Analysis

Meta

Being watching Visconti for the first time recently.

Decided to record a post on this one because it is more than it seems in many ways.

I plan to have this one without spoilers because I like myself to find things in movies and there is no value in being explicit potentially ruining that for somebody.

I haven’t read the book. I have checked some comments on the internet. And I assume the movie is better than the book given how Visconti uses his visual space.

What it is not

So there is a dull interpretation that a movie is about some odd perverted but distant relation.

Although it is totally understandable that people can get too distracted and mislead by that stuff.

Even though the movie is ambiguous by intent. One should be a fool to think that the movie is about that given how strong Visconti uses his tools to deliver another story.

Not idea what is the case in the book. But Visconti modified and added to the story in a strong way.

What I have been able to see

Visconti changed a writer to a musician. Added great dialogs with a friend about music. And there are other things that if you have seen them then you can’t unsee them through the movie.

I don’t go into details but Visconti leaves very obvious clues.

The movie is rich in a sense that there are contrasts everywhere. And there is likely to be some point behind each of them.

What experience I lack for the movie

That reflection of Esmeralda in the mirror. It has to be related to a real painting or else there is something the director says. Watching the The Flying Dutchman and now this movie pushes me a bit to to get my knowledge of the history visual arts to some level.

Music. I got a midi keyboard lately and was trying it as an entertainment. Actually even a couple years before I tried another instrument but it didn’t fit me. Anyway in the movie I have found that I just ignore music or just experience it as a background except for scenes where Visconti is very explicit about it. I bet Visconti synthesised music and a picture in a way that is worth looknig into. But bigger understanding of music at least may be needed here.

Spoilers though!

Favourite scene

My favorite scene is the scene of fiasco and how a friend musician Albert acts there. I’m being cold and stingy in words here but the scene should say for itself.

Of course there are plenty of interesting scenes.

Small observations and clues

These are not big ones but I couldn’t resist to mention them.

One interesting interpretation is that Tadzio is an angel of death. Which is cool.

The idea of duality is represented alot there I have a couple of ideas about that but I’ll let it open.

My interpretation

This is the biggest of spoilers I guess but not the biggest key that opens a road to this interpretation.

I haven’t read much on the internet about the movie so I can’t say if I’m writing anything new here.

One thing I have read is that Tadzio represents non-romantic beauty.

I can go more specifically and say that he represents a beautiful melody or sound that an artist seeks. There are big clues supporting that.

When a human tries to be source of art he gets crushed by a fiasco.

When the composer actually finds that beautiful sound it goes far and wide from the artist leaving him behind crushed.

The Mother Of All Spoilers

While writing this post I came to understand the last scene so I will write that here too and with some support info.

I feel like finding this stuff is very gratifying. Maybe reading it can also be but why would I read other’s reviews when I can watch the movie by myself?

If one wants to find such stuff on thir own they should practice paying attention and looking for interpretations. Or watching multiple times can be used if the movie is of a such quality to provide more with the next session.

What you can’t unsee

Piano.

The last scene

It can be interestingly interpreted as the angel of death charging an arrow. There is probabably a truth to it.

The gesture is likely to have own meaning (some painting or the Sun).

But most importantly.

Tadzio puts a note to the notes staff created by the sea line. I bet the note plays at the culmination.

Very cool

Very cool that I have no training with music and I got my first midi keyboard just two months ago and was playing around. Without that it would not be possible for me to solve the gesture.

And there are still plenty of signs or whole explicit aspects of that are left for interpretation. As it says in the movie: The art is ambiguous.

Visconti masterfully shapes the canvas to reveal ideas. The movie actually revived my interest in music and visual arts.