Strawberry and Chocolate (1994)

Strawberry and Chocolate is a Cuban-Mexican-Spanish drama film released in 1994 and directed by Tomás Gutiérrez Alea and Juan Carlos Tabío. It is a commentary on the political system in Cuba, the persecution it breeds, and how it compounds the already present bias towards groups including the homosexual community. The two main characters, David and Diego, represent opposite ends of the political and societal spectrums in Cuba in the late 1970s. David is a university student and fledgling communist proponent; Diego a gay artist attempting to produce works under the strict censorship of Castro’s regime. When the two initially cross paths, David is scared away by what he perceives as Diego’s attempt at seduction. Not before leaving, he learns of Diego’s involvement and indulgence in arts and contraband outlawed in the country. When David shares the encounter with a fellow communist classmate, a plan is hatched for David to spy on Diego and learn as much as possible about his illicit activities. What begins as an attempt to bring down Diego’s anti-communist activities turns into an unexpected bonding and understanding between the two men that transcends political allegiances.

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The idea of acceptance and unlikely friendship is the key message of Strawberry and Chocolate. David is young, impressionable, and believes that communism is the morally correct path in life. Diego is diametrically opposed to Castro’s politics, living an undeniably more liberal lifestyle than David and his compatriots. What stands between them, preventing solidarity, is nothing more than politics and a layer of ignorance. A layer that Diego enables David to finally cut through with simple interaction. Men like Diego have been vilified throughout the country as unpatriotic agitators, with impressions being formed without any real context. David suffered from the same delusions until meeting Diego and getting to know him. The man Diego turned out to be: kind, intelligent, cultured, socially conscious and suffering, broke down walls. David saw the human being behind the politics. Someone just wanting to life their life freely, without being considered an enemy of the country. David realized that Diego was not only not the ruin of Cuba, but a good man and a genuine friend.

Politics and its power to divide people was the catalyst that allowed David and Diego’s friendship to grow. Sometimes to find the friend inside, we’re required to perceive an enemy outside. The politics in Cuba during this time in the late 70s was very stifling. Artistic endeavors had to be in service to the country, and society had to have a vanilla feel to it. Strawberry and Chocolate was making a case for the futility of such suffocating political systems; communism especially. The fact that David only found happiness after ditching communist philosophies and Diego had to leave Cuba simply because his lifestyle went against the Castro regime painted a contrarian picture of what was the norm in Cuba at the time.

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Strawberry and Chocolate is a great film about understanding people for who they are, rather than for whatever political affiliations or lifestyles they’ve adopted. This theme of accepting people has been a recurring message throughout many of the films we’ve watched this semester. Of all of them, Strawberry and Chocolate was quite possibly my favorite. Jorge Perugorría, who played Diego, was an incredible credit to the movie. A passionate performance of someone putting on a strong front, but truthfully hurting inside. The depth that Perugorría gives to Diego as he peels layers off, from sexual pursuer to connoisseur of literature and art to tortured thinker trapped in an oppressive country, gives the film a great dramatic heft. The liberation from politics as portrayed by David’s character arc remains a relatable concept for any viewer who feels that politics can chain people to close-minded beliefs. The hug between David and Diego before Diego leaves Cuba for good was a great finish. I was expecting at least one more final scene to close out the film, but the fact that it ended right there really made me appreciate the story all the more. It was the culmination of an encouraging, touching friendship that had emerged out of ill-intentions. You don’t have to be Cuban, Spanish, or related to communism in any way for Strawberry and Chocolate to resonate as a tale of acceptance.