Call Me by Your Name: an Analysis

January has been good to me. School, projects and life are back in full swing and it feels amazing. I've also been blessed with small but comfortable amounts of free time that I've used to catch up with reading, writing, watching movies and hanging out with friends.

Some of the new movies I watched in January include Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Days of Heaven and Punch Drunk Love. But, by a long shot, the best movie I watched this month goes without question:

Call Me by Your Name (2017)

Directed by Luca Guadagnino

Produced and screenplay by James Ivory

Based on the novel by André Aciman

Upon my first viewing of this movie, I was no less than blown away. Not only the incredible story and powerful message behind the film, but the filmmaking craft and Sayombhu Mukdeeprom's stunning visuals are incredible. Not only did I love it when I first saw it, but I was drawn to the actual impact it had on me. If you haven't seen it yet, I highly encourage you go and watch it before reading further.

** SPOILERS FROM HERE BELOW **

How could this film have impacted me so strongly? I'm not gay or bi-curious, I'm not the son of a scholar, I'm not from northern Italy and I certainly am not old enough to remember the summer of 1983. I watched it a second time, understanding a bit more but also raising even more questions than what I had before. There's no doubt that the source text by André Aciman contains all these answers, but before I go off and truly try to understand the story I need to understand the film and adaptation first. In an attempt to further understand Call Me by Your Name, here's my analysis of a few key moments and decisions that really benefited the story and the value behind the movie.

#1: The Script

After my second viewing, I decided to take one step back and read along. Such an intricate movie with so many layers to it must've been written masterfully.

To my surprise, the screenplay was incredibly vague...besides the dialogue, very general; most of James Ivory's action line are merely broad strokes compared to the visual detail and themes at play in the movie. But upon reflection, it also makes the screenplay that much better as an adaptation. It's now no surprise to me that James won the Oscar for best adapted screenplay in 2018.

This adaptation has opened up the world of Call Me by Your Name for two major reasons, both benefiting the amazing director Luca Guadagnino:

One - it allows Luca to use the source material as a emotional and thematic reference, while Jame's dialogue carries the story and the message forward.

Two - broad strokes with action lines opens up a physical scene caught on film to open up into new possibilities and interpretations.

This second note leads me into the next big reason why I think this movie works so well...

#2: The Blocking

In a story where relationship dynamics and body language is so incredibly important, Luca Guadagnino's scene blocking thrives beautifully. The scene above is simply described (in the script) as Elio playing the piano and Oliver nearly leaving before coming back again to listen. However, with clever blocking, precise framing and outstanding acting from Armie Hammer and Timothée Chalamet this scene becomes so much more and really sells that blossoming relationship between Elio and Oliver.

Reading the script and watching along also made me realize what small changes in rehearsals or during a shoot can do to greatly enhance your film.

Context: Before Oliver stands up to examine his scrape, him and Elio kissed for the first time. However Elio, in a hurry to make love to Oliver, moved too fast and quickly became anxious about his advances. Then, in an effort to regain Oliver's trust, he suggests a visit to the pharmacist before returning home.

This might be a simple moment to some filmmakers, but not to Luca Guadagnino. Oliver giving Elio a hand to help him stand up after he suggests the pharmacist is a much better physical and dynamic reaction visually. In addition, given the context in the scene leading up to this, Elio is feeling apologetic and embarrassed for what he did. Him literally being lifted up in the frame after he shows worry for Oliver's scrape further reinforces the mutuality of the relationship from here on out.

Sometimes enhancing the story and meaning behind a scene can even be as simple as changing a single word in a line of dialogue.

Speaking of blocking, that leads me into my favorite scene of the film and of all time:

One master shot: four and a half minutes of masterful blocking, acting, background action and set design (not to mention the amazingly wide open and fluid location). Just before the midpoint of the film, in a scene that the whole film really kind of hinges on, the filmmakers behind Call Me by Your Name really come into stride and show their stuff here.

#3: Visual and Sensory Storytelling

Sure having professional actors and amazing locations is great, but what separates Call Me by Your Name from the other films with great actors and locations? The answer points back to the amazing filmmakers behind the movie and the incredible amount of detail that went into every aspect of the movie before, during and after shooting.

For example, in the scene above, Elio is just introducing himself to Oliver. He's young, shy and unsure of how Oliver feels about him. To further add to this anxiety and pressure that Elio is feeling there are cars and background noises overlapping everything he says, contrasting the quiet and powerful bliss when Oliver speaks. It's these small decisions in pre-production (and enhanced in post) that really enhance and reinforce what story the film makers are trying to tell.

Another fantastic detail I noticed upon second viewing was the use of the color in the costume design. A character's mood or emotional status during any point of the movie is worn on their sleeves, and the choices behind these costumes are also reflected in the sets and physical scenes themselves.

Take the green fish Anchise, the gardener and handyman, catches for example. It's no mistake that he holds a green fish out of water while, in the background, Oliver is being told to re-write his research paper by Mr. Perlman. Guess what happens in the next scene?

Oliver rolls himself into the pool, distraught from the pressure of trying to understand Heidegger and write about it. A "fish out of water" in a way. Take note of the green swim trunks too, which were detailed as being red in the script, further pointing to this color relationship with costumes.

At this point in the film, Elio and Oliver's relationship is in full swing and they are spending their last days together. Oliver's shirt is a full, deep green with a red Ralph Lauren Polo logo on it. How convenient that Elio is wearing red too and that the logo rests just above Oliver's heart! Against the backdrop of the empty streets of Italy at night, it doesn't get much more romantic than that.

But the question remains unanswered: how did this movie affect me so? How could a story set in such specificity be so relatable and beautiful at the same time? The film maker's decisions, the editing, the acting, the design and the writing are all servicing the central themes of the story.

After such an intense emotional roller coaster of a film, one can't help but feel sad for Elio when he returns home near the end. But it doesn't stop there! Michael Stuhlbarg's wonderful monologue is the icing on the cake, sending the film's message straight into our faces and elegantly preaching about love, loss, memories, humanity and inner character. It's a call to action not only for Elio, but for the audience as well to remember their past relationships fondly and not to suppress our emotions and reflections. Embracing the times that shape us help us grow as human beings, and that is a message that is not easily or kindly delivered. With a romance like Elio and Oliver's as a backdrop, the film's message is incredibly potent and affected me in more ways than I thought possible in a movie.

After studying movies, filmmaking techniques and how to tell an effective story, it's become rare that I watch a film and become truly inspired by it. The mastery behind Call Me by Your Name has motivated me in more ways than I can imagine, and it's this feeling that I'm chasing to inflict as a filmmaker. I hope you enjoyed reading my thoughts and analysis on this movie! I can only hope that next month I have the privilege to watch and analyze something just as great. Until next time!

- morgan