Strawberry Blonde (aka Bionda fragola) is a clunky farce about a squabbling gay couple. Writer/Director/Star Mino Bellei plays a middle-aged pharmacist whose long-term partner has grown bored. Umberto Orsini plays the roving lover who invites a young actor (Gianni Felici) to be their third. A male throuple in the Italy of 1980 is a daring subject. But the trio here lacks chemistry. Bellei’s story began on stage. He is playing to the cheap seats with a loud, obnoxious performance. The comedy is grating and the treatment of a trans character is cruel. On the flip side the portrayal of the actor is progressive. They expect a himbo but he’s revealed to have brains and a heart.
Let’s have a look in this spoiler filled recap.
Side by Side by Side
Scene One: Separate Beds
(Domenico shines sun lamps on Antonio to wake him up.)
DOMENICO (pharmacist): You cheat on me with some twink? After 10 years together?
ANTONIO (accountant): It’s not serious. We’re fine.
DOMENICO: We’re sleeping in separate twin beds!
THROUPLE NEIGHBORS: Fighting again? We need to wear ear plugs.
DOMENICO: Maybe throuples are happier than couples.
ANTONIO: Let’s invite the twink to move in with us.
TWINK: (An actor. He arrives wearing short shorts.) A menage? I’m game.
Scene Two: Therapist’s Office
ANTONIO: The menage is going great doc!
DOMENICO: Bull. I’m the third wheel. They only keep me because I pay the rent. The worst part is… I’m starting to fall for the twink.
TWINK: Domenico’s okay. He’s funny. Honestly? I’m getting bored with Antonio.
Scene Three: Domenico’s Parents
FATHER: Your mother’s been screwing delivery boys. You’re better off a bachelor.
MOTHER: You’re senile old man. I’m sick of it!
(The parents brawl. Domenico watches in disgust. Later…)
DOMENICO: My parents died in a gas explosion! (He’s lying.)
ANTONIO: I’m so sorry. What can I do to help?
DOMENICO: Give the twink to me. Only he can assuage my grief.
ANTONIO: You dirty liar.
TWINK: (Breaks down the door.) My girlfriend is pregnant! Did I mention I’m bisexual?
Scene Four: House Party
(Twink throws a party with disco dancing and cocaine. Antonio is miserable.)
PAOLO (Domenico’s trans sibling): My brother moved in with me. He misses you.
ANTONIO: I miss him. But what can I do?
(Paolo leaves. Domenico steals their dress and returns to Antonio’s apartment.)
FAKE PAOLO: Yoo-hoo, twink? He’s going to dump you. Take this check and grab everything from his bank account while you can.
TWINK: I’m not falling for that. Antonio, you’re setting me up. You want me to leave?
ANTONIO: Yes. And give up acting. You’re no De Niro. (Twink leaves.)
Scene Five: Reconciliation
DOMENICO: I brought your Christmas gift. It’s an easter egg. It was on sale.
ANTONIO: You forgot to take off your earrings “Paolo.” Let’s get back together.
DOMENICO: Of course. (Domenico takes a phone call.) Yes Twink, we’re fine. I’ll see you later tonight.
(Antonio overhears and smirks.)
THE END
Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered
PAOLO: It’s statistically proven that… the national percentage of [queer people] is more or less 21%…. On a television program a few days ago I heard that Raphael, Michelangelo, Leonardo, Cellini, Epicurus and even Shakespeare… are that. We can no longer exclude ourselves.
Paolo, confronting homophobes in Strawberry Blonde
The French farce La Cage aux Folles premiered on stage in 1973 and on film in 1978. It also featured a relationship between a gay man and his high-strung partner. Both are forced to play straight when their sons’ conservative in-laws visit. The film received sequels, a remake and a hit Broadway musical. The story works because there’s a genuine love between the leads. Strawberry Blonde aims for a similar dynamic. But the craft isn’t there.
Why do Domenico and Antonio sleep in separate beds? Presumably for the same reason Lucy and Ricky did on I Love Lucy. To assuage audiences who were terrified of sex. Where does their third partner, Adriano, sleep? He takes a bed and relegates Dominco to the laundry closet. We never see the men so much as kiss. The lustiest character in Strawberry Blonde is the camera which pans lasciviously over Adriano’s body. He’s introduced crotch first. There’s also a topless female neighbor who briefly flirts with him, establishing his bisexuality.
Mini Bellei doubles in the role of Domenico’s sibling. Paolo never explicitly identifies as trans. But they present as female and are referred to referred to by both male and female pronouns. Paolo delivers a brief speech to homophobes defending the role of queer people in Italian society. But they spend the rest of the film being mistreated.
I can’t recommend Strawberry Blonde as anything more than a curio. But it premiered at an interesting point in Italian history. The country has taken a sharp turn towards conservatism. But it was once considered progressive on queer issues. Same sex activity was legalized in 1890. Transgender people could legally change their gender since 1982. Employment discrimination was banned in 2003. Civil unions were authorized in 2016. Leaders are now trying to roll back those rights. A reminder that progress is not a straight line.
You can read my recap of Umberto Orsini’s better queer film, The Sea, here. You can find more of my reviews on The Avocado, Letterboxd and Serializd. My podcast, Rainbow Colored Glasses, can be found here.