Sorry, Luca will never NOT be a queer allegory- like DUDE:
- Luca trying to hide going to the surface with Alberto (being queer) from his parents, but also rejecting being a sea monster (queer) because he wanted to be a normal kid (mild internalized homophobia?)
- Alberto fear of abandonment and slight insecurity
- The small suggestions and references in the choice of dialogue: “we’re always careful”, “they were gonna send me somewhere bad, away from everything I love”, and also the two sea monster ladies living together in the town (they’re literally an old lesbian couple bro)
Here’s the more in-depth analysis:
Luca’s always been curious about/drawn to the surface (queerness), but his parents “protect” him from it (because they KNOW) to keep him safe from prejudice and discrimination
He finds Alberto, who’s comfortable being on the surface (being queer), at least by himself w/o the pressure of others. With Alberto’s support, guidance, and friendship, he quickly grows comfortable with the surface, and ends up loving it.
So he SNEAKS OUT TO SPEND TIME WITH ALBERTO (be fr 💔), until his parents find stuff he’s kept from the surface (like if you’re in the closet but have queer magazines or media or smthn, and they find it).
They confront Luca about it, and he’s like “but it’s not so bad, we’re always careful”, and the emphasis on “WE??” His parents give is so crazy. Like it’s literally two queer kids hanging out while trying to be under the radar to avoid discrimination.
They try to send him away to the deep to live with his uncle as a last attempt to “protect” him and keep him from the surface (I fear this needs no explanation-), so he runs away to Alberto, and they both run away to the human town to try and live their lives there.
The whole time they’re in the town, they’re trying to be under the radar, because the town hates and actively hunts sea monsters (prejudice against queer people). Guys. 😭
Giulia and Luca really connect and become great friends, and Luca starts wanting to go to school and stuff with Giulia.
Alberto hates this because it means losing the only other person who accepts and understands him. Not to mention, he’s already been abandoned by his father (no specific reason in the movie, but a queer allegory perspective would be that his father abandoned him because he’s queer), which Alberto internalizes. Luca helps Alberto realize that he isn’t a mistake, and nothing’s wrong with him (him being queer), which he may have started to believe after his father left.
Alberto’s also upset because him and Luca had a whole plan to run away together and be free from their past lives and worries (GUYS.), and Luca going to school with Giulia would blow that up and leave him left alone again.
Later, after a bad argument with Luca about Alberto ends up revealing he’s a sea monster to Giulia (coming out), expecting Luca to do the same. But, Luca turns against him and calls him a sea monster, acting scared and surprised despite being like him (like a closeted queer person abandoning their friend/partner who comes out because they’re too scared to come out, sometimes to the point where they don’t even want to associate with them anymore for fear that their own secret will be revealed (or the guilt of not coming out when the other did)).
Obviously Alberto is hurt, because the ONE person he thought he could trust turns against him and calls him a monster, feeding into the insecurity he already has about his identity.
Then Luca feels guilty later, and starts panicking and getting anxious, and Giulia clocks him because of it (because she knows they had a strong friendship, and they came to the town together, and his reaction in general).
Luca goes after Alberto later, and finds out his dad left. As a result, he makes the decision to stay with Alberto and win them the Vespa so they can run away together like they planned (him deciding to choose solidarity with a fellow queer person)
But then everything happens, and Alberto turns into a sea monster (gets outed) in front of the town. Instead of running away, Luca decides to also come out to continue standing by Alberto’s side. Before they’re captured or hurt by the people in the town, Massimo steps up, because he’s learned that sea monsters aren’t evil, bad creatures (him learning that what he’s heard about queer people isn’t true, after getting to know Alberto and Luca)
And THEN. Luca’s grandma was talking about how “some people will never accept him, but he’ll find people who will”
And then Alberto literally sells his dreams to give Luca his, and they have a moment in the rain, on the train, not wanting to let each others hands go, crying. “How will I know you’ll be ok?”
Yeah, this movie is so damn important to me, I’ll love it forever ❤️❤️
