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The Innocent Tadzio versus The Provocative Tadzio

posted 13 years ago by BillyBuddmix
10 replies | jump to latest

First, let me tell you that Death in venice is in my "great movies" personal list. It is a very small list and it will always be there. This movie is magical and amazes me every time I watch it. The music, the slow pace, the devastatingly beautiful images, the idea of a man irresistibly attracted to perfect beauty, the conflict between high ideals and perfect form being incompatible with a carnal, worldly appreciation of beauty, the idea that beauty exists independently of our actions. All these things make me love the movie and the artist who created it.

But there is one key difference between the movie and the book. Visconti made Tadzio aware of his beauty and of his effect on Aschenbach. Tadzio exchanges glances with Aschenbach, teases him, smiles looking at him, and seems to be fully aware of his powers of seduction. In the book, Tadzio has no idea at all. He is just an innocent kid who goes to the beach. He never takes any notice of being admired, followed, glanced at. In my opinion, this is one weakness of the movie. It makes things too evident, too carnal, too mundane. The truth is that Aschenbach's love for Tadzio happens almost exclusively in his head, and should not be noticed or reacted upon by Tadzio.

I believe that Visconti made this choice in order to make the movie easier to understand. If the love affair becomes more than just an ideation, people can understand it. In a book, it is easy to tell you what is inside the character's mind. In a movie, it is much more difficult to do so. Death in venice is a movie where most of the action takes place inside the character's mind. All the inner turmoil, the contradictions, the repression, the suffering, the lust, are inside Aschenbach's head. By making Tadzio aware, Visconti is helping us understand the story.

What do you think about this issue? Would you have made a similar decision if you were the director?

[–] timmy_501 13 years ago

That just isn't true. There are several passages in the story that indicate that Tadzio has noticed Aschenbach. If you'd like, I can quote one or two for you.

Danger's over, Banana Breakfast is saved.

[–] BillyBuddmix 13 years ago

By any means, please do. Please remember to inform the chapter.

[–] timmy_501 13 years ago

From Vintage's Death in Venice and Seven Other Stories, 1989. Translated by HT Lowe-Porter.

From page 49 (There are no chapters, the whole thing runs from 3-73)
"There can be no relation more strange, more critical, than that between two beings who know each other only with their eyes, who meet daily, yes, even hourly, eye each other with a fixed regard, and yet by some whim or freak of convention feel constrained to act like strangers"

Next paragraph
"Some sort of relationship and acquaintanceship was perforce set up between Aschenbach and the youthful Tadzio; it was with a thrill of joy the older man perceived that the lad was not entirely unresponsive to all the tender notice lavished on him."
Same paragraph, which runs on into page 50
"But sometimes [Aschenbach] looked up, and their glances met; when that happened both were profoundly serious. The elder's dignified and cultured mien let nothing appear of his inward state; but in Tadzio's eyes a question lay--he faltered in his step, gazed on the ground, then up again with that ineffably sweet look he had; and when he was past, something in his bearing seemed to say that only good breeding hindered him from turning round."

Further along on page 50
Tadzio "smiled at Aschenbach, unabashed and friendly"

I'm sure you get the point. Note that I typed that myself so any mistakes are probably mine. In case you have a different copy, you can just click on this link: http://www.amazon.com/Death-Venice-Seven-Other-Stories/dp/0679722068/r ef=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1299360177&sr=1-1#reader_067 9722068 and search for "perforce" inside the book.

Danger's over, Banana Breakfast is saved.

[–] BillyBuddmix 13 years ago

Timmy, In view of all this evidence, I must recant and withdraw my argument. Visconti cannot be acccused of changing the story altogether. Maybe his Tadzio was a little more knowledgeable than in the book. But if such difference existed, it was very subtle.

[–] timmy_501 13 years ago

You're hardly the only one to make this mistake, I'm pretty sure that Ebert said something similar in his review.

Danger's over, Banana Breakfast is saved.

[–] BillyBuddmix 13 years ago

Yes, I read it, he said something similar. I read DIV 2 times but it was long ago and I did not remember those passages where little Tadzio showed awareness...

[–] bostonfilmfan 10 years ago

BillyBuddmix, I think you were right the first time around. I have the same "complaint" about the film. The exchange of glances happens in the later part of the story, not right away, not from the first encounter as in the movie (and the quotations only prove that). It's the persistence of the old man that made him noticed eventually. Mann's Tadzio is definitely innocent. Besides, there are no such close encounters or stare contests between the two characters in the book as there are in the movie (e.g. the street performers' scene), they were always separated by a distance. And finally, using one of the quotes: "good breeding hindered him from turning round." And Tadzio in the movie turns around every time he appears.

And yes, I agree that it was needed in order to give the movie some dramatic dynamics, otherwise nobody would watch a movie about a love story that happens entirely in someone's head.

[–] [email protected] (1636) 3 years ago

How old is Tadzio supposed to be in the book? The boy he was based on was only 10 at the time I believe.

[–] timmy_501 13 years ago

By the way, what you say about character interiority is adressed (with reference to this very adaptation) in Linda Hutcheon's book A Theory of Adaptation. It's a decent scholarly work which I've been reading for a class I'm taking. Reading it made me want to revisit this story which I read a few years ago and had very little memory of. It also encouraged me to watch this film since I was already very impressed by the Visconti films I had seen (The Leopard, The Stranger, White Nights). This one ended up being my new favorite.

Danger's over, Banana Breakfast is saved.

[–] Mandyjam 13 years ago

I have been very interested to read these comments about the film and the book. Like the OP, it is on my shortlist of greatest movies.... top of the list, actually..... and has never shifted since I saw it all those years ago.

"great minds think differently"