The Malady of Death (1985)

The Malady of Death (1985) poster

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?"

Director: Peter Handke
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 65 min
Release Date:

Cast

Screenplay

Music: Sambuca Nigra
Cinematography: Xaver Schwarzenberger
Editing: Marie Homolkova
Production: ORF, MR Filmproduktion
Country: Austria
Language: Deutsch
Original Language: de
More Films by Director: Peter Handke
More Films in Genre: Drama

Frequently Asked Questions

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 Malady of Death stars Marie Colbin, Peter Handke.
How long is The Malady of Death?
The Malady of Death has a runtime of 1h 5m (65 minutes).
What genre is The Malady of Death?
The Malady of Death is a Drama film.
Where was The Malady of Death produced?
The Malady of Death was produced in Austria.