Queer (2024) and the symbolism of desire through volcanoes and smokestacks
In the filmmaker’s commentary for Queer, Luca Guadagnino and production designer Stefano Baisi point out the recurring use of these images in the background—"You can spot two smokestacks in the background that are a symbol that often you can see. They are Allerton and Lee."
Though they very briefly mention the smokestacks in the commentary, I want to spend some time going through all the instances of it in the film, and show how the symbolism tracks the growth of their desire.
To me, the smokestacks are indications of Lee and Allerton's desire and passion for one another—as are the volcanoes—and are a way of translating metaphorically their feelings towards one another, depicting it in the landscape around them. Their love is translated into the environment because they cannot articulate it through words, whether because it is too taboo, or too terrifying.
There is this general conflation of fire and desire, the heat of passion, smoke a result of the metaphorical fire of their feelings which is a small spark at first but grows into a great fire—maybe even a great fiery bursting of the volcano.
We see the first instance of a smokestack right after Lee and Allerton speak for the first time. As Lee satisfactorily watches Allerton walk away, we see that both smokestacks in the distance are emitting smoke—the desire is mutual, answering the lingering question we were wondering about when we first saw Allerton look back and smile at Lee on the night of the cockfight.
We see the smokestacks again in the background, behind Lee's apartment building, as Lee waits around till 5pm to meet Allerton at the Ship A'Hoy. At this point, they are in their period of courting, so to speak, meeting regularly—their interest still lit and smoking mutually. But, their feelings as symbolized by the smoke, are still in the foreground, and have not taken center stage.
When they go to Lee's for a nightcap after dinner we see a volcano for the first time, framed behind them through Lee's apartment window. (It's a bit hard to tell with the color grading, but it's there). At the end of this scene they will physically articulate their desire for the first time, so the appearance of the volcano is telling in its foreshadowing of their desire spilling over, ready to burst like an active voclano.
It's all very heated, and this scene coincides too with the more simple smoking imagery—the lone cigarette left by Allerton on Lee's bathtub, Lee using the same matchflame to light both their cigarettes.
A few scenes later, a volcano seen again—though again faintly—in the wide and idyllic view behind them as they read at Lee's. Everything is bathed in this warm orange incandescent light, reminiscent of flames.
Also worth noting, in this scene Lee is seen reading a book titled Under the Volcano by Malcolm Lowry, which Luca calls "an iconic novel of the 50s that was a great influence for Burroughs." The book is about a former British consul now alcoholic living in Mexico City with his wife.
The smokestacks appear again when Lee goes to collect Allerton from his apartment. One of the chimneys has stopped emitting smoke—this coincides with Allerton emotionally distancing himself from Lee, becoming more reserved and less open to affection. They are still paired together, but Allerton is obviously having doubts. As he withdraws his desires, the fire is put out, the smoke dissipating in the wind, leaving Lee's eager flame lit and smoking on its own.
We see it again as they walk through the street, a scene which takes place after a cut scene where Lee bought back Allerton's camera from the pawnshop.
But of course, Allerton warms up to Lee again, and agrees to accompany him to South America.
At the titlecard of the second chapter (Ch. II: Traveling Companions) we see for the first and only time a frame where the image of the volcano and the smokestacks overlap together, indicating that these symbols are closely linked. It's hard to tell in this photo, but both smokestacks are lit and smoking. The volcano is seen vividly and clearly for once.
From here on out, the amount of volcanoes we see multiplies. This is partly because South America has a lot of volcanic activity and they are simply more common there. But also, freed from the judgment of their friends, Lee is more open with his desire and Allerton more receptive.
These shots in the bus mirror the earlier shots from Lee's apartment where they sat at his couch in front of the big window with the volcano in the back. But this time, the volcano has moved up closer in the foreground—things are heating up, there is more seismic activity. Lee feels free to touch the back of his hand to Eugene's face, feeling the warmth emanating from him.
Lee gets sick and Allerton takes him to see a doctor. It's significant that in this scene in the doctor's office, Allerton is framed against the volcano here, by himself. At this point, he is tenderly taking care of a junk-sick Lee—he can stand alone and somewhat face his desire for Lee. The face of concern matches his feelings and soon-to-be-articulated love for Lee.
Though it's hard to tell from these stills, there are swirls of smoke in this scene—behind the doctor the houses blow smoke from multiple chimneys, the smoke flurrying in the wind wildly. The rapid and hectic movements of the smoke symbolize Gene's feelings for Lee amplified by panicked concern for Lee.
There is even a cigarette left smoking on the doctor's ashtray, recalling the image of the lone cigarette that Allerton leaves on edge of Lee's bathtub while he is vomitting. Noteably this cigarette was added in post.
As they travel to find Dr. Cotter in the jungle, we get some solo shots of smoking volcanoes. For the first time, we see volcanoes active, about to burst. We see volcanoes uncaged from the bars of Lee's windows. Lee knows they are close to finding the yage which will help them uncage the desire from their bodies, love and lust erupting from their bodies like lava. The smoking volcanoes tell us this transformation is imminent. This will also be the last time we see an image of a volcano.
The yage successfully releases their desires from their bodies. We never see a volcano erupt, but yage sequence is meant to evoke an eruption of desire, much like a volcano. We see Lee and Allerton's bodies move together fluidly and freely, like liquid magma burning bright, their bodies incandescent in the jungle. But this release is not enough.
They part. Years later, Lee returns to Mexico City. He comes back hoping to find Allerton, but he's not there. With nowhere to stay, he goes back to the seedy hotel from earlier.
It's difficult to tell, but in the frame above we can see that the smokestack on the left is just barely emitting smoke; that is Lee. Though he has lost Allerton, Lee's love for him persists, a fire that is always smoking. He still believes he can find Allerton, the little spark of his hope encouraged by Joe telling Lee that Allerton supposedly went back to South America to find Lee.
Now we are at the end of the film. Lee falls asleep in the motel, and has a dream sequence where he confronts the image of Allerton, and the centipede of repression.
After the dream sequence where he shoots and kills a vision of Allerton, we cut to old man Lee in the same Mexico City motel room. Lee sits alone, the smokestacks behind him in his past. He is close to death. Allerton is gone. Lee will soon be gone too. He will always love Allerton, but the flame which lit his desire has long been extinguished.
Ultimately, I love how these symbols work in the film. It is so intentional and significant, carefully curated to tenderly tell the story of Lee and Allerton's love. It is a way of articulating their desire through their environment, of communicating it without speaking.
backward into first causes—stone in the pond of things,
splash splash—or we throw ourselves into the future.
we all move forward anyway. ripples in all directions.
what is a ghost?
— landscape with fruit rot and millipede, by richard silken
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