"Vurdering: Top ten opera films, no. 3" - "The quality of Tony Palmer's massive body of work is quite variable, but this version of Britten's final masterpiece rates as one of his best films. He digs deep into the opera's challenging psychological themes, with a multifaceted Venice as visual backdrop. Be prepared to see lots of gondolas, though. Australian Robert Gard is a tormented and sympathetic Aschenbach, if a bit vocally dry at times, and John Shirley-Quirk delivers a musically and dramatically versatile performance of the baritone roles. Highly recommended for lovers of Britten and Tony Palmer".
