Call Me By Your Name: Guadagnino’s Queer Romantic Masterpiece

Image - Guadagnino, 2017

Luca Guadagnino’s 2017 cinematic masterpiece explores the semantic field of self-expression and self-identity. Initially based on the novel of the same name written by André Aciman, this idyllic and enchanting film was showcased to the world at Sundance. This film remarkably turns literature into cinema, perfectly captivating their emotions and the sense of erotica created in this Italian narrative.

Guadagnino illustriously showcases this blossoming love. The film is initially set in the exuberant grounds of the bucolic Italian mansion owned by the Perlman family (Amira Casar and Michael Stuhlbarg), a family of scholars and academics who invite young scholars to develop their manuscripts at their home. Their gifted teenage son, Elio (​​Timothée Chalamet) who seemingly seems to spend his captivating days musically and reading. And the scholar, Oliver (Armie Hammer), who is Elio’s father’s academic graduate, who is there to assist with his research and help develop it further.  

The film focuses on Elio and Oliver’s queer relationship in the lavish Italian mansion, the intimacy they hold and their tribulations of being queer in the 1980’s. Despite the melancholic atmosphere of the end of this cinematic triumph, Guadagnino creates a space for queer people to feel and attach their emotions to cinema. 

The conclusion of this captivating love story never ceases to bring a tear to an audience member's eye. It is now winter and the prior summer is merely a distant memory. Elio, now having returned to the holiday house, speaks to Oliver on the phone briefly, where Oliver confesses he is engaged to be married. Featured in an eye-level mid shot, appearing in low-key lighting, with a closed and slumped posture and a dismal facial expression, Elio sits on the phone. The green phone connotes the summer they once had, showcasing the passion and the prosperity of their prior relationship. His attire bears black artistic faces on a white shirt whilst wearing a black undershirt. This proficient use of costume manifests Elio’s facade he has shown. The banishing of his queer self. The film projects into politics by showcasing the fear, the shame, the happiness, and the heartbreak queer teens all over the world feel due to their sexuality. The exemplary composition of the shot creates a stark contrast to the gaiety summer which once was.

The thematic depth of Summer showcases Oliver, a conventionally handsome student. Aged 24, he ultimately seduces 17-year-old Elio. The stark contrast in age can appear disconcerting, which sparked the audience to debate around the age of consent versus developmentally appropriate consent. The film primarily is a love story between a grown man and a teen on the threshold of adulthood. 

Chalamet and Hammer are situated in an eye-level mid shot, showcasing Elio in the centre of the frame, and Oliver placed immediately to the left. This shot conveys the ultimate love story between the two; the high-key lighting narrates their relationship, coinciding with prestigious filmmaking. This 2017 film depicts the euphoria and downfall of queer love.

Image - Guadagnino, 2017