Throughout the movie Call Me by Your Name, both lighting and landscapes play a central role in promoting the metaphorical semantics and emotional background. Elio is generally shown in darkness in a number of scenes, such as in the bathroom (Guadagnino 00:06:15-00:06:19). The dark lighting setting can also be observed during the bedroom scene, where Elio is having difficulty waking up (Guadagnino 00:40:35-00:41:50). Such an approach is used to convey the personality of the character. Elio is an illustration of an introverted and slightly depressed individual who does not adhere to the norms of sociability. He seems to be more feminine energy compared to Oliver, and his emotions are most positive during the scene where he is depicted with his lover. The majority of scenes showing Oliver are done in bright light, such as during the conversation between the character and Elio’s father (Guadagnino 01:11:04-01:11:15). The key reason is that Oliver is the one who is bringing happiness to Elio’s world as a gift from foreign lands. It is evident that although both characters are the main ones, the film is mostly centered around Elio. Thus, Elio’s dark and grim life is enlightened by Oliver’s appearance.
Wide shots of landscapes are also critically important for the film’s progression. The sweeping landscape scene can be observed during the shots, where Elio and Oliver are bicycling on the road (Guadagnino 00:53:00-00:53:05). Such sceneries build the basis for the development of their relationship, which allows the director to follow up wide shots with intimate and up-close face shots. Therefore, the effect of the sweeping scenes introduces uplifting and non-sexual romantic moments, whereas close shots are designed to convey intimacy between Elio and Oliver.
Work Cited
Call Me by Your Name. Directed by Luca Guadagnino, performance by Timothee Chalamet, Sony Pictures Classics, 2017.