“Do you think there could be a gay James Bond?” That’s the kind of insensitive question some nutter always asks, and then it gets used as a sound bite in subsequent articles.
The director of the film Queer, Luca Guadagnino, and the cast, including leads Daniel Craig and Drew Starkey, are in Venice for interviews. Queer is based on a book with the same title written in the early 1950s by William S Burroughs, one of the foremost figures of the Beat Generation (a countercultural literary movement that began in the 1940s and entered the public consciousness in the 1950s).
The “gay Bond” question is clearly inappropriate, but Luca Guadagnino, who directed the acclaimed drama Call Me by Your Name, jumps in before Craig can reply. “Let’s be adult in the room for a second. There’s no way anybody knows James Bond’s desires — period. The important thing is that he carries out his missions properly.”
Queer, as its title implies, focuses on a gay relationship. Craig, the most recent actor to play James Bond in the famed franchise and an incontestably masculine figure, specifically chose to take on this role — which has piqued the interest of movie fans the world over.
The film features a graphic depiction of drug use — a sustained “trip” in the second half that some will find artistic, but others will probably be alienated by. In addition, the internal yearning shown in some scenes — which reveal what the character fantasises about doing, rather than what is actually happening — captures the painful nature of what it’s like to be besotted with a person you can’t touch. As befits the title, there are also explicit sex scenes featuring Craig and Starkey. The book, which depicts a particular period in the author’s life, was published only in 1985 because of its controversial subject matter. In the final analysis, it’s a story about obsession and love.
When Craig came on board, Guadagnino says he was “adamant this was going to be a love story that would be vaster than empires”. He adds, “We really went with it. We wanted to portray what it means to love and be loved, to be connected and disconnected.”
“The reason I did this movie was because of this great man here,” Craig says, indicating Guadagnino. “I’ve wanted to work with him for a long time. We met 20 years ago and decided we should work together. We have finally succeeded, and it’s a wonderful thing. If I had watched the film without being in it, I’d have wanted to be in it. Watching the film can be challenging, but it’s also incredibly accessible. The challenge of playing Lee was to bring the character to life by just talking,” says Craig, who is married to the actress Rachel Weisz. “I read Queer, which is an emotional thump of a book. It’s about loss, loneliness and yearning. If I were to write myself a part to tick off all the things I wanted to do as an actor, this role would fulfil them all.”
Guadagnino, who also directed the Zendaya film Challengers (released earlier this year), picks up on the appeal of the story. “Burroughs achingly describes the profound connection between these two characters on the page — the lack of judgment and particularly the romanticism and the adventure you have with someone you desperately want and love. The story changed me forever.” He goes on to say, “At the end of the film, I wanted audiences to be left with an idea of the self,” highlighting a theme now trending around the world. “Who are we when we’re alone? Who are we looking for? Who do we want beside us, no matter who we are? Even if you’re an addict living in Mexico, you love a man, you love a woman ... you love someone. Who are you when you’re alone in bed and left with the feeling of how you’ve felt for someone else?”
The director, known for his ability to visually capture the intensity of lust, highlights the universal themes that make for great romances.
When he is asked about the physicality of the role, Craig — who’s played a wide range of parts throughout his career, including comedic ones in the acclaimed Knives Out series — speaks of the technical aspect of creating characters. “There’s some choreography, which is a very important part of the movie. Drew and I started rehearsals months before we started filming. Dancing is a great icebreaker. There’s nothing intimate about filming a sex scene on a movie set, because there’s a room full of people watching you. We just wanted to make the scene as touching, real and natural as we could. Drew is a wonderful actor to work with. We had a laugh and tried to make it fun.”
Starkey, best known for his role in Outer Banks, agrees. “We jumped into rehearsals pretty early on, which freed us up, both emotionally and physically. We felt open to try new things. When you’re rolling around the floor with a person the day after you met him — well, it’s a good way to get to know someone,” he chuckles, while admitting the role was daunting. In a conversation with The Hollywood Reporter, the lanky blond explained the crux of his character. “There’s so much subtlety and delicacy. No-one can read him, least of all Craig’s character. Eugene is an ambiguous character who reflects a time when gay men didn’t have a language to define themselves.”
Whether you love the film or are “challenged” by it, the calibre of the lead actors’ performances alone justifies seeking out what Queer has to offer.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.