Nature
Throughout the film, Guadagnino turns the camera towards nature. The house that the Perlmans live in is in a beautiful orchard filled with fruit, there are many rivers nearby, and the Italian countryside is abuzz with summer. In the moment that Elio and Oliver first have sex, the camera moves from the bed they share, over to an open window. Outside, the lush green trees sway in the breeze. Then, later, when the men go on a trip together, they hike along a green mountainside, towards a misty waterfall, absorbing the majesty and splendor of nature. The beauty of nature underscores the love shared between the men, and suggests that their connection is natural, an extension of their wild surroundings, inevitable as the weather.
Shaking the Statue
On the beach where Perlman is to dredge up a new archaeological discovery, Elio and Oliver come upon an arm of the statue, disembodied. After the tension of Elio's confession of love, he asks Oliver for a truce, holding out his hand. Following Elio's lead, Oliver extends the hand of the statue, and they shake. This charming image suggests that they are growing closer, yet they are still holding each other at a bit of a distance, putting a barrier between them, so that they do not lose themselves in their attraction.
Elio with Oliver's bathing suit
At one point, before they have begun their affair, Elio sneaks into Oliver's bedroom and examines his bathing suit. Impulsively, he puts it over his head to smell it and gets on the bed, arching his back in a sexual pose. The image shows just how desirous Elio is, the fact that he wants to be overwhelmed and consumed by Oliver. It is an unusual and sexy image meant to show the extent of Elio's attraction.
Elio by the fire
At the end of the film, after learning that Oliver is no longer his, Elio stares into the fireplace and weeps. It is now the winter, Elio is a little older and wearing more mature and punk-y clothes. He no longer has boyish curls, but a more androgynous haircut. The image of him, staring into the orange flames and crying, shows that he is growing up, taking his father's advice, and embracing his feelings of sorrow and disappointment. It is an evocative image of young heartbreak, and marks Elio's induction into a more adult romantic world.
