Call me by your name. (2017)
It’s the 80’s. You’re Elio, a 17 year old boy living and just being a teenager. Marzia, the French girl has a crush on you.
Yet, your real love, the one that stops your heart and makes you all nervous all over is Oliver, the graduate student staying over. Carefree, intelligent and charming Oliver.
Beyond some chat by the house pool, does this American sex God know you even exist? Is it even OK to like the same sex? Does he feel the same? How do you find out?
After explaining the history of battle of Piave to Oliver at town square, an impressed Oliver says
“You know more than anyone around here”
“If only you know how little I know about the things that really matter”
“What things that matter?” Oliver asks, curious.
“You know what things”
For Elio, to mention “love” is suicidal. It’s an ambush that could kill a friendship. Love was a nuclear bomb. What if Oliver was straight? Elio would be branded as pervert. After all, it was not good to be gay in the 80s. So he hints. If they were of the same heart, Oliver would figure it out.
It’s an adroit maneuver by Elio too, with an escape hatch available. If Oliver didn’t give a positive reaction, he could change topic, feign ignorance, hit back with a “ What do you think I was saying?” , act victimized, deny and head home. Oliver can pretend to be confused. Friendship intact, heart broken and everything is smooth on the surface.
Plus, being coy is realistic. People duck, fudge and jump over the word “love” like an equestrian showjumping in the Olympics in the early stages of love. Confessing your feelings is scary
But because Oliver is socially intuitive ,mature and feels the same, he pauses and tries to take in the full meaning of what Elio has just said. This cannot be real. Oliver hesitates. Unusual, since its established that he’s self assured about everything. Did Elio really say what he thinks he said?
“Why are you telling me this?”
Elio continues “Because I wanted you to know. Because there is no one I can say it to but you”
Meaning: The only person that matter in my life is you. That’s my secret I am sharing with you. It’s a bold declaration from Elio, coded just for Oliver. We, as audience, get to see and feel something intimate is happening. There is no distraction in this scene. Just Elio and Oliver.
In my opinion, the avoidance of the word “love” makes this scene so unique. It provides some tension in the movie because everything hinges on if the characters read each other right. It’s a great example of subtlety in movies.
Edit: the movie is call me by your name
Picture source Google
Thanks for Reading
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