As a cinephile who has spent countless hours immersed in the world of cinema, I must say that Luca Guadagnino‘s latest film, “Queer,” is nothing short of a masterpiece. The story, based on William S. Burroughs’ novella, beautifully captures the complexities and nuances of love, addiction, and the human condition – themes that resonate deeply with me as a viewer.
As a devoted admirer, I’ve always been eager to express my excitement about Luca Guadagnino’s upcoming film. This visionary director, renowned for his unique take on offbeat romances like “Call Me by Your Name” and “Challengers”, is delving back into this genre with “Queer”. This isn’t just any ordinary movie; it’s an adaptation of William S. Burroughs’ legendary novella, exploring themes of solitude and desire. The story unfolds as the writer embarks on a psychedelic quest in 1950s Mexico City, chasing after a mysterious young American, all while experiencing a mind-bending ayahuasca journey.
Guadagnino stumbled upon a copy of Queer while browsing a bookstore in Palermo, Italy as a teenager, and it instantly piqued his interest, as he shared during a Q&A following the film’s premiere at the New York Film Festival, alongside stars Daniel Craig, Drew Starkey, and writer Justin Kuritzkes.
Upon entering the store, I encountered an unexpectedly complex language in this remarkable author’s semi-autobiographical work, Burroughs. Simultaneously, it mirrored something deep within me – a persistent sensation of longing and connection, which I had always felt, and continued to feel afterwards.
Since 1988, Guadagnino has been pursuing a screen adaptation of “Queer“, facing numerous challenges along the way, including writing an “awful script” at one point. However, for many years, the rights to the book were unavailable, making it seem like the project was doomed before it even began. Fortunately, producer Lorenzo Mieli found out that this changed just as Guadagnino’s filmmaking career started gaining momentum. His career took off with the success of “Call Me by Your Name” in 2017, followed by a diverse range of films such as the remake of “Suspiria“, romantic horror film “Bones and All” starring Timothée Chalamet, and “Challengers“, a movie starring Zendaya that has earned $96 million worldwide.
On the set of “Challengers,” Guadagnino entrusted a copy of Burroughs’ “Queer” to Kuritzkes, the scriptwriter of our tennis flick, urging him to delve into its pages that very night. Before long, we found ourselves brainstorming our next venture, which would prove to be an exciting endeavor, primarily focusing on translating the enigmatic world of the Beat Generation writer for the big screen – a task attempted only sparingly before.
Queer, filled with longing and agony, serves as a condensed continuation to the semi-autobiographical novel Junkie. Here, the William Lee figure, representing Burroughs, grapples with heroin and morphine addiction. The story concludes with the character residing in Mexico City to escape legal consequences of his drug use and him and his wife parting ways, with her taking their children back to the U.S. Subsequently, he learns about a drug from Ecuador called yage, said to facilitate telepathy. Guadagnino’s film leverages this as its starting point, but not before Lee crosses paths with Eugene Allerton, a young Navy veteran freshly discharged, who too is wandering Mexico City.
In the movie’s initial half, the two characters dance around each other, encompassed by a lively group of intoxicated foreigners residing south of the border. This ensemble includes Jason Schwartzman, Henry Zaga, and singer Omar Apollo in an early, heartfelt love scene. The movie Queer gains momentum once Lee and Allerton finally release their simmering tension by having sex, a graphic and authentic scene that has been widely discussed and serves as a contrast to Guadagnino’s famous pan away from the sex scene in Call Me by Your Name. According to Andrew Garfield, who spoke with The Hollywood Reporter, one of the film’s oral sex scenes, which Guadagnino demonstrated to him, was “truly beautiful” and “full of tenderness and longing.
Soon after, Lee invites Allerton to join him on a trip to Ecuador in search of the well-known plant concoction called ayahuasca, often referred to as yage.
Justin Kuritzkes mentioned after the NYFF screening of Burroughs’ challenge, we shared a strong understanding and similar vision regarding our approach to honoring the book and deviating from it. A significant way we chose to diverge was that in the original story, the characters don’t encounter ayahuasca. One of our early decisions as a team was that we wanted to explore what would transpire if they discovered it.
Following Kuritzkes’ perspective, Burroughs’ novella hints at something beyond its closing, much like the enigmatic style of its surrealist creator. It seems only fitting that the script should follow suit by venturing through that hidden door to uncover what lies on the other side. In the climax of Quee, the movie’s romantic storyline concludes in a manner true to the source material, offering viewers an immersive ayahuasca experience and paying homage to the complexities of the novella’s writer.
As a gamer, I was on the hunt for hidden hints within the pages of that book. One clue stood out – it called for the narrative tone reminiscent of Burroughs, and the whimsical humor typical of picaresque tales. Yet, we also knew this wasn’t just any love story; these two characters were rarely in harmony, making their bond a complex dance more often out of step than in rhythm.
Reading their collaborative work’s blueprint captivated Craig, prompting him to embrace it as his initial project outside of playing James Bond or Benoit Blanc from Knives Out in seven years. His portrayal of the despairing, drug-addicted, ailing, hopeless romantic Lee has already garnered praise as Oscar season approaches.
Craig expressed his enthusiasm for cinema after watching a film similar to this one in New York, stating, “Scripts of this caliber don’t come by often.” He further added that directors like the one he worked with are rare. Although unsure of the final outcome, he was certain the journey would be extraordinary. What truly attracted him was the opportunity to collaborate with such gifted and innovative individuals. He knew that together they could produce something exceptional. They made a promise to themselves: whatever they created, it had to be poignant, breathtaking, and centered around love.
In its debut at the Venice Film Festival, Queer was met with a prolonged nine-minute standing ovation. Moreover, Starkey, portraying the enigmatic and inscrutable Allerton, has garnered praise for his groundbreaking performance in this film. His on-screen partnership with Craig ignites palpable sexual tension on the big screen.
Starkey explained that delving into Burroughs’ world felt somewhat like osmosis as he prepared for the shoot. It’s not often you get four or five months to prepare, and there were moments when it seemed like I was doing nothing. However, in reality, I was just immersing myself in the character.
The actor commented about his character, saying, “He truly emerges as a character when paired with Lee, which seemed to be his most authentic self and what he was apprehensive about. So, I believe the true acting began on the first day of shooting alongside Craig.
For Guadagnino, Queer represents what he’s been trying to convey in his films for years.
He explained, “This tale wasn’t about unrequited affection or persuasion. Instead, it delved into a different scenario, which I often examine in my art. However, I never viewed this as the main, profound motif. We discovered this interpretation in the book, with numerous intriguing hints that allowed us to explore this path.
Queer is now playing in select theaters.
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2024-11-28 01:25