The Malady of Death
Das Mal des Todes
Synopsis
In the space of a short 65 minutes, a woman enters the luxury apartment of a wealthy man with an eccentric fascination for the female form and is paid both for her sexual favors and for lying there naked and letting him examine the aesthetics of her body. For most of the hour, as the concise narration of Marguerite Duras' novel on eroticism and aesthetics fills the aural gaps, actress Marie Colbin's form fills the visual gaps. But unless viewers consider the feminine eyeball or microscopic views of skin exotic and worth lingering over, the eroticism lies more in the imagination than on the screen. In fact, the female body lying on the bed, taken away from the spirit that animates it, is really just a corpse -- raising the question, exactly what is the "malady of death?"
Top Cast
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Cannes ("Un certain regard")
Festival / Special Debut
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Peter Handke
- Screenplay & Story
- Peter Handke
- Original Score
- Sambuca Nigra
- Original Title
- Das Mal des Todes
- Country of Origin
- Austria
- Spoken Languages
- German
- Runtime
- 1h 5m
- Production Studios
- ORF, MR Filmproduktion
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Peter Handke
Peter Handke, Marguerite Duras
Sambuca Nigra
Xaver Schwarzenberger
Marie Homolkova
Department Leadership Roster
Peter Handke
Director
Peter Handke
Screenplay
Marie Homolkova
Editor
Sambuca Nigra
Original Music Composer
Xaver Schwarzenberger
Director of Photography
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for The Malady of Death.
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Frequently Asked Questions About The Malady of Death
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is The Malady of Death about?
In the space of a short 65 minutes, a woman enters the luxury apartment of a wealthy man with an eccentric fascination for the female form and is paid both for her sexual favors and for lying there naked and letting him examine the aesthetics of her body. For most of the hour, as the concise narration of Marguerite Duras' novel on eroticism and aesthetics fills the aural gaps, actress Marie Colbin's form fills the visual gaps. But unless viewers consider the feminine eyeball or microscopic views of skin exotic and worth lingering over, the eroticism lies more in the imagination than on the screen. In fact, the female body lying on the bed, taken away from the spirit that animates it, is really just a corpse -- raising the question, exactly what is the "malady of death?"
Who directed The Malady of Death?
The Malady of Death was directed by Peter Handke.
Who stars in The Malady of Death?
The principal cast of The Malady of Death includes Marie Colbin, Peter Handke.
When was The Malady of Death released and how long is it?
The Malady of Death was released in 1985 with a total runtime of 1h 5m.
Who composed the musical score for The Malady of Death?
The original motion picture soundtrack for The Malady of Death was composed by Sambuca Nigra.
Is The Malady of Death based on a book or true story?
The Malady of Death is adapted from the following source material: Novel: "Marguerite Duras".