Sufjan Stevens Almost Had a Bigger Role in Call Me By Your Name
If you've seen Luca Guadagnino's latest cinematic triumph, Call Me By Your Name, then chances are, you got home and immediately downloaded the soundtrack — namely, its contributions by Sufjan Stevens. The heartbreakingly beautiful tracks "Mystery of Love" and "Visions of Gideon," as well as the remix of his older track "Futile Devices," perfectly capture the sentiment of the story — a feat that Stevens attributes to the mastery of the universe.
"I feel like the universe is in charge here, or maybe it’s testament to Luca’s mastery as a director that he is so good at conducting other artists to get the best out of them," the artist told Deadline. "I don’t know how he does it but he’s a real prophet in that way."
In the same interview, Stevens revealed that he almost had a much larger role in the film: an actual part. The story was originally going to be told in hindsight, narrated by an older Elio, as it was in the book. Guadagnino's first ask to Stevens included the request to have him do the voice over, and even make a cameo in the film. "I got back to him and I said, 'I think this voiceover is a mistake, and I think the interruption of me singing the song is a mistake.' I think he was just thinking out loud," Stevens recalled. "I don’t know if he was really committed to the idea. So I said, 'I’ll write you some songs, but that’s all I think you need from me.' And he agreed."
Alas, we can't say for sure if he was right without having seen that vision of the film, but we can safely say that the finished product was certainly powerful enough. You can listen to the Call Me By Your Name soundtrack here.
