"Call Me by Your Name": A Tale of Love, Consent, and the Exploitation of Innocence

Call Me by Your Name (2017)

 "Call Me by Your Name (2017)"- Insightful Film Review by Jacklyn A. Lo.

The Nuances of Love

In the realm of human emotions, love stands as a complex and multifaceted concept, encompassing a spectrum of feelings that range from the tender affection between family members to the passionate infatuation of sexual partners.
However, our current level of consciousness providing a limited vocabulary, often fails to capture the subtleties of love, employing a single term to describe both the physical intimacy of sex and the profound connection of a mother's bond with her child. This linguistic inadequacy leads to potential misunderstandings, particularly when examining the portrayal of love in cinematic works.

A Tale of Seduction

In the film Call Me by Your Name (2017), directed by Luca Guadagnino and written by James Ivory and André Aciman, the viewer is presented with a story that initially appears to be a tale of blossoming romance between a 17-year-old student named Elio and an older man named Oliver. However, upon closer examination, the film's narrative reveals a more complex and unsettling dynamic, one that challenges the simplistic categorization of "love story."

Power and Manipulation

The film's plot initially leads the viewer to believe that the relationship between Elio and Oliver is a consensual and mutually fulfilling one. However, as the story progresses, cracks begin to appear in this façade. Elio's frustration with the perceived lack of physical intimacy between them culminates in a poignant outburst: "God, we wasted so many days! Why you didn't give me a sign?" 

The Weight of Intentions

Oliver's response to this emotional plea is a revelation: "I gave you a hint when I touched you on the 'football' field." This statement, seemingly innocuous at first, exposes the power imbalance inherent in their relationship. Oliver, with his maturity and experience, holds a distinct advantage over Elio, a young man still navigating the complexities of adolescence and self-discovery.

Exploiting Innocence

The term "seduction" more accurately captures the nature of Oliver's actions. His deliberate and calculated approach to Elio, a boy half his age, raises questions about the validity of their connection. The label of "love story" seems inappropriate, given the inherent power imbalance and the potential for exploitation.

It is important to recognize that any physical action, including a touch, is deeply influenced by a person's intentions. In other words, Oliver's touch was not a casual one; it was a calculated move in his plan to seduce Elio.

Any touch can evoke a range of emotions, but a touch driven by hidden intentions carries far greater weight. In the case of Oliver and Elio, the power dynamic and the consequences of their interactions suggest a relationship that extends beyond the realm of mutual affection and into the territory of seduction.

Unfulfilled Promises

The logline of the film, "In 1980s Italy, romance blossoms between a seventeen-year-old student and the older man hired as his father's research assistant,"  paints a picture of a tale steeped in romance. However, as the narrative unfolds, it reveals a far more complex and unsettling dynamic, one that challenges the simplistic categorization of "love story."

A Narrative of Dissonance

While the film Call Me by Your Name (2017) boasts high production values and captivating performances, it is the responsibility of the filmmakers to accurately convey the essence of their story. The film's failure to reconcile the logline's promise of romance with the narrative's exploration of seduction leaves the viewer grappling with questions about the nature of love, consent, and the exploitation of innocence.

Lingering Questions

The film Call Me by Your Name (2017) challenges the simplistic categorization of "love story" and presents a more complex and unsettling dynamic. The filmmakers' failure to reconcile the concept of seduction with the logline's suggestion of a romance leaves the viewer grappling with questions about the nature of love, consent, and the exploitation of innocence.

In Conclusion

Distinguishing good from evil, wheat from chaff, and love from lust is a lifelong journey that becomes smoother with practice. A higher level of consciousness fosters an expanded understanding, leading to a clearer perception of the consequences of our actions and minimizing negative consequences, i.e. karma.

Notes:

• Please find more about the Development of Consciousness 
• Image credit: ©IMDb 
• Edited using Bard from Google AI

 

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Redemption. Excerpt Four

 

Ann with her AI pal Rob

I'd like to present the fourth extract from my novel Redemption. 

