Luca Guadagnino's Queeris already garnering awards buzz for its beautiful interpretation of the 1985 William S. Burroughs novel of the same name. Starring Daniel Craig and Drew Starkey in its leading roles, and with a supporting cast that includes Jason Schwartzmanand Lesley Manville, the film follows William Lee (Craig) as he falls in love with Eugene Allerton (Starkey) in 1950s Mexico City, and the two embark on a trip together through South America in search of the psychedelic drug ayahuasca. But the novel itself is shrouded in mystery, as Burroughs left it unfinished and published it over 30 years after writing it.Queer is far from the first time Guadagnino has adapted a novel to the screen, but he had the extra challenge of both honoring the unfinished source material and constructing his own ending to the story. So, what exactly did Guadagnino change from the Burroughs novel?
‘Queer’ Is an Unfinished Novel
Burroughs wrote Queer in 1952 when he was living in Mexico City, and he based the novel's love story on his own romantic pursuit of the veteran Adelbert Lewis Marker. Tragically, in 1951, Burroughs accidentally killed his wife, Joan Vollmer, by attempting to shoot a shot glass off of her head in a drunken game. Burroughs consequently wrote much of Queer while he was awaiting trial for Volmer's death. However, he eventually abandoned the project, largely due to the guilt it caused him to revisit that period of his life.
In the novel, Lee and Allerton's visit to Dr. Cotter is a lost cause, and they never actually get to try ayahuasca, meaning Lee never gets the chance to experience the “communication without speaking” and “telepathy” he is searching for with Allerton. The novel then jumps to two years later. Lee has returned to Mexico City to inquire after Allerton, only to learn that he has gone south again with an army colonel and that he mentioned trying to meet up with Lee.
Luca Guadagnino Set Out to Complete What William S. Burroughs Started
Image via A24
Guadagnino and Justin Kuritzkes decided they were going to finish Lee's story, but they wanted to do it right. In an interview with Variety, Guadagnino explained that he and Kuritzkes worked with Oliver Harris, a scholar of Burroughs, so that they would complete the story in a way that the author would have wanted. Through additional context from Harris, the duo decided they wanted to lean into the softer, more delicate side of Burroughs that shows up in little glimpses in the novel.
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Much of Queer is true to the book, down to the exact phrasing of lines and visual details, but Guadagnino made some key changes. The main change from the novel is that Lee and Allerton take ayahuasca together after gaining the trust of Dr. Cotter (Manville). This Guadagnino addition includes the film's most moving scene, which is oddly parallel to the dance scene in Wicked. As they begin tripping, the two men vomit their hearts out of their mouths and then perform a stunning nude dance with each other, their bodies molding together so that it appears that their hands are actually going under each other's skin. Guadagnino also added the dream sequence at the end, where Lee shoots a glass above Allerton's head and accidentally kills him, a not-so-subtle reference to Vollmer's murder. The film's deeply emotional finale was also a Guadagnino creation that adds one last gut punch just when we thought we had cried enough.
In 'Queer,' Guadagnino Makes Us Believe in Lee and Allerton's Love Story
Guadagnino definitely put his own spin on Burroughs' cynical and witty novel, but the changes he made bring out the novel's heart in high relief. In the same interview with Variety, Guadagnino added that "for us, the idea that this could become not only a great love story but possibly the ultimate love story — and a very universal one — was irresistible." Meanwhile, Starkey stated in an interview with Vanity Fairthat Guadagnino wanted the love to feel “unsynchronized” rather than “unrequited.”
Guadagnino's choice to have Lee and Allerton connect emotionally through the ayahuasca sequence allows for a more vulnerable side of Allerton to emerge than in the novel. The morning after, Dr. Cotter says to Allerton, "Door's already open; can't close it now," hinting that Allerton could be closeted and finally reckoning with his queerness and feelings for Lee. With Queer, just as he did with Call Me By Your Name, Guadagnino has found joy and tenderness even in a relationship that was doomed from the start.
Queer is now playing in select theaters across the U.S.
Set in 1940s Mexico City, it follows an American expat named Lee (played by Daniel Craig) who becomes infatuated with a younger man, Eugene Allerton (played by Drew Starkey). The film explores themes of longing, isolation, and obsession.
Image via A24
Image via A24
English (US) ·