with the plague. A middle aged man falls in love with a teenage boy, and is heartsick from afar. This is sumptuous, heartbreaking film-making. A must see.”