FRESA Y CHOCOLATE (STRAWBERRY AND CHOCOLATE)
Cuba, 1993, 108 minutes, Colour.
Jorge Perugorria, Vladimir Cruz, Mirta Ibarra, Francisco Gattorno.
Directed by Tomas Gutierez Alea.
Fresa Y Chocolate is the best-known film from Cuba during the 1990s. It won a Silver Bear in Berlin, received an Oscar nomination for best foreign language film, won an award in Sundance. It won many other awards, especially in its native Cuba for film, acting, directing, screenplay as well as an award from the International Catholic Film Office, OCIC.
Yet, the film is a surprising one to come out of Cuba. It focuses on a young doctrinaire student of political science who has a love for literature, is in love with a young woman who decides to marry a rich man instead of him. He becomes the object of desire by a middle-aged homosexual man, Diego. He is wary of Diego, but with an interest in art, music, film, he becomes friendly with Diego and the woman in the same apartment who acts for the vigilance and security organisation.
The film shows an openly homosexual man in the context of the 90s Cuba. It is more than thirty years since the revolution. How the homosexual sees himself as an outsider, wanting to think, advocating freedoms as well as ordinary human rights. While the young man is urged to report him to the authorities by his co-student and dormitory mate, he becomes more open, and actually befriends the man. He is influenced also by Nancy, the woman from a apartment.
The audience is asked to look at Diego as a homosexual man, rather effete, camp and limp-wristed. This is the impression that the young communist has. However, as he gets to know Diego, so does the audience – and goes beyond the surface, mannerisms, even lifestyle to understand a human being. In that sense, it is a plea for understanding as well as tolerance. And this is surprising, coming from Castro’s Cuba and its winning so many awards. In 2000, Julian Schnabel made the film, Before Night Falls, about a celebrated Cuban writer, homosexual, who had to leave Cuba and find a place in the United States. To that extent the film is a contradiction for non-Cuban audiences.
One of the reasons for this is that it was directed by the most famous of the Cuban directors, Tomas Gutierez Alea. A supporter of the revolution, he was a documentary maker who had studied with the neo-realists in Italy. In Cuba he made such films as Memories of Development, even then an intellectual critique of attitudes in the revolutionary country. Over several decades he made quite a number of films including The Last Supper, 1977, about slavery. His last film was Guantanamera, made after Strawberry and Chocolate. Strawberry and Chocolate and other films starred his wife, Mirta Ibarra, who plays Nancy, the vigilance woman in this film.
1.Audience experience of Cuban cinema? Knowledge of the revolution, of the Castro era? Issues of ideology, repression and freedom?
2.The director and his career, spanning four decades? His documentary background, Italian neo-realism? His films about Cuba, support of the revolution, critique of the revolution?
3.Machismo in Cuba, official policy? The issues of sexuality, gender? The status of homosexuals? Discrimination? Spying, reporting homophobia?
4.1979 as the setting, twenty years after the revolution? Diego and his life, before and after Castro’s takeover, his education, attitudes, culture, the arts?
5.Havana, the vistas of the city, the affection of the characters for the city, the harbour, the streets, homes, university and cafés? The score?
6.The prologue, David and Vivienne, the seedy hotel, the reason for the date, the sexual activity next door and David looking through the hole? Vivienne and her attitude, seeming prudish, asking why she had come, going to the bathroom, nakedness? Her attitude towards sex? David declaring his fidelity, no sexual activity until their marriage? The irony of her marrying the rich man, David observing? David following her later, Vivienne and her rationale, wanting wealth at the present? This offering a setting for David’s character, for issues of sexuality?
7.David, the wedding, his disappointment, the later discussion with Vivienne?
8.David, the study, eating the ice cream, in the dormitory, friendship with Miguel, Miguel and his ideology? Studying political science, preferring literature? His writings and keeping them in a locked box?
9.Diego and German, passing by, the issue of the bet, Diego sitting down, the seductive conversation about strawberry and chocolate, his camp manner, David’s reaction, resistance? The promise of books, the promise of the photos of the play, Nancy and the vigilance and her spying? In the apartment, spilling the coffee, taking off the shirt, on the line, the search for the photos, David seeing the photos of the naked men, the cup of tea? His leaving?
10.Talking with Miguel, the plan, Miguel and his investigation about Diego, ideology, sexuality? David to be a spy, reporting? His worrying?
11.David and the return, the atmosphere in the apartment, issues of language, literature, Dostoyevsky, music, Maria Callas singing, the tea in the china, the attitudes of culture, the statuary, German and his sculptures? The exhibition? David and his continued interest in discussing issues with Diego, the twenty years of the revolution? Nancy and her presence, her attempted suicide, the hospital, David and his return to see how she was?
12.The moment in which the association moved to friendship, change, the talk, Diego and his not being predatory? David and his feeling released, shared interests? His getting his writings and showing them to Diego, Diego and all the corrections, the encouragement? The lavish dinner?
13.Nina, her character, sexual background, vigilance? Friendship with Diego? Diego and the promise about sexual initiation? Her going out for the day with David, enjoying it, the ferry, the beauty of the city? The return, going to her room? David telling Diego? David shocked when he saw Diego in the embassy car, the information about his leaving Cuba? The reasons?
14.Diego and his character, the background of his family, normal, the theories about being gay, his life, freedom, art, relationship with German, the bet, his confessing this to David, the letters of complaint, the espionage? His helping Nancy, transforming David?
15.Nancy, her attraction to David, the effect of the day, the sexual encounter, his bringing the flowers, Diego insisting to David that she be not hurt, David promising to support Nancy?
16.David and his reluctance to touch Diego, the hand on the shoulder – Diego and his explanation of his loneliness, non-threatening, the embrace – the appropriate ending?
17.The audience sharing the experience of David, the initial reaction to Diego, seeing through his seductive devices, understanding him better, listening to him, sharing the embrace?
