Call Me by Your Name tells the story of a passionate summer romance in 1983 northern Italy between 17-year-old Elio Perlman, played by Timothee Chalamet, and 24-year-old graduate student Oliver, played by Armie Hammer. For more on the full plot, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Call_Me_by_Your_Name_(film). Elio lives with his parents in a beautiful rural home where his father, an archaeology professor, invites Oliver to stay and assist with work. What starts as a friendship quickly turns into deep attraction. They share intense moments, like when Oliver says, “Call me by your name and I’ll call you by mine,” marking their emotional swap and intimacy.
As summer ends, the relationship faces reality. Elio and Oliver take a final trip to Bergamo, spending three romantic days together before Oliver must leave for the United States. Back home, Elio feels heartbroken. He calls his mother for a ride from the train station, showing his vulnerability. Later, during Hanukkah, Oliver phones the family to announce his engagement to a woman he has dated on and off for years. Elio calls him by his real name, and Oliver replies, “I remember everything,” hinting at their shared memories that will last. Elio then sits by the fireplace, staring into the flames with tears, as his family prepares dinner around him. This quiet scene captures raw emotion without words.
The ending leaves many viewers moved by its honesty about love’s fleeting nature. It shows Elio growing through pain, learning to hold onto joy even as it fades. Unlike tidy resolutions, it embraces bittersweet truth: first loves shape us but often end, yet the feelings endure. One review calls it a rapturously bittersweet summer love story, biking through scenic Italy with electric tension. For a deeper take, read https://www.avclub.com/there-arent-many-summer-love-stories-as-rapturously-bit-1820662005. Director Luca Guadagnino chose this open feel, avoiding forced closure, which makes it linger.
Sources
https://www.esquire.com/uk/culture/film/a69838576/explaining-and-debating-the-very-divisive-ending-of-marty-supreme/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Call_Me_by_Your_Name_(film)
https://www.avclub.com/there-arent-many-summer-love-stories-as-rapturously-bit-1820662005
