"Death in Venice" issues

tunguska

Saw it the other night for the first time and I thought it was a beautiful film, photography and music in particular. Some scenes you could hit the pause button and it'd look like a painting. And the music was incredible, very emotional.
I have one problem with the film though, and thats its subject matter. Maybe I have this wrong and something else was going on entirely, but the main character seems to have this disturbing fascination with a young boy. He comes across as a paedophile to be honest.
Is this whats going on or is the composers fascintation with the young boy something more innocent?

Mickeroo

THe boy was 16 yrs old no? Hardly constitutes paedophilia, the whole point is that the boy is the embodiment of the composers idea of perfect beauty I thought? So it could very well be a sexual thing.

brian_t

tunguska wrote: »

Maybe I have this wrong and something else was going on entirely, but the main character seems to have this disturbing fascination with a young boy. He comes across as a paedophile to be honest.

I think that one of the candidates in a recent election would disagree with you on that point.

cailinoBAC

In the book it's an author instead of a composer and I'm pretty sure the boy was younger. In the film he's probably 16 just to make it seem slightly more 'seemly'.