Based on the novel of the same name by André Aciman, this multilingual film took the world by storm. Three languages sweep over the audience within the first five minutes: French, Italian, and English. The resulting language barriers add to the mysterious tone of yearning established by the musical score, whose key elements originate from Sufjan Stevens (Futile Devices; Mystery of Love; Visions of Gideon). Music, language, and literature act as conduits of the primary themes of the piece, namely those of precocity and sexuality. Elio embodies all three—his main hobbies include transcribing music, playing the piano, and reading. These themes are further captured by the symbol of the apricot; not only is this word’s etymology rooted in precocity, discussed openly in the film (12:02-13:09), but it is also a sexual symbol, pervading contemporary relational dynamics through emojis. Furthermore, the denouement of the film is heralded by a figuratively rich and overtly sensual scene involving Elio and the summer stand-in of the apricot, the peach, (1:34:30-1:40:24), beautifully encapsulating the aforementioned themes in the discrepancy between his intellectual maturity and emotional naïveté.                

Controversy surrounds this otherwise beautiful film, primarily regarding consent and age statutes. Although Elio is well over the 1983 age of consent in Italy and most United States jurisdictions, viewers, particularly American viewers, experienced discomfort regarding his relationship with Oliver. This is informed, in large part, by the historical perception in Western civilization of gay relationships as predatory. It may be appropriate and morally correct to look at the men’s relationship with skepticism; however, the power differential from their 7-year age gap is mitigated, in part, by Oliver’s deference to Elio. Moreover, the Perlmans support and watch over their son during the whole process, frequently checking in and pointing him to literary passages as points of reference. In this way, the film masterfully navigates a complicated and loaded social topic, particularly in the queer community.

Further depth is added by considering the historical context of the early 1980s. By 1983, the AIDS epidemic had globally taken hold, the virus only identified in France the May prior to the events of the film. “Gay cancer” was a widely used term for a rare and defining symptom of AIDS, singling out the Western community hardest hit at that time. The gay liberation movement of the previous decade became overshadowed by a merciless, viral specter of death. HIV is never mentioned in the film, but its presence must be known by Oliver, adding to his own hesitations and fears about his and Elio’s sexualities. 1983 was also rife with relevant political fallout: Gerry Studds, the first openly gay member of Congress, became embroiled in a scandal involving a relationship with a 17-year-old, and Bettino Craxi was elected as Italian Prime Minister, eventually leading to the modern collapse of the Italian political machine. This latter individual plays a central role in the peripheral events of the film, his influence appearing on the television and in conversations with dinner guests.                

Call Me by Your Name is a masterpiece, one of the few movies that I can watch repeatedly. Despite my inherent preference for novels, this film, far and away, manifests a beauty missing from its literary inspiration. The actors perform splendidly, the music deepens the emotional journey, and the cinematography transports the audience perfectly to the setting. Every time I watch it, I discover greater depth and fall in love with it more, even if I can never look at a peach the same way.