“I’ll Show You Communists are not Savages” – Strawberry and Chocolate

David Alvarez declares, “I’ll show you Communists are not savages”.
While this statement is broad, director Tomás Gutiérrez Alea, in the film Strawberry and Chocolate, is able to provide that, indeed, some Communists are not savages.
Set in Cuba in 1979, the piece tells the story of David and Diego. David is a university student who is studying political science. He is a member of the Youth League, therefore aligned with the political majority. Diego, considered a subversive, is an artist who has a great knowledge of literature and music. Of course, his homosexuality, regardless of his political views, guarantees this status.
Debates abound as the men get to know one another, but these communications reveal the essence of their philosophies is not dissimilar, as both care deeply for their culture and their country. When David ridicules his ‘posture’, Diego responds, “This is a thinking head, but if you don’t always say yes or you think differently, you’re ostracized…I’m part of this country, like it or not. And I have the right to work for its future…Without me you’re missing a piece…”
The most valuable aspect of the film extends beyond the director’s exposure of the Cuban cultural and political tenor. Gutiérrez Alea’s piece proffers that individuals with dissimilar perspectives have the capability to dispense with savagery, as exemplified by the genuine friendship that develops between David and Diego.