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Title: Visually stunning and faithful rendition
Review: Someone commented that the film was hilarious, and somehow shouldn't be. Guess those people never read the book, or any book by Thomas Mann, who is a great writer of caricature and humour. I personally think Bogarde nailed the part of the german intellectual who "has lived his life like a closed fist". With the exception of the flashbacks and the fact that Aschenbach should have been a writer, the film follows the book closely. I looked forward to seeing some of the comical highlights of the book, like the gypsy band, the annoying old makeup-wearing on the boat and my favourite: the visit to the hairdresser. Films are seldom as good as the books they are based upon, but I think this one is great as a supplement, as the spectacular setting can be difficult to visualize when reading, especially as it belongs to a long gone era.The DVD I wathched had the italian soundtrack.
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