Original interpretation — not a still from the production
The Hôtel des Bains, a cholera epidemic, and the collapse of a very disciplined man.
The Continental Verdict
For Enthusiasts
Slow to the point of provocation, and unforgettable. Visconti films the Lido in 1911 as a haze of striped cabanas, hotel orchestras and creeping infection. Bogarde's Aschenbach is a study in composure dissolving — the make-up scene at the end is among the most humiliating in cinema.
Watch it for the hotel: the dining room, the beach service, the terrace at dusk. No film has ever recorded the seaside grand hotel with such devotion.
Why Watch It
The Gentleman Factor
A warning about vanity delivered in the most beautiful setting imaginable.
Look Out For
- The lobby introduction
- The beach cabanas
- The final deckchair
The Locations
The Lido di Venezia, the Hôtel des Bains, and Venice proper in a cholera-yellow haze.
More from the travel pages →The Cars
Vaporetti and gondolas only.
More from motoring →The Wardrobe
1911 linen suits, panama hats, high collars in unbearable heat.
More on style →The Soundtrack
Mahler's Fifth, Adagietto — the reason most people know the piece at all.
Into the music room →Watch Next
Where to Watch
Criterion / Warner Archive.
For the Collection
Also in Hotels, Villas & Locations
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