Due to some pushbacks related to last year’sSAG-AFTRA strike,Luca Guadagninoended up releasing two of the best films this year with the tennis dramaChallengersand the arthouse romanceQueer. WhileChallengersis certainly the most commercially viable work of his career thus far,Queeris a far more audacious, genre-bending experiment. Guadagnino has always had a talent for exploring the existential nature of desire and loneliness, butQueeris easily his most trippy work to date. Although it is based on the novel of the same name by the poetWilliam S. Burroughs,Queercontains many direct allusions to the groundbreaking work thatStanley Kubrickdid on2001: A Space Odyssey.
‘Queer’ Explores the Existential Philosophy of Stanley Kubrick
The primary reason that2001: A Space Odysseyremains such a vibrant piece of popular cultureisits analysis of human evolution,which is explored through non-verbal expressions. Although fans of the film have debated what exactly the monolith in2001: A Space Odysseyreally is, it is clearthat the strange object has a transformative power.Queerfeatures a very similar structure to2001: A Space Odyssey, as both films consist of three primary chapters that are identified through title cards and an epilogue that takes place many years later. However,both films play around with the notion of chronology to emphasize that their narratives are inherently timeless;even thoughQueertakes place in the 1950s, Guadagnino makes the overt choice to insert several modern songs into the soundtrack, includingNirvana’s “Come As You Are” andNew Order’s “Leave Me Alone.”
When looking purely at the two films in terms of plot,2001: A Space OdysseyandQueercould not be any more different;Kubrick’s masterpiecewas a science fiction adventurethat was ahead of its time, andQueerexplores the exploits of the American expatriate William Lee (Daniel Craig) as he falls in love with the former serviceman Eugene Allerton (Drew Starkey) in Mexico City. However,both2001: A Space OdysseyandQueerfeature protagonists looking for a new form of communication. In2001: A Space Odyssey, Dr. David Bowman (Keir Dullea) enters the Stargate after theDiscovery Onebecomes lost within deep space; inQueer, Lee ventures deep into the jungle to research a drug that may allow him to telepathically communicate with Eugene, who he is unable to express his inner desires to. Guadagnino even goes so far as toinsert a dream scene of Lee spiraling into outer space,which directly mirrors the same shot of Dr. Frank Poole (Gary Lockwood) in2001: A Space Odyssey.
The Ending of ‘Queer’ Mirrors ‘2001: A Space Odyssey'
While Guadagnino has remained tight-lipped about the connection between the two films,Queerrecreates the ending of2001: A Space Odysseyin a stunning sequencethat ends his austere romantic epic, which deviates significantly from the more grounded conclusion of the novel.Despite sharing a hallucinatory shared dreamin which their bodies are fused within an act of intimacy, Eugene leaves Lee behind in the jungle and admits that he does not share the same attraction. The film subsequently delves into a vision in which Lee imagines the life he could have lived had he been able to remain with Eugene; similar to Bowman in2001: A Space Odyssey,he transforms into an elderly man within only a few moments.Both films have the same intention, which is to show the extent ofhuman life is only a brief blip within the entirety of existence.
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Art and Patrick aren’t devouring their churros for the empty calories.
Queerand2001: A Space Odysseyuse their psychedelic elements to explore physical transformation, despite the fact that neither film is particularly spiritual.2001: A Space Odysseymay have only evoked psychedelic imagerythrough the use of vibrant colors and sharp edits, butQueerdirectly addresses drug use, as Lee is established as being an addict with serious health issues. Nonetheless, both films examine howindividual consciousness can continue beyond mortal life;2001: A Space Odysseyends with David literally becoming the “Starchild,”andQueerimplies that Lee has become a radically different person as the result of his experiences with Eugene.2001: A Space Odysseymay be renowned as an influential work of sci-fi, butQueerindicates that its legacy is attached to films within many different genres.
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.
Queeris now playing in select theaters across the U.S.
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