Film Analysis of "Fresas y Chocolate"
The first film that is a part of this project's analysis is Fresas y Chocolate, which means "Strawberry and Chocolate" in English. It is a Cuban film that was released in 1993; however, it was not released in the United States until 1995. The narrative takes place in 1979, twenty years after the Cuban revolution. The film depicts the story of a gay artist named Diego. Diego meets a young communist named David, whom he tries to seduce. Although Diego's attempts fail at first, the two eventually become friends as they discuss politics and personal expression in Castro's Cuba. The film was directed by Tomás Gutierrez Alea and Juan Carlos Tabío; the story was written by Senel Paz. Fresas y Chocolate won the Goya Award for Best Spanish Language Foreign Film at the Goya Awards in 1995.
In Fresas y Chocolate, the audience is immersed in 1970s Cuba as they watch the friendship between David and Diego evolves. The film begins with David and his girlfriend, Vivian, entering a dark, cheap hotel room after a date. After they begin kissing, but Vivian starts to cry because she thinks that he only wants to have sex with her since he took her to this hotel rather than taking her home; David promises that he won’t have sex with her until they’re married and are in a five star hotel. The film moves forward in time after this scene, and it begins with Vivian’s wedding day. The wedding is not David and Vivian’s, but David does attend the wedding and is upset that she is marrying another man.
Following this scene, there is a moment that David spends eating ice cream at an ice cream parlor. Two men start to walk past him yet one stops and confesses to his friend about how good-looking David is; one of these men is Diego. After his friend points David out to him, Diego decides to approach David with the intention of seducing him. Diego sits down with him without giving David much of a chance to protest. Throughout this interaction, Diego is very straightforward, which confuses and annoys David. During the conversation, Diego mentions that he is an artist and photographer. In order to convince David to come home with him, Diego claims that he has took photos of David when he saw him perform in a play recently. Reluctantly, David agrees to go home with, but warns Digo not “to get the wrong idea” (Fresas y Chocolate).
Below there is a clip that shows David and Diego's first interaction. This brief clip highlights the two men's personalities and their differences. As seen in the following video, it is clear that David was uncomfortable during their initial interaction:
This brief clip highlights the two men's personalities and their differences. As seen in the following video, it is clear that David was uncomfortable during their initial interaction. From this moment on, the pair becomes acquaintances and eventually close friends. The evolution of their relationship is not necessarily an example of one from a fairytale. Their relationship starts off very rocky because the two are complete opposites: David is a proud communist with a very strong sense of pride in his country whereas Diego is a flamboyant gay artist who is confident in his work. Both men are juxtapositions of each other.
David resembles everything that young Cuban in 1979 should want and strive to be. In the 1970s, there existed a concept of the “New Man,” which symbolized “a strong and unambiguously heterosexual male” (COHA). Like many other young men, David aspired to fulfill the image of this “New Man” ideology. Before meeting Diego, the people that David typically interacted with thought and acted like he did because they strongly supported the direction in which the Cuban government was leading the country. Diego, on the other hand, illustrated what the communist government does not want its people—especially its men—to be like. There were times in Cuba that homosexuality was criminalized. In the 1960s and 1970s when Fidel Castro was dictator, LGBTQ individuals were imprisoned, unemployed, and censored due to their sexuality and gender expression.
During 1970s Cuba, members of the LGBTQ were still very oppressed in Cuban; homosexuality was considered a sin, even at this time. At one point in the film, David even expresses this belief, claiming that it is David’s family’s fault that he is gay because they should have taken him to a doctor (Fresas y Chocolate). This scene exemplifies how marginalization exists in reality within communities because it is clear not only through David’s statement but also by the numerous actions of the Cuban government, which believed that identifying as anything other than cisgender or heterosexual was criminal in 1970. This lack of acceptance and marginalization of LGBTQ Cubans created many hardships for these individuals as well as caused significant strains on relationships with their loved ones.
One powerful example of the hardships that LGBTQ Cubans faced during the 1970s—and the many decades before—was how much LGBTQ+ artists were censored. For instance, in the film, Diego is repeatedly denied the opportunity to host his art exhibition that he has spent months preparing to create. For his whole life, Diego has thoroughly enjoyed art; art is life and greatest form of self-expression. To have his greatest passion denied and censored to such a great degree, is incredibly disheartening for Diego.
In the middle of the film, Diego becomes very upset and complains to his mother about how the communist government has all the power, leaving him—and others like him with none (Fresas y Chocolate). His mother becomes worried that the neighbors might overhear him and report him so she turns on the music to cover his voice. (This is a common habitat in Diego’s household because he and his family have lots of conversations that could be threatening to their livelihoods.) Like art, the types of conversations that Cubans could have was also censored because the government wanted to restrict discussion that opposed the government so that a more unified nationalistic ideal would prevail.
In addition, a nationalistic attitude did emerge during this time period. Nationalism is a strong mechanism that can be utilized by governments to maintain their power and control over the country. Dictators “use nationalism to create a hegemonic power” (Martínez et al 228). One important reason that there dictators might attempt to establish a hegemonic society is because a hegemonic society in order to manipulate the citizens. The Cuban government strove to use their power to create a hegemonic power to create a society that idolized strong heterosexual men.
In turn, promoting this nationalistic idea of a hegemonic society also supported the idea of machismo, is a strong sense masculine pride” (“Machismo”). Creating a hegemonic narrative was done with the intention of unifying Cuban citizens by a common belief and goal. This hegemonic narrative excluded LGBTQ members; therefore, they could not freely act as themselves because they would be judged, harassed, imprisoned, or worse in some cases because LGBTQ individuals “in Cuba are victims of repression” (Martínez et al). Diego is prime example of the marginalization and repression that LGBTQ Cubans experienced for decades.
Surprisingly, in Fresas y Chocolate, the directors demonstrate how some individuals who are marginalized feel patriotic for their country. For instance, in one scene a little more than halfway through the film, David and Diego have an argument that starts because Diego is complaining about how the government restricts its citizens, especially minorities. He claims that “if you don’t always say yes or you think differently, then you’re ostracized!” (Fresas y Chocolate). As he explains how difficult it is to be different in an hegemonic society like theirs to David, Diego becomes very emotional because he is finally letting out so many emotions that he has withheld. David does not seem to understand what Diego means by feeling like his ideas are restricted.
The argument ranges from the Cuban government, Diego’s sexual orientation, and David’s passion about fulfilling the “New Man” ideology. Earlier David accuses Diego’s family for not helping him, claiming that it is their fault he is gay; he also attacks his posture and for reading all of those novels by foreign authors. Diego is very angry about this because it reminds him of how he is an outsider living in his own country, which he loves very much. He voices how is discomforted by this accusation and claims that in order to be accepted in Cuba “they have to say [he is] sick” (Fresas y Chocolate). Diego professes that he believes in Cuba and does not want outsiders coming to Cuba to tell them what to do or how to live their lives—just like David and other communists. In this clip, you can watch the entire argument and understand the raw emotion that both men felt.
Arguably, David is not necessarily a bad person who cannot grow after what he’s learned from Diego; because he has mostly consumed media or information from similar sources and because of certain privileges, he has been socialized to believe what he has been told by authorities. Furthermore, the audience does see David have a significant character development. He becomes more accepting of Diego and his quirks, admiring his artwork and literature connection. Also, David expresses sorrow when he learns that Diego has to flee Cuba, which shows that he really does care for Diego.