The Strawberry Statement

The Strawberry Statement

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Customer Reviews

Tough to rate this one

Reviewed by Just a guy in Oregon, 2009-12-04

I can't buy it as a DVD so I am going to forego the experience of watching it. I'm not going to pay for a VOD product.

You Had To Be There

Reviewed by Only-A-Child, 2009-06-20

You had to be there or at least you have to be intrigued by the on-going concept of polarization (which is what "The Strawberry Statement" , both the James Kunen source book and movie, is really about). Others should give the film a wide berth which should be easy to do as ownership complications with the music rights continue to keep this interesting counter-culture film from a DVD release.

The title comes from a statement made by a Columbia University administrator in response to student demands for more say in the administrative decisions of school. He said something to the effect that the opinions of the students meant no more to him than whether they liked the taste of strawberries. Needless to say this simply played into the hands of the most radical of the students and became a rallying cry for the protests that would rock the university.

The film transports the events from NYC to a fictional university in San Francisco, at least in part because "The City By the Bay" was quick to offer its location to film makers; even though the area had its own considerable student protest legacy (The Free Speech Movement, The Oakland 7, and People's' Park come to mind).

Taking its character motivational elements and cinematography style from Haskell Wexler's "Medium Cool" (1969); it is all about a "Man With A Movie Camera" (1929) observer gradually being pulled through his lens into the action itself. A little broken camera symbolism. In both there is a surprisingly authentic feeling romance, which serves as both a tension release and as a source of character motivation.

The action he has been observing is essentially a "Hellbound Train Effect" as the young students aggressively test the system and the authorities stubbornly refuse to defuse the situation.

The film includes a great period soundtrack which I owned before I had even seen the movie. The songs nicely complement what you are seeing on the screen. Neil Young's "The Loner" gets an especially good montage effect. Joni Mitchell's "The Circle Game" (sung by Buffy Sainte-Marie) bookends the film and the morphing of the hero (played by Bruce Davison) from distanced jock (crew team) to involved student.

There is a curious foreshadowing of Davison's signature role in "Willard", a film he made just a year after "The Strawberry Statement". Instead of conversations with a house of rats he talks to the cockroaches in his kitchen. There is probably a metaphor there but just exactly what it is escapes me.

Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.

Wrong amazon title

Reviewed by Express Disk, 2008-11-27

The actual title "Blutige Erdbeeren". Please see picture. It is German VHS in Pal system. Not compatible with USA players.

Some things never change

Reviewed by Ronald J. Sefchick, 2008-03-01

The movie goes back to the "good old days" of 1968 when protest against the war and student uprising was at the forefront of the news. I lived through that era and can feel the spirit. It details the student takeover of a university in a believable way and the brutal suppression of that takeover. Although I use the term "brutal" it was probably the only way to restore peace at the school since the authorities were too permissive early on and allowed it to grow. It does resonate with some of our current problems concerning the "war" and suddenly becomes timely. It's set against a tender love story and the casting can only be characterized as brilliant. The lead characters win our hearts. It brought back a lot of fond memories.

An emblematic icon picture!

Reviewed by Hiram Gomez Pardo, 2006-02-26

Those last Sixties found an adequate expression vehicle this unforgettable apology which pronounced itself under non violence `s service..

Give Peace a chance will work out as a Funeral March when the repressive forces literally suppress the unrestrained rage in the search of new horizons.

One of the Four Aces of a supreme Poker that knew how to interpret and express the missing hopes of whole generation tired of wait: Easy Rider. Zabriskie Point, Bily Jack and this one.