"Death in Venice" & Bogarde
John Douglas Porter
I just saw "Death in Venice" for the first time on the _big_ screen (it is
shot in Panavision) with a good sound system.
I had always liked it on the small screen, but it really is an
extraordinary film when viewed and heard the way it was meant to be. Many
things made sense this time around, especially the pacing and the
composition. And the music...
Then there was Dirk Bogard--damn he died too young. He was a courageous
and talented actor and he was incredibly engaging in "Death in Venice." A
challenge, considering the character was quirky, not particularly
accessible or sympathetic through most of the film. The portrayal of
genius, especially when it is so internalized, is so hard in the cinema.
But by the time that long, slow, sad and beautiful last scene came around
Bogarde made me understand how it was that a warm, talented man had become
cold and detatched while his talent flourished. And how the same man could
have had a revelation of beauty through such a tragic and pathetic
infatuation.
Amazing scene. Only on the big screen did I finally appreciate the
composition of that crane shot. Check out the twin girls playing in the
sand, oblivious to the action. And the camera in the foreground of the
shot from Bogarde's perspective, of the boy, the sand and the sun on the
water. Magic.
J.P.
Michael S Ritchie
John Douglas Porter <por...@uclink.berkeley.edu> wrote:
>
>I just saw "Death in Venice" for the first time on the _big_ screen (it is
>shot in Panavision) with a good sound system.
>I had always liked it on the small screen, but it really is an
>extraordinary film when viewed and heard the way it was meant to be.
>But by the time that long, slow, sad and beautiful last scene came around
>Bogarde made me understand how it was that a warm, talented man had become
>cold and detatched while his talent flourished. And how the same man could
>have had a revelation of beauty through such a tragic and pathetic
>infatuation. Amazing scene. Only on the big screen did I finally
>appreciate the composition of that crane shot.
Thanks for your insights; your post makes me want to see it
again, but all I have is the pan-and-scan, bleached-out-looking
video. Does anyone know if it's ever been letterboxed on
laserdisc? I'm pretty sure I've seen an LD of it, but not
letterboxed. I've always appreciated big-screen and letterboxed
versions of epic movies and big musicals, but your post reminds
me that almost any movie can be better experienced in these ways.
************************************
Michael Ritchie // ritc...@osu.edu
***********
"Being natural is simply a pose, and the most irritating pose I know."
--Oscar Wilde,
_The Picture of Dorian Gray_
--
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Michael Ritchie ** ritc...@osu.edu
"Words are useless. Especially sentences."
--Bjork (via Madonna)
George Chia-Chen Yeh
: I just saw "Death in Venice" for the first time on the _big_ screen (it is
: shot in Panavision) with a good sound system.
(middle part edited)
: Then there was Dirk Bogard--damn he died too young. He was a courageous
: and talented actor and he was incredibly engaging in "Death in Venice." A
: challenge, considering the character was quirky, not particularly
: accessible or sympathetic through most of the film. The portrayal of
: genius, especially when it is so internalized, is so hard in the cinema.
(final part edited)
Actually, I believe that Dirk Bogarde is very much alive and well. He is
now Sir Dirk Bogarde, and around 73 or 74. He was the narrator for a
newly released CD of Lehar's _The Merry Widow_, speaking the narration
written especially for the production (which was recorded live) at the
Glyndebourne Festival, at least I remember that.
But anyway....I've never seen _Death in Venice_ on a big screen myself.
Perhaps one day....
Cheers,
George
Dept. of Chemistry
Washington University, St. Louis
David Garrett
John Douglas Porter <por...@uclink.berkeley.edu> wrote:
>
>I just saw "Death in Venice" for the first time on the _big_ screen (it is
>shot in Panavision) with a good sound system.
>
>extraordinary film when viewed and heard the way it was meant to be.
I cringe to think of watching "Death in Venice" on a TV screen; it
really is a film whose beautifully detailed and static (my favorite
description of it was "a Panavision postcard") compositions just
beg to be seen in a theater, on a wide screen. There seems to be at
least one new print floating around the repertory circuit, as I saw
it not too long ago, and except for a few scratches and the occasional
segment of faded color, it did look quite beautiful.
>Many
>things made sense this time around, especially the pacing and the
>composition. And the music...
The music, indeed. The opening sequence with the ship crossing the
sea as Mahler's music swells is an utterly sublime piece of cinema.
I believe I mentioned recently in a different thread that this is
one of the two films (the other is "Crimes and Misdemeanors") that
immediately pop into my head when the topic of outstanding use of
music in a film comes up.
>But by the time that long, slow, sad and beautiful last scene came around
>Bogarde made me understand how it was that a warm, talented man had become
>cold and detatched while his talent flourished. And how the same man could
>have had a revelation of beauty through such a tragic and pathetic
>infatuation.
>
>Amazing scene. Only on the big screen did I finally appreciate the
>composition of that crane shot. Check out the twin girls playing in the
>sand, oblivious to the action. And the camera in the foreground of the
>shot from Bogarde's perspective, of the boy, the sand and the sun on the
>water. Magic.
Agreed, on all counts. I don't think it's a film for everyone; the
friend I saw it with thought it was good but wasn't as taken with it
as I was. But I feel that it's an immensely rewarding film for those
who have the patience to let it slowly weave its implacable spell,
each scene adding more layers to a complex portrait that is fully
realized in the final shot you mention.
Dave