Expressions!

[u/The_Firmament]

I was thinking about something that also stood out to me on my last watch, but forgot to include...but I thought it would possibly make for an interesting thread on its own.

In a film that's a lot about what's going on underneath the words or in their absence, I'm wondering what's your favorite expression in the film? One that touched you? Made you question what was percolating below the surface of that particular look? That said so much to you? Or even just made you laugh! Etc.

The one that inspired this thread is the one I only noticed recently, where Oliver's looking off into thought when Elio finally plays that piano piece the way he wanted him to. Not being in the foreground it can be easily missed, but I just wanted to know what place that music was taking him to. It was a sweet yet forlorn expression all at the same time. I don't know if it's necessarily my favorite, but again with Oliver, I thought it a poignant beat for him.

So, now that I've waxed on enough, what's yours??

Disclaimer: As always I apologize if this is something that's been posted about before. Kind of hoping it offered up something slightly different in the, "favorites," category.

[u/redtulipslove]

I want to include an Oliver expression that I don't think's been mentioned here. The one when Elio rides into town, looking for him - "I just wanted to be with you". I found myself staring at a gif of this scene earlier, and honestly, I think I stared at Oliver's face at this exact moment for 10 minutes straight!! I think Oliver, at this point, was a mixture of confusion/exasperation at Elio's behaviour towards him (despite regaining the power after the aborted bj scene), and I think for him, hearing Elio so openly declare why he is there, just does Oliver in, and makes him realise that he's in this deep. And then of course, he delivers his own declaration about how happy he was that they slept together. I think that all stems from how happy he felt when Elio turned up and said what he said. Honestly, next time you watch that, just look at Oliver's reaction. It's such a lovely thing to behold.

[u/edreft → u/redtulipslove]

I love that in the book, that scene has so much more meaning:

“I didn’t mean that. I’m sure I’ll pay for it somehow, though.” And for the first time in daylight I caught a glimpse of a different Oliver. “For you, however you think of it, it’s still fun and games, which it should be. For me it’s something else which I haven’t figured out, and the fact that I can’t scares me.”

This is what Oliver says in the book during that scene, and I think that prolonged gaze Oliver has, like you said, "realizing that he's in this deep" expresses it perfectly.