Identity Crisis and Why Elio is All of Us|
A Call My By Your Name screenplay analysis
Entertainment | May 22, 2020
Written by: Marion Kamara
Luca Guadagnino’s Call My By Your Name is a soft, dreamy yet somewhat controversial film adapted from Andre Aciman’s book of the same name. Set “Somewhere in Northern Italy” Summer of 1983, Elio (17), our main character, falls quickly and dizzily in love with his father's new intern Oliver (24) forming a tragic love story. While there’s been lots of controversy around this film, I’d like to make the disclaimer that 17 was and still is above the age of consent in Italy; so while the age gap is definitely uncomfortable ( I’ll speak more on that later) it wasn’t outside of the norm for the time.
With that said here I argue that Call Me By Your Name presents us with, not a love story but a story of longing, confusion and identity. You meet Elio as this stoic, snub character but throughout the movie you see the ice in his eyes melt and him wax and wane through different versions of himself. Showing more and more emotion each time. A prime example of this is in my favorite scene and what I’d argue to be the climax of the movie, aptly named the “I know nothing scene”.
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Context: Elio and Oliver are biking through town and they stop at a nearby historical statue to smoke and talk.
OLIVER Is there anything you don’t know? I never heard of the Battle of Piave.
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ELIO looks at OLIVER. He hesitates, then bursts out:
ELIO I know nothing Oliver. Nothing, just nothing.
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OLIVER (looking at him steadily) You know more than anyone around here.
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ELIO If you only knew how little I know about the things that really matter.
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OLIVER What things that matter?
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ELIO looks him straight in the eye for once, summoning up his courage:
ELIO You know what things. By now you of all people should know.
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Silence.
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OLIVER Why are you telling me all this? ELIO Because I thought you should know.
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Here we see Elio let down his biggest barrier in expressing his sexual confusion. His blunt and abrasive character softens as he does what Call Me By Your Name does best: speaking through the words. There's no actual mention of sexuality in this scene, but we hear him loud and clear. Even as Oliver answers back with the same vagueness the viewer understands that he too understand the gravity of the conversation. In a way, it's almost hard to watch as you can feel pent up emotion behind Elio's voice . Even if you've never had to come out or anything of the sort, we can all relate to the feeling of being lost, confused and not knowing exactly how to express that. I personally think that's why this movie packs such an emotion punch. We can all see a little bit of ourselves in Elio and we want him to be happy,yet we know it isn't possible.
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Call Me By Your Name isn't the best love story or the best LGBTQ+ representation, but it is an excellent film on identity and acceptance.