Luca Guadagnino's 'Queer', based on William S. Burroughs' unfinished 1952 novel, explores the love story of William Lee and Eugene Allerton in 1950s Mexico City. The film, featuring Daniel Craig and Drew Starkey, depicts their journey through South America in search of ayahuasca. Guadagnino faced the unique challenge of adapting an unfinished work, creating his own ending while honoring Burroughs' original vision.
Luca Guadagnino 's Queer is already garnering awards buzz for its beautiful interpretation of the 1985 William S. Burroughs novel of the same name.
Starring Daniel Craig and Drew Starkey in its leading roles, and with a supporting cast that includes Jason Schwartzman and Lesley Manville, the film follows William Lee (Craig) as he falls in love with Eugene Allerton (Starkey) in 1950s Mexico City, and the two embark on a trip together through South America in search of the psychedelic drug ayahuasca. But the novel itself is shrouded in mystery, as Burroughs left it unfinished and published it over 30 years after writing it. Queer is far from the first time Guadagnino has adapted a novel to the screen, but he had the extra challenge of both honoring the unfinished source material and constructing his own ending to the story. So, what exactly did Guadagnino change from the Burroughs novel? ‘Queer’ Is an Unfinished Novel Burroughs wrote Queer in 1952 when he was living in Mexico City, and he based the novel's love story on his own romantic pursuit of the veteran Adelbert Lewis Marker. Tragically, in 1951, Burroughs accidentally killed his wife, Joan Vollmer, by attempting to shoot a shot glass off of her head in a drunken game. Burroughs consequently wrote much of Queer while he was awaiting trial for Volmer's death. However, he eventually abandoned the project, largely due to the guilt it caused him to revisit that period of his life. In the novel, Lee and Allerton's visit to Dr. Cotter is a lost cause, and they never actually get to try ayahuasca, meaning Lee never gets the chance to experience the “communication without speaking” and “telepathy” he is searching for with Allerton. The novel then jumps to two years later. Lee has returned to Mexico City to inquire after Allerton, only to learn that he has gone south again with an army colonel and that he mentioned trying to meet up with Lee. Luca Guadagnino Set Out to Complete What William S
Film Adaptation Queer William S. Burroughs Luca Guadagnino Ayahuasca
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