Daniel Craig’s 1 Scene in ‘Queer’ is So Heart-wrenching It’ll Make Call Me By Your Name’s End-credits Look Merciful
- Daniel Craig says he's like a goldfish when it comes to recalling a scene from film.
- Drew Starkey mentioned that last scene of the film was something very emotional for him.
- Queer is now playing in theaters.
Directed by Luca Guadagnino, Queer, starring Daniel Craig and Drew Starkey, is a period romantic drama based on William S. Burroughs’ 1985 novella. It follows an outcast American expat, who becomes infatuated with a younger man in Mexico. The film premiered at the 81st Venice International Film Festival and received a positive response.
Queer received a limited theatrical release by A24, and upon release, it has received a positive response from the critics and the audience. The critics have appreciated Daniel Craig’s performance. However, some mentioned that he upstaged Drew Starkey in the movie, whereas others appreciated Starkey’s performance as well. The actors talk about the last day of filming and especially Craig’s scene.
Daniel Craig and Drew Starkey recall one scene from the last day of filming of Queer
Former James Bond actor Daniel Craig, alongside Outer Banks star Drew Starkey, appeared in the period romantic drama Queer, directed by Call Me By Your Name director Luca Guadagnino. In their interview with Collider, the actors were asked about one scene that stayed with them emotionally. To this, Starkey shared that it was the last day of filming. He continued,
Daniel walks onto the set in this old-age, full-body prosthetics. Watching him walk onto set the whole crew getting silent, and him sitting in his room and then going to his bed and lying down was incredibly emotional.
Drew Starkey added that because it was the last day of filming, and it was the last scene, it wrapped up the entire process so beautifully. He noted that one could feel the weight of that day and the presence that Craig had. On the other hand, Daniel Craig said he’s like a goldfish, which is why he finds it hard to look back on a film and wonder which scene was harder or what stayed with him.
The Bond actor noted that all of it just stays with him like a huge experience, mentioning he does not retain thoughts from the movie in that way. During the conversation, the actor had shared that he met Luca Guadagnino six months before they started filming, and he was in. The next thing he knew, they were in Rome.
Craig noted that the last two months before they start filming are when they really dig into the character and prep themselves as much as they can, but the first few days are usually nerve-wracking.
Queer’s ending scene compared to Timothée Chalamet’s Call Me By Your Name’s end credits
Call Me By Your Name, starring Timothée Chalamet and Armie Hammer, is also directed by Luca Guadagnino. There’s an end-credit scene where Chalamet’s character, Elio, gets a phone call from Oliver.
Oliver, played by Armie Hammer, tells Elio that he is engaged to a woman and is about to get married. The news is heartbreaking for Elio who then walks into the dining room and sits by the fireplace and stares at the fire for three and a half minutes. The scene feels like a full circle because it seems that the news from Oliver makes him recall all of the moments spent with him and accept it.
Elio doesn’t say anything, but he just sits and lets the heartbreak and sadness consume him. The end-credit scene showcases the character’s beautiful yet emotional journey, and it’s clear why Timothée Chalamet is regarded as one of the best actors in the industry currently. (via Vulture)
Where in Call Me By Your Name, Elio accepts his feelings whether it’s his heartbreak or the moments he spent with Oliver, Queer ends in a very drastic way with William Lee is back in his apartment aged. He imagines Allerton appearing in his bed and draping his leg over his.
The filmmaker noted during an interview with EW about the scene;
The task that we gave ourselves was always to make this a very romantic movie and a testament to this romanticism between Lee and Allerton, no matter how much they are in sync or not throughout this story of their encounter.
Guadagnino added that the moment in the dream sequence where Allerton places his foot on top of now-elderly Lee is a mirror to an intimate moment they shared in South America. Craig mentioned that he feels a very deep feeling when he watches the ending.
Both movies’ endings are directed by Guadagnino, and the director has a thing to make his audience feel the pain of his characters. But because of Lee’s old age and death in Queer, Call Me By Your Name’s ending seems merciful.
Queer is now playing in theaters.
