literature. what was published in one thousand twelve was a sensation thomas months death in venice is a story of love madness and ruined man himself called the book a tale of the ecstasy of destruction. for the one nine hundred seventy one film adaptation italian director luciano viscounty found a way to capture in images that sense of decline. one major change from book to film the director turns the protagonist gustav on russian box from a writer into a musician modeled on austrian composer gustav mahler. russian