Based on Thomas Mann's novella of the same name, Death in Venice told the story of a middle-aged man (played by Dirk Bogarde) on holiday in Venice who becomes obsessed with a youth staying at the same hotel as a wave of cholera descends upon the city. Directed by one of Italy's openly gay, revolutionary filmmakers, Luchino Visconti, Death in Venice became one of the most controversial films of the 1970s. Analysing the film's cultural impact and providing a vivid portrait of the director, Death in Venice is an essential guide.