. ▁All ▁versions , ▁however , ▁use ▁G öt ter d äm mer ung ▁as ▁a ▁sub title . ▁ ▁Fil ming ▁took ▁place ▁in ▁Italy ▁and ▁Germany . ▁ ▁" The ▁German ▁Tr il ogy " ▁The ▁Dam ned ▁has ▁been ▁regarded ▁as ▁the ▁first ▁of ▁Vis cont i ' s ▁films ▁described ▁as ▁" The ▁German ▁Tr il ogy ", ▁followed ▁by ▁Death ▁in ▁Ven ice ▁( 1 9 7 1 ) ▁and ▁Ludwig ▁( 1 9 7 3 ). ▁Author ▁Henry ▁Ba con , ▁in ▁his ▁book ▁Vis cont i : ▁Ex pl or ations ▁of ▁Beaut y ▁and ▁Dec ay ▁( 1 9 9 8 ), ▁specifically ▁categor izes ▁these ▁films ▁together ▁in ▁a ▁chapter ▁" Vis cont i ▁& ▁Germany ". ▁Vis cont i ' s ▁earlier ▁films ▁had ▁analyz ed ▁Italian ▁society ▁during ▁the ▁Ris org imento ▁and ▁post war ▁periods . ▁Peter ▁Bond an ella ' s ▁Italian ▁Cinema ▁( 2 0 0 2 ) ▁dep ict s ▁the ▁tr il ogy ▁as ▁a ▁move ▁to ▁take ▁a ▁bro ader ▁view ▁of ▁European ▁politics ▁and ▁culture . ▁St y list ically , ▁" They ▁emphas ize ▁lav ish ▁sets ▁and ▁cost umes , ▁sens uous ▁light ing , ▁pain st aking ly ▁slow ▁camera work , ▁and ▁a ▁pen chant ▁for ▁imag ery ▁reflect ing ▁subject ive ▁states ▁or ▁symbol ic ▁values ", ▁comments ▁Bond an ella . ▁ ▁Plot ▁The ▁film ▁cent ers ▁on ▁the ▁Ess en be cks , ▁a ▁wealth y ▁industrial ist