Visions of Gideon: Call Me By Your Name's Heartbreaking Final Sequence

SPOILER WARNING (obviously)!

I've never seen an end credits sequence quite like Call Me By Your Name's, one that conveys such intense sadness and raw emotion that it is likely to reduce even the stubbornest of viewers to a sobbing mess. It is both a masterclass in ensuring that your film will stick with audiences long after they have stepped out of the cinema and a powerfully accurate depiction of mourning and loss so intense that it overwhelms you completely. 

Speaking of masterclasses, if you want a lesson in how to portray sadness on screen to an incredibly convincing degree, look no further than Timothee Chalamet's performance as 17 year old Elio. Chalamet dominates the film with his delicate depiction of adolescent angst and the feelings of intense pining and heartbreak that inevitably accompany it. With Andre Aciman's original novel, Elio's passions and flaws were easily laid bare through the character's first-person narrative, whereas Chalamet had the tougher job of subtly translating Elio's complex insecurities and fears onto the screen. And his wonderful performance is perfectly capped in the final sequence. 

The film ends with Elio's final conversation with Oliver (Armie Hammer) over the phone, during which we learn of Oliver's recent engagement back in America. Referring to their time together, Oliver tells Elio "I remember everything" and Elio smiles. We then see Elio walk into the dining room, calmly set down his Walkman, and walk over to crouch in front of the fire burning in the hearth. 

Here we see the final cut of the film from behind Elio to a medium close up on his face, his teary eyes glistening in the glow of the fire. It may seem like a simple cut but it is anything but, taking us from the position of detached viewer to direct confidant, for we are the only ones who see the true sadness of Elio, silently forcing back tears while his family prepare the dinner table behind him.

As we see this final, uncut shot of Chalamet's character, we are left to reflect, as Elio himself does, on his incredibly heart-wrenching journey of self-discovery and untempered yearning. While in some way we are left with a note of finality to the tale, as Oliver's news of his engagement seems to put an end to his affair with Elio, in a much more real sense, the final shot leaves the film's conclusion as far more open-ended, leaving us to wonder the extent of the impact Oliver will leave on Elio's life and how he will recover from his profound sadness. 

And this, quite simply, is the beauty of the film's final sequence and why I prefer it so greatly to the book's ending, which traces the two characters to a meeting many years later and subsequently ends on a more definite but rather unnecessary note. Of course, if the much discussed sequel does end up materialising, it will be interesting to see where director Luca Guadagnino takes the story. Fingers crossed. 

The other vital element of the closing sequence, as the credits appear in the corner of the screen, is the gradual fading in of Sufjan Stevens' beautiful track Visions of Gideon. The mournful piano backing and Stevens' extraordinary voice are the perfect accompaniment to the scene; as Guadagnino told Pitchfork, it "was the perfect song for this moment in which Elio thinks of his life." Such is the power of the song and its contribution to the sequence that Guadagnino put an earbud in Chalamet's ear so he could hear the song while shooting the scene. 

The image of Elio staring into the fire as he tries to fight back his tears is undeniably memorable and a stunning end to a stunning film. It captures the pure and unfiltered passion of young romance and is one of the most heartbreaking endings I've ever seen. Honest and tender, Call Me By Your Name will leave you mourning for Elio long after he leaves the fireside.