Many successful movies and television series are based on novels and others’ writings. Call Me By Your Name (2007) is a novel written by André Aciman, and the movie that goes by the same name was released in 2017, directed by Luca Guadagnino. Both amazing works are telling about the same memorable but melancholy love story of a young boy and the love of his life, yet there are some differences between the novel and the movie. The following paragraphs show three main differences between the film and the novel, which are: the way they tell the story, how they express the main dilemma, and how the story ends.

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    First of all, the way both works tell the story is one of the differences. In the novel, the story is mainly told in a first-person perspective. Narrated by the main character of the book, Elio walks us through the bittersweet love story that happened in a blissful ‘80s summer. With details precisely described by words, the book is able to put you into the heat of the moment. The writing brings you into Elio’s mind and allows you to feel his self-doubt, confusion, and every single emotion throughout the story. On the other hand, in the film, many of the feverish scenes and chemistry between Elio and his lover are replaced by images and movements. Although there are no words spoken in those specific scenes, the audiences could still feel the romantic chemistry with no words needed. Both ways of describing the storyline and inner feelings of the characters show different perspectives to the same story.

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    The second comparison is about the way both works express the question “Is it better to speak, or die?”, which is the main dilemma in Call Me By Your Name. Elio, the main character, wonders about his queerness and whether he should confess his true feelings to Oliver, his first love. The question is brought up in the novel quite forwardly when Elio’s mother tells him a fairy tale with this question in it, and it is after that the queerness of the book comes into focus. Different from the novel, the question “Is it better to speak, or die?” is never brought up directly in the film. However, Elio’s urge and doubt of whether to confess to Oliver is shown throughout the whole movie. Both works have their unique ways of discussing the issue of queerness and showcasing a boy’s inner distraught.

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    The last difference is that both works end in quite different ways. In the novel, the time frame expands to the present, which is 20 years after Oliver left Elio. Oliver tells Elio about his marriage, both characters meet in person and confront about the unforgettable romance, giving each other a closure. Meanwhile, the last scene of the film shows Elio speaks to Oliver by phone one last time a few months after he left. They avoid talking about the relationship that happened. Oliver tells Elio about his marriage, while Elio is left alone remembering their romance in silence and shedding tears by the fireplace. The novel gives a more “perfect ended” version of the story, and the film ends with a sad, but the more emotional vibe.

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    In conclusion, there are three main differences between the novel and the movie. The novel has a more direct way of showing the thoughts in a character’s mind, it is also more explicit in describing details and the moral conflict of the story. On the other hand, the film shows the same story but more vaguely. Some of the messages are shown by movements without words, but still conveyed the same emotions with no words needed. The two works also have different endings. The novel and the movie have quite different styles in expressing the storyline, and both are exceptional works in their own ways. So which one is more superior than the other would be based on the audience’s personal opinion.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sources of the book and the film:

https://ew.com/books/2017/11/29/call-me-by-your-name-movie-book-comparison/

https://images.app.goo.gl/gWDbWy2L5hteVNuZ6 (picture of the film)

https://images.app.goo.gl/xgiXutsdkhPqgm197 (picture of the novel)

https://www.amazon.com/Call-Me-Your-Name-Novel/dp/031242678X (the novel)

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5726616/ (the movie）