Comparing Luca and Call Me By Your Name: A Controversy

Since the release of Pixar’s new animation, Luca, people all over Tik Tok, Twitter, and Instagram have been obsessing over the aesthetics and the character relationships portrayed in the movie. Set in the Italian Riviera, similar to where the director, Enrico Casarosa grew up, it is hard to not fall in love with the architecture, liveliness, and colors of the small town.

The story is magnificent, a must-see with a tissue box by your side. It’s Pixar’s way of showing representation for any community. However, the film has been compared, with much backlash, to Call Me By Your Name, a story about the gay relationship between a 17-year old and a 23-year old. Let me clarify. Luca is about a boy sea creature that meets another boy sea creature, Alberto, who spends most of his time on land, which is forbidden in Luca’s family for it seems too dangerous. Luca’s curiosity has led him to spend his time on land with Alberto, planning out their whole dreams of traveling the world. Call Me By Your Name is about a precocious teenager, Elio, whose father is a professor and invites a student into their home every summer to study. One summer, he falls into a deep, passionate love for the student, Oliver. Call Me By Your Name has been my favorite film for over 3 years, but I don’t obsess over it much now because it co-stars Armie Hammer. We won’t go much into the Armie Hammer situation but you can find out about it just by googling his name.

Let’s consider some basic plot pieces of these two films so we can figure out why they are being compared in the first place. Both of these films are set in Italy, between 1960-1990, and have two young men or boys as their main characters. Both stories are about two guys sharing a secret, strong bond, and how parents handle their young child exploring aspects of life previously inaccessible to them. Is this enough to compare the two, or can you also compare these basic story blocks to other films? The Talented Mr. Ripley? Close… The Godfather? Even closer, but nothing quite has the same similarities as Luca and Call Me By Your Name.

Most resemblances are seen within the visual aspect of the films. Both color palettes consist of pastel green, blue, red, yellow, and brown, very earthy colors. Luca’s colors are more vibrant while Call Me By Your Name’s colors are a more mature and neutralized version of the animation.

If you look at some of the scenes in both films, you’ll see a lot of similarities when you examine the two side by side. For example, this is visible in the ending train scenes in both films, a scene where the two characters part ways with each other, both moving on with their lives and abandoning the fantasy they cannot live anymore. This is the most heart-wrenching part of the story for the audience so please be prepared.

Another scene where we can visually compare the both films, would be when the two characters are strolling around the Italian town together. This particular scene in Call Me By Your Name, directed by Luca Guadignino, was my favorite, using one long take of about 5 minutes to represent Elio and Oliver’s longing to be with each other. It was also a very exciting part in Luca, as it was Luca and Alberto’s first time exploring a human town and getting culture shock from all of the new experiences.

It's a no-brainer that the two films can be compared visually, picture to picture, but can their plots be compared without being awfully immoral like some people state? Let’s go about the origins of the two stories.

Both stories have basic relations to Greek mythology, one with the beings of Mermaids (half human, half fish), and the other with the practices of Pederasty (the romantic relationship between an adult male and a teenage boy). The two pairings want to live a life with each other but one out of the two (Luca & Oliver) have to continue with their life and move on.

I personally think that there’s nothing wrong with comparing the two movies, they're both authentic, impactful to many, and tell a good message.The issue is that when some people think of the film Call Me By Your Name, they think of pedophilia because of the 6-year age gap between Elio and Oliver. They believe that Guadignino is a creep, but if that were true, many filmmakers of teen romances should be looked down upon as well. There's so much more depth to the story that many have overlooked. You cannot choose who you fall in love with; and in Luca’s case, you have the ability to change the minds of those around you if you’re passionate.

We need to remind ourselves that movies are only a filtered mirror of our reality, meant to teach us lessons and show mistakes we can avoid in order to live a better life. Separate the art from the artist to find a new perspective that will give you clarity on the world around you.