Directed by Luca Guadagnino
* * * *
How vividly I recall those
lazy summer days as a hermit of a child, making absolutely nothing of
significance out of those summer vacations we children coveted so much. As an
adult, there’s a sweetness to look back on those days of no responsibility and
little to no worries. At the same time, though, we let those summers pass us
by, taking every day for granted, and it’s all over much too quickly.
I was reminded of these days
as I sat and watched Call Me by Your Name,
one of the finest films of 2017. To write this review at this point is perhaps
a redundancy – it’s already been talked about time and time again, and it’s
already cliché to say it’s one of 2017’s best. Living in Tucson, however, has
rendered me unable to see it until now (today was opening day). Interestingly
enough, I was worried I wasn’t going to be one of those singing its praises.
It doesn’t open on any
particular gripping note. It’s the summer of ’83. We meet a Jewish family of
three living in the Italian countryside. Oliver, a friend of the family (and assistant
to the father’s research project), pulls up one morning, bags in hand,
exhausted from a long day of travel. His arrival catches the attention of the
teenaged Elio, who looks down on Oliver’s arrival like lonesome royalty in a
high tower. They all sit down for lunch, catching up. Elio extends an offer to
show Oliver around town, which is blurted out in that suggests catharsis of
some bottled-up energy. Oliver accepts.
So, they begin bonding. Oliver
develops a liking to Elio, who reveals himself to be rather intelligent and
insightful for his age, an avid reader and a gifted pianist. In spite of this,
there’s always a cavalier attitude about them, resulting in two people who don’t
seem particularly interesting (let alone protagonists for a film). They go on
about their days, biking, running errands, all in the fashion of classic summer
mundanity – yet underneath their interactions lies a tension, almost like two wild
animals circling each other, both ready for the other to pounce.
Elio makes no secret of the
feelings he has developed for Oliver. He denies Elio, but not without sympathy –
he shares an intimate moment with Elio one afternoon, perhaps as an
understanding of teenage sexual confusion. However, he cuts off this moment
very quickly, and they move on about their business. Sometimes, feelings cannot
be ignored, and Oliver won’t be here forever. He gives in. They make love. Oliver’s
final days in Italy make for ones neither he nor Elio will never forget. Too
bad it has to end (and so quickly). Elio is devastated.
What Call Me by Your Name captures so well is the inner turmoil of
romantic uncertainty, subsequently making it an incredibly moving experience. I
think it’s fair to say we’ve all met an Oliver at some point in our lives –
that person who seems to embody, without exposition, everything we idealize and
dearly desire in a relationship. Then fear strikes us. Do they like us back?
Are they raising green flags for us to pounce, per se, or are we being
overly-analytical? Let’s say we do decide to pounce – could we handle possible rejection
from our ideal mate? Say we aren’t rejected, and the relationship does happen –
what if it comes to an end earlier than we would like? We let these thoughts
circle over and over in our minds, and before we know it, we’ve lost our
chance.
However, it is often said: “Don’t
cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.”
In contrast to its melancholy,
Call Me by Your Name does express just
as well how sweet those interactions were with that particular person,
regardless of how long they might have lasted. Most noteworthy is a scene
involving an apricot. I dare not spoil the details, but I assure you will know
it when you see it, but within its brevity it captures all the intimate wonder
of such a relationship. Within the span of just a few minutes (it felt like
less than five), the scene seamlessly transitions from sexual awkwardness, ensuing
hilarity, titillation, but ultimately results in tears of sexual confusion.
The setting of summertime and
all of its inertia is perfectly fitting, and how appropriate that the film ends
on a snowy winter day as Chanukah approaches. Just prior to the finale, there
is a conversation between Elio and his father (perhaps the best scene in the
film). He understands his son’s loss, and reminds him “Our hearts and our
bodies are given to us only once. And before you know it, your heart is worn
out.” The final shot of the film is a close-up of Elio, still taking everything
in. Summer ‘83 has passed him by.
But who knows what Summer '84 will bring?
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