Queer Ending Explained

In addition to examining the intricacies of love, desire, and the gay lifestyle in the 1950s, the romance drama Queer explores the tale of American expat Lee (Daniel Craig) and young guy Gene (Drew Starkey). Queer, directed by Luca Guadagnino and based on William S. Burroughs' 1985 novella of the same name, transports viewers to 1950s México City where they encounter Lee, an outsider among other gay individuals who spends his time going to clubs and looking for new (and younger) sex partners.

Lee is attracted to Gene when he first meets him at a pub, but he is surprised to discover that he cannot approach him until Gene does. Gene and Lee start dating, but Gene remains emotionally aloof while Lee, who also struggles with substance abuse, longs for emotional closeness. Following a vacation to South America that takes them into the jungle for a yagé/ayahuasca experience, Lee and Gene's relationship and connection undergo a significant transformation.

Why Gene and Lee Don't Get Married in Queer

Before Lee meets Gene, Queer demonstrates how Lee frequently approaches young men and entices them to have sex with him. One of the men tells his friend that Lee has been attempting to have sex with him for some time and that he doesn't understand queer friendship. Lee's issue isn't that he can't be friends with other queer people—he's friends with Jason Schwartzman's character Joe—but rather that he is constantly in need of affection, care, and intimacy, which might come across as needy or needy.

Since Lee doesn't even know how to approach Gene, his attraction to him is unlike any other he has ever had. It isn't until Gene speaks to him that Lee lets go and appreciates the moment. Though Gene does care about Lee, their relationship is only sexual in nature, and Gene lacks the emotional closeness Lee seeks. Although Lee tries to get closer to Gene by inviting him on his vacation to South America, Gene doesn't really alter his behavior.

Lee's interest in telepathy and the herb yagé, which he read is used to improve telepathy, are two of the reasons he chooses to travel to South America. To see Dr. Cotter (Lesley Manville), a scientist who has studied the plant for years and is able to oversee its use, an authority on the topic sends Lee and Gene into the bush. Following their enlightening yagé "trip," Lee and Gene find themselves further apart rather than closer. Lee stays unmarried until his last day, after he and Gene depart and part ways.

The Reasons Behind Lee's Deep Interest in Telepathy

Lee first discusses his interest in telepathy with one of the young men he is interested in at the start of Queer. Lee states that he believes in telepathy and wants to experience it; in order to do so, he wants to try yagé. Lee further says he read that yagé has been stigmatized since the Russians and the US government have been using it for mind control experiments.

In addition to his belief in telepathy, Lee is very interested in it because it would make it much simpler for him to express his emotions to his partners, particularly Gene. Telepathy would enable Lee to express his needs and feelings to Gene more easily and directly because he finds it difficult to connect and interact with him. His desire for intimacy with Gene is brilliantly depicted by a ghostly Lee physically reaching out to Gene.

The Significance of Lee and Gene's Yage Experience

Lee is repeatedly cautioned that yagé is not a narcotic that gets him high and is not like any other drug he may receive. Lee frequently uses heroin and has an opioid addiction; he has severe withdrawal symptoms while traveling to South America. Although Lee is able to abstain during the trip, he is adamant about trying yagé despite being informed that it won't transport him to a different "dimension" like other drugs but rather acts as a mirror that compels the user to gaze inward.

Gene consents to take yagé with Lee, and with Dr. Cotter's assistance, they go through it. Just when they believe the plant hasn't taken effect, they begin to have an extremely strange yet powerful experience. Lee and Gene sit down in front of a campfire after throwing up their own hearts, and they gradually disappear while speaking telepathically. Gene informs Lee that, contrary to what Lee had previously stated in a dream in Queer, he is incorporeal and not queer. Lee claims to be heartbroken and to have known already, but his cries go unheard during the Yagé journey.

As Lee and Gene embrace, their bodies start to blend together in a last-ditch effort to become closer than just a sexual partner. This is their last time together. Lee tries to get back in touch with Gene when the yagé's affects fade, but all he wants is to go to sleep. Gene doesn't speak to Lee the next morning, and they permanently split up after they depart Dr. Cotter's house. Both Gene and Lee experience a profound awakening during the yagé journey, with Gene finally feeling comfortable enough to tell Lee that he isn't queer and can't love him the way he needs to be loved.

Lee experiences telepathy and is able to finally speak with Gene, so he gets what he wants from the "trip," but he also learns that Gene will never love him and will leave him, so he doesn't get what he wants. Two years later, when Lee returns to México City, he has another dream in which he sees Gene wearing a centipede necklace that comes to life and a snake (the ouroboros) eating its own tail. This is the last instance of symbolism in Queer.

In Lee's setting, the ouroboros symbolizes the cycle of life and rebirth, but it also represents how it consumes itself, much like Lee would continue to do in his own vicious circle of loneliness, love cravings, substance abuse, and being queer in a world that is intolerant and repressive. In contrast, Lee remains unchanged whereas the centipede, like Gene, just walks away and carries on.

What Takes Place With Gene Following The Yage Trip

As previously stated, Gene is able to inform Lee that he is not queer and will not love him the way he does because of the yagé trip. Even that night, Gene prefers to sleep rather than discuss what happened, and Lee remains awake. The next morning, Gene remains silent and won't even open up to Dr. Cotter. When they leave Dr. Cotter's house, Gene is a few steps ahead of Lee but abruptly vanishes, and it is the last time Lee ever sees him.

Lee finds out from Joe that Gene came to México City two years later, but had left six months earlier with an army colonel to serve as his tour guide in South America. Gene even hinted that he might have run into Lee. They never see each other again, either because Lee leaves at some point or because Gene never comes back to México City.

Lee's fate at the conclusion of Queer

Two years after the yagé incident, Lee returns to México City and resumes his quest without Gene. Joe informs Lee that Gene left six months ago when they reconvene at their favorite pub. Queer then jumps to the aforementioned scenario involving the centipede and ouroboros, where Gene is seated on a bed in the nearby hotel where Lee had previously engaged in sexual activity with other guys. Lee fires at Gene when he places a shot glass on his head, striking Gene in the head.

Despite his initial smile, Lee quickly rushes to Gene's body and gives him a final kiss. Although Lee is no longer completely free of Gene, a part of him will still love him; perhaps what he cherishes and clings to is the thought of what might have happened if Gene had returned his love. In the same hotel room, Queer makes one last time jump to an old Lee, who is now dressed in a black suit rather than his signature white one.

Lee is lying on his side on the bed, trembling, just like he did during his opioid withdrawal, but without Gene. Lee passes away by himself in that bed as Queer's final scene consists of flashing lights of various hues while memories of his time with Gene continue to play in his mind.

The True Significance Of Queer

Although the main focus of Queer is the one-sided love between Lee and Gene, other significant subjects are also covered. Lee settles for solely physical relationships because he yearns for emotional intimacy but is unsure of how to obtain it. Gene is the opposite of Lee, who leads a more liberated life as a homosexual man, because he has given in to the 1950s social pressure against queer people and hasn't allowed himself to live his truth. As a direct result, he lacks self-awareness and plays with Lee's emotions.