Call Me by Your Name (Sony Pictures Classics, 2017)
Classical Music
Classical music is a visual and sound motif throughout Call Me by Your Name (2017). Elio’s (Timothée Chalamet) first obsession that is shown in this film is music. He is seen writing, studying, and playing music in his free time. The recurring diegetic and nondiegetic classical music in the film sets a tone of lighthearted wonder and exploration. To some extent, I would attribute Oliver (Armie Hammer) and Elio’s relationship to the music. Oliver is entranced by Elio’s passion for music and they bond through discussing it.
Fruit
We first hear about fruit at Oliver’s first breakfast with Elio’s family. Elio’s father talks about the different kinds of fruits in their garden while Elio is shown eating a peach. The most intense scene portraying this motif is when Elio begins sticking his finger into a peach then getting so aroused that he finds himself having a sexual experience with it. The way I interpreted this motif was a symbol of Oliver and Elio’s relationship. Fruits sprout on a tree, bloom into a delicate desirable existence, and then eventually wilt and return to the earth to be reborn.
Religion
Oliver wears a necklace with the Jewish Star of David. Elio notices this during their first breakfast together. The two of them then have a brief discussion about their religious affiliation and Elio admits to being from Jewish and Christian backgrounds. The incorporation of this religious icon adds to the explanation as to why Elio struggles with the temptation of exploring his sexuality beyond male-female relationships, which the bible deems as wrong. Eventually Oliver gives Elio the necklace as a sort of gesture to instill strength and encourage self-acceptance.
Author Biography
Amy (Amelia) Hicks from Durham, NC, joins Film Matters at the University of North Carolina Wilmington as a senior pursuing a Film Studies degree. Once a college athlete, Amy has now found a new love for watching and writing about unconventional cinema, particularly the French New Wave era. In her free time, she enjoys doing freelance photography and videography.
