Sad Goodbyes
I discovered that 4 screen adaptations which rank high among my favourites all have very significant parting scenes. They all involve gay couples, in every case it's one of the two wanting out to avoid problems. Here we go:
Maurice (1987) - Maurice Hall tells Clive Durham that he is in love with Alec Scudder and that staying with Clive would have been no good, because Clive is too cowardly to sacrifice his career for the sake of love. Maurice's powerful words express his final emancipation from the forbidding Edwardian society.
2. Call me by your Name (2017) - The last scene with Oliver and Elio. They part wordlessly, and even though Oliver's embrace is warm, his awkwardness still shows. A few months later, Oliver announces on the phone that he is engaged to a girl he's been in an on-and-off relationship with. A very obvious way to stay clear from becoming a social outcast - in the eighties, which were far more liberal than the pre-WWI era 'Maurice' is set in!
3. And Then We Danced (2019) - This scene actually hurts like hell, no matter how often you watch it. Without showing the slightest reminiscence of his love (unlike Clive and Oliver, who are clearly still battling their illicit feelings), Irakli conveys to Merab that he is engaged, citing his father's terminal illness as a motive. He leaves the room cursing softly under his breath, closing the door to his gay past for good.
4. Fellow Travelers (2023) - This scene between a devastated Hawk and a dying Skippy is not awkward at all. Both men show their love for one another, Skippy by speaking words that have gained cult status, and Hawk by letting his tears flow. They share one last passionate kiss. Is it because they are older than the previous three couples? Is it because they have been in love for over three decades? It is Skippy who sweetly discourages Hawk from staying with him, as he won't be able to let go otherwise. If Skippy's untimely demise is inevitable, at least love should survive, and it does, as is proven by Hawk when he finally confesses his feelings while standing by Skippy's memorial quilt.
The first two films show that the one who never fully committed himself is still riddled with longing and remorse after the breakup. The third film never allows for any of that; it's just over. The fourth one shows that love can remain unbroken.
