# Fresa y chocolate (1993)

### reviewed by
Pedro Sena

    Reserved.

    FILM TITLE:             STRAWBERRY AND CHOCOLATE
    DIRECTOR:               TOMAS GUTIERREZ ALEA, JUAN CARLOS TABIO
    COUNTRY:                CUBA 1995
    CINEMATOGRAPHY:         MARIO GARCIA JOYER
    MUSIC:                  JOSE MARIA VITIER
    CAST:                   Jorge Perugorria, Vladimir Cruz, Mirta Ibarra,
    Francisco Gattorno, Joel Angelino, Marilyn Solaya
    SUPER FEATURES:         A film from Cuba...

             !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

STRAWBERRY AND CHOCOLATE, is one of those films that is hard not to like, and at the same time, one wonders what is it that makes it good. It vacillates between being a political film, and a personal film, and one might wish that this would have been resolved some, to make the film easier to go along with.

The personal part of the film, is a nice story about a man, who is gay, who takes an attraction to another man. Instead of becoming lovers, they become good friends, even if they are on opposite side of things on a political, and personal, scale.

And then, on the other hand, is a slight political story, that is not vicious, but is tremendously suggestive that the war on Cuba is mainly about how well hidden one has to keep their personal intents, politically, so not to get over run by people who are so eager to satisfy the state, and get paid for it. It plays people against people, and damages any kind of social structure.

The other story is more interesting, although hardly developed. The gay man is a writer, possibly a subversive one by the Cuban standards, but he will not give up his "underground" fight to get books into the country, and add more "freedom" into their culture, specially the intellectual kind. He is involved in artistic circles, and his previous lover, an artist, has an art show pending, but he has a problem which may be stopping him as well, which is, he is also gay, in a society, where it is considered wrong, and basically punished with being cast out.

This may be the real theme in the film. The young man, who is being pursued, does not fall for the trickery and the games the gay man plays, but their friendship teaches the gay man something about being honest and direct, rather than tricky. At the same time, it hurts to learn all this, in a society where it isn't permissible. And although the film resolves well for the young man, it does not for the gay ones, which is the only solution that pretty much would help the film get made in Cuba, and not throw these people in jail.

It is believed that the authorities in Cuba have opened up the arts some, but if this film is an indication, and it was partially smuggled, and shot clandestinely in that country, thanks to the efforts of some Mexican and Spanish people. But the arts are still grossly held up to a ridicule and criticism, by a hypocritical standard that pretty much rules people into the ground. A sign that the communist Cuba, under Fidel, still is held together by a little more than strings and rubber bands.

One can only hope that this is a sign that this country has an art form which is due to break out. The question is when, a leader will realize the potential it has, not only to put people to work, but also to create revenues from abroad. STRAWBERRY AND CHOCOLATE, is not a great film, but it has a special appeal that is hard to let go. The film is choppy, an obvious result of its sporadic shooting style, but it manages to get it together in a reasonable fashion, not tied up neatly because the whole film is not tied up from the word go. It shows much promise, it really does, and this is important.

Worth seeing, if only to realize that Cuba is probably going to join the world map of arts pretty soon... count on it.

    3.5 out of 5 GIBLOONS

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