In this discussion, Rob explains to Ann which intangible values affected her Spiritual Choices in her first two lives.

****

“I don’t understand it, Rob,” said Ann as she stepped out of the shower. 

“I had expected these nightmares to stop after going to the psychic. Several weeks have passed but - if anything - the dreams are more worrying than ever. It’s gotten worse instead of better.”

“That is all part of your journey, my lady,” Rob replied, looking out from the screen of the E-A device sitting by the sink. 

“Consider the Buddha’s path from the golden palace to enlightenment or Jesus’ journey through the cross to the resurrection. The greater the destination, the harder the journey must be.”

Ann considered this while drying herself with a towel. 

“I guess I can accept that,” she said eventually, “but from what I’ve seen on my two visits to the psychic, my - what did she call it? - My reincarnation chain has hardly been a series of victories. In my first life, I lost my son days after giving birth to him and ended up killing myself. And in the second I failed to save the woman I loved and died of a heart attack. I achieved nothing!”

“Nothing?” Rob raised an eyebrow at this and shook his head. 

“But, my lady, sacrifice has always been a necessary part of the greatest journey.”

Ann stopped drying her hair to look questioningly at him. “Sacrifice?”

 
“Of course sacrifice! Or did you think you gave up those lives without reason?”

“Well…” she continued drying her hair as she tried to think. “Maybe,” she conceded. “But I didn’t really achieve anything. I didn’t get Wu back or save Alfreda. Even if I did sacrifice myself, what was it all for?”

“Answer this then: when you were living in the Stone Age, why did you die?”

Ann shrugged as she picked up the E-A device and headed back out into the bedroom. “Because I shoved a spear through my heart.” 
She winced again at the memory that sharpened stick pushing into her body and placed a hand on her chest.

“No,” said Rob, now watching her from the bedside table. “That was how you died. I asked why.”

“Because that big murdering bastard was going to get me!” Ann jabbed crossly at the SmartHome screen on the wardrobe, selecting a red trouser suit. 

A wooden panel slipped back and the requested suit slid out on a rail.

“And what was that ‘big, murdering bastard’ going to do with you?”

“I don’t know,” she said, pulling on the underwear that had appeared through another panel. “Rape me? Beat me? Keep me as a slave wife?”

“All of the above, no doubt. So why did you decide to kill yourself?”

“Well, it’s obvious, isn’t it? Death has to be preferable to such a life. I died for freedom.”

“For freedom!” Rob agreed. “And what about your death as the Roman priest?”

“Egyptian priest.”

“Indeed.”

“That was just a heart attack, wasn’t it?”

Rob sighed and gave her a long meaningful look as Ann pulled on her trousers and tucked in her blouse. “Again, that was how you died. Ask yourself why.”

“Because I had been running and pushed my body too hard?”

“Okay… and why had you been running?”

“To save Alfreda’s life, to rescue the woman I loved.”

“So why did you die? For what reason?”

Ann finished buttoning up her jacket and stood up straight, suddenly realizing what Rob was getting at. “I died for love.”

“Exactly!” said Rob with a beaming smile. “You sacrificed yourself for freedom and for love. That’s good karma right there, my lady, huge steps on the path to redemption.”

“Redemption?” Ann looked puzzled for a moment, trying to remember where she had heard that word recently. 

“The psychic mentioned that at the end of our last session when she was going on about reincarnation chains and other weird stuff.”

“Perhaps it would be worth talking with her again and finding out what she meant?”

“I’m not so sure, Rob,” she said, picking up the device and walking towards the front door of her apartment. “My past lives might not have been pointless, but that doesn’t change the fact that my nightmares have gotten worse since I went to see that old woman. I don’t want to risk them getting even worse!”

“That’s entirely your choice, my lady. It is your life—your journey—and only you can make that decision.”

****

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Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992) – FRG Worldwide Oy

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Read more in the Dracula movie review by Jacklyn A. Lo: 

Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992) – FRG Worldwide Oy