The role of disease in "Break in Venice" should not be underestimated. Whether it is creating an atmosphere or promoting the development of the plot, Assenbach’s emotional changes are all based on disease. Illness is not only a way of describing sensory enjoyment and publicity, but also a way of describing depression and promoting sublimation. It not only brings a decadent mental paralysis, but also brings noble emotions full.
First, the new attitude towards disease has caused a change in aesthetics.
Susan Sontag mentioned in "The Metaphor of Illness" that in the 19th century when health was no longer fashionable, health was even mediocre and vulgar. People had a new attitude towards tuberculosis, which was understood as a kind of The apparent demeanor, its iconic pale face has become a sign of etiquette, and illness points to softness, elegance, and nobility. For a while, the world rushed to pursue pale makeup to express its temperament.
It seems that when we apply the change in aesthetics caused by such a new attitude towards disease in this film set in 1911, we can explain that the one that Asenbach got in the barbershop is not in our opinion. What is attractive, and the beauty is not strong, and even a little funny pale makeup was quite popular at the time.
While the pale makeup highlights Assenbach’s natural complexion, it also embodies his melancholy and weak temperament as an artist. For his subsequent almost stalker-like following and bleak death, he will be overshadowed by the artist’s unacceptable pursuit of beauty and youth. Sentimental colors.
Of course, pale makeup does not always reflect the artist's temperament. Just like the person who talked to Asenbach at the beginning of the film, his pale face made him look like a clown, and his vulgar and ugly face was disgusting. This also confirms what Susan Sontag said, "what was once fashionable as an aspiring artist has finally become fashionable for ordinary people."
Second, if beautiful things are to be perfected to the extreme, a suitable melancholic mood is always indispensable. ——Allen Poe
In the already dull and monotonous water city of Venice, coupled with the deadly cholera that is raging and horrific, in an extreme situation, under the panic, a melancholy sentiment is formed, and poetic beauty takes the high ground and dominates Venice. Illness gave birth to a suitable melancholic mood, and a suitable melancholic mood magnified the ancient Greek statue-like beauty of the beautiful boy. It is no wonder that Assenbach was addicted to his perfect face.
The German poet Holderlin once said: "Those who have the deepest thoughts love the most prosperous things." Imagine if there were no cholera, the streets and alleys of Venice would not smell of disinfectant, and there would be no disappointing hot air. There is no gloomy weather. Instead, there is a lively and vibrant scene in the water city of Venice during the tourist season. For full-fledged tourists, Assenbach may be immersed in the joy of enjoying the beautiful scenery, and will not notice Tazio so easily, nor Will be so fanatical infatuated with him.
Third, the disease reveals emotions that the patient himself does not want to admit.
Asenbach abides by traditional moral standards and hopes that his behavior is as flawless as his own music, but as Afred said to Assenbach, "Shame is an unavoidable mental pain, because you can’t avoid your feelings, you can only The one who escapes is the one who only hates you. You are the defender of distance." Even if he is mentally unwilling to admit strange emotions, his body has already betrayed him. Cholera is such a physical betrayal. Illness is a word spoken through the body. It is a language used to dramatically express inner mood, a manifestation of internal events. The illness revealed the emotions Assenbach was ashamed to face. There is a certain boundary between behavior and behavioral intemperance. When illness manipulates the mind through the body, the collapse of the body symbolizes the castration of the spirit. The behavior is no longer subject to intellectual control, and intemperance prevails, so in Assen Bach saw Tazio smiling at him again after returning from Fengyue place. He couldn't bear it anymore. He sat down with a chair and said to himself: Don't laugh like that, don't smile like that to anyone. laugh. I love you.
In fact, nowadays, people rarely compare mild emotions with those that are revealed, but more often compare between hidden emotions and those that are revealed. This kind of appropriate artistic white space effect is often considerable. Although the emotions under Assenbach’s forbearance and restraint are gray-like depression and depression, but purple-like blur and haziness, and the two smiles of the beautiful boy to Assenbach fully express his mystery, as for the hidden emotions that he did not show. No one knows how it is, and there are many interpretations. It can be a tribute to the elder who has repeatedly cast a gentle and friendly look at him, or a good impression on him...
Fourth, the source of the disease Self-imbalance.
Assenbach believes that “the artist must be a model of others, he must be a model of balance and strength”, so he tried his best to find a balance between the spiritual pursuit of purity and beauty and the instinctive desire of the flesh, just admiring Tazi from a distance in the hall. Ao, go to the beach to watch him swim, play with friends, and think about leaving Venice...
However, what is not available is always in commotion. The more depressed, the stronger his passion. Just as Kant wrote in "Anthropology" that "passion is... an unfortunate modality, which breeds many evils", passion eventually leads to the collapse of Assenbach’s outstanding qualities (his reason, self-control and exquisiteness) and spiritual pursuit He was out of balance with his physical cravings, his long-frustrated emotions and repressed passions finally broke out, and the kingdom of pure spirit that he worked so hard to manage collapsed suddenly. He ran to the Fengyue place to vent his desires, went to the barber shop to trim himself younger...
Then, the disease further weakened his qualities. His final spiritual degeneration was manifested externally when he succumbed to this scourge of cholera that plagued many Venetians at that time. Cholera is a deadly disease. Here, it simplifies the complex self and reduces the self to yield to the diseased environment. This is an invisible and impressive way of expressing the depravity of abstract spirit that is difficult to express with the lens, and is best understood by the general public.
In Afred’s view, Asenbach was perfectly balanced because he did not avoid strange desires. "Body and art have been merged into one, and they have reached the extreme together."
Fifth, disease and death are often beautiful. - Thoreau
If death has become a meaningless and offensive thing, then the disease that is generally regarded as a synonym for death is of course regarded as something ugly and needs to be concealed. However, in the film, instead of covering up the cholera that directly led to the death of Assenbach, it uses it as a tool to express Assenbach’s suppressed passion and spiritual sublimation.
Fatal diseases have always been regarded as a test of moral personality. Assenbach succumbed to cholera was cowardly to some extent, but through persevering spiritualization of cholera and sentimentalization of the horrible scene of cholera, Assenbach provided a salvation method for death.
In his argument with Affreid, Assenbach affirmed the artist’s ability to create beauty in spirit, and in the end he did it. His admiration for beautiful young people has always been only on the spiritual level. He has no intention of blaspheming the ultimate beauty in his heart. Did not touch the bottom line of traditional moral values, and finally died with the purest beauty. Asenbach finally practiced what he thought was spiritually creating beauty, so at the end, Asenbach's death was not only not disgusting, but was full of noble and elegant beauty.
He lost the worldly body, but saved it, merging it with the spirit. In the context of an era when strange passions are not tolerated by the world, Asenbach, as a tiny individual, especially an artist with delicate emotions, seems to be able to truly control his own destiny only by sublimation after destruction, and become one of the victims and powerful rebels of the era. Outside idealists.
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