Call me by your name (Movie Analysis)
The film I chose is Call me by your name and is a film directed by Luca Guadagnino who adapted from the author Andre Aciman’s 2007 novel. The film is about Elio Perlman who is a 17-year-old Jewish kid whose mother’s family has a villa in Italy and whose father is a professor of archaeology and expert in Classical statuary. It’s the summer of 1983, and Elio is bored, awaiting the arrival of his father’s summer intern, a 24-year-old grad student named Oliver who will be spending six weeks cataloguing slides, revising on his own thesis, and working closely with Mr Perlman on the research that defines their professional lives. When the handsome American student arrives, Elio is put off by his casual manners. He expresses frustration with Oliver’s dismissive and arrogant “Later”, uttered every time he excuses himself from their company, or the way he charms and disarms the prettiest girl in the village without appearing to even try. However, Elio is as intrigued by Oliver as he is repulsed and comes to desire more from the relationship than sharing silence in the garden. It isn’t long before Elio and Oliver exchange mutual sentiment and affection, and begin a passionate summer romance that all-too-quickly burns out under the Lombardy sun. Oliver returns to America; Elio nurses his grief over the end of the affair. The two don’t speak again until Hanukkah when Oliver telephones to say he’s getting married, and Elio quickly realises that the chapter of his life containing Oliver is closed forever.
Call me by your name so exquisitely accomplishes is an irresistible relatable application of summer and adolescent longing that drips with authenticity. Guadagnino’s film transports you to that time and place so effortlessly, this is in part accomplished with the gorgeous cinematography by Sayombhu Mukdeeprom who beautifully captures the stunningly attractive climate and the permanently sun-bleached characters that inhabit it. The direction is near flawless. Guadagnino focuses so much attention on every little detail in this countryside, from the slightly dirty rivers, the characters constantly swimming to the insects that fly into frame during close-ups as if it’s right on que, to the small quaint bars Elio and Oliver go to sometimes when they hang out, to the locals who are so friendly and quiet themselves.
We follow Elio’s character intimately throughout the film experiencing the tumultuous joys, desire and sorrow so befitting a hormonal teenager's existence. Though it would be unfair to single out only one scene as a standout in this beautifully realized film, one interrupted long take in the second act where Oliver and Elio share a conversation, is undertaken with such delicate visual flair that the result is stunning. Guadagnino excels in creating the irresistible atmosphere of Italian summer in which writer James Ivories oddly human characters lived their lives as with the aforementioned direction and cinematography, the actors performances truly elevate the film beyond standard fare.
Timothee Chalamet is revelation in his first major lead role who plays Elio which the character may seem at first glance the privileged pretentious son of a couple of wealthy academics but Timothee brings out depth and nuance in the role of Elio extremely well. His portrayal swings deftly from the immaturity of his age and the careless hurtful mistakes associated with such, all the way to the growing waves of affection and yearning for Oliver. The casting of Armie Hammer, Oliver is seemingly perfect. His character fulfills the gamut of possible personalities is determined by Elio’s perception of his actions. He seems by turns, charming, arrogant, kind, pretentious and eventually humble. When the family, locals meet him and are instantly enamored by his charisma, there is no need for a suspension in disbelief but Hammer encapsulates Oliver’s qualities so effortlessly, when he lets down his guard and when we see his personal insecurities, you’re pleasantly surprised as Elio. The supporting cast too are impeccable, Michael Stuhlbarg plays Elio’s eccentric soft-spoken father comfortably. He has an extremely satisfying arc truly shining in a moment later in the film, where he has a heart-to-heart with his son. Amira Casar who plays Elio’s French mother, manages to bring nuance and humor to her role. You sincerely buy her maternal feelings for Elio with the unspoken words between them radiating, and her loving portrayal to the extent that they’re explicitly understood without the need for verbalising. These strong performances are beautifully accentuated by Guadagnino’s tendency as a director to let some scenes breathe. His direction along with Ivories gentle screenplay, allow characters to become part of their surroundings so naturally that any idiosyncrasies interpret their portrayals only add to the naturalism of each scene as a whole.
I would be remiss not to mention the soundtrack which lends itself so well to the irresistible atmosphere and circular incorporation of music thus to the film. The handful of songs that were used in the film come at such powerful moments within the narrative that are lodged in the viewer’s mind. They’re nostalgic tones so intrinsically linked to your memories of the film in retrospect.
Throughout the sequence in often the first part of the film, there is a recurring theme where there’s greens, yellows and light blues which helped to evoke the bright and dreamy atmosphere. In the last scenes of the films, we have travelled through time and Oliver has now left the summer of Italy and is now winter. This change in time provokes a change in the colour scheme which is grey and dark blue provoked a slightly darker dream like texture and atmosphere. Themes of water and moisture are ambiguous throughout, be it through the pools and lakes in which the characters perpetually bathe in their constant need for rehydration, an ancient submerged artifact recovered from the depths of Lake Garda or the sumptuous moisture of a freshly picked peach in the context of a sun-drenched Italian summer, this thematic device can be seen as a respite from the relentless weather, however, when taking the love story of Elio and Oliver into account, these themes strengthen the portrayal of Elio’s sexual desire. The summer can represent the overwhelming heat of his infatuation, Oliver being his respite away to quench his lust.
The film is exquisitely crafted, nostalgic, sweet, effortlessly romantic and what sets this movie apart from other LGBT films, is that even though the story takes place in the past and the relationship is kept an intimate secret, Elio and Oliver meet very little opposition to their homosexual lifestlye surrounded primarily by academic and liberal minded counterparts. This aspect succeeds in making the romantic narrative all the more universal, their relationship less forbidden than being full of the kind of nervous excitement that most couples feel upon truly connecting with someone for the first time. Call me by your name is not for everyone as it’s very slow-paced and subtle. It demands your focus, your attention in order to catch every detail. It’s both heartbreaking and hopeful, and undoubtedly a beautiful piece of filmmaking.
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