Red Rocket: Demystifying the “Strawberry”

“Life is a vexatious trap: when a thinking man reaches maturity and attains full consciousness, he cannot help feeling that he is in a trap from which there is no escape,” Chekhov’s quote neatly sums up Red Rocket’s core message hidden behind its life-flow outlook. Sean Baker analogizes the American Dream to sexual affairs. Mikey Saber, an unremarkable porn actor, is one of the American rednecks who indulge in bursts of dopamines brought about by sweet hallucinations. However, that is ephemeral. Waking up in emptiness and post-sex blues, they vainly strive to “dream” again. Setting in Texas, one of the most divided and unequal states in the US, Red Rocket studies such a Chekhovian character, satirizing while arousing sympathy with those who are hypnotized by the myth of the American dream but never “grow up” to recognize the gap between expectations and realities.

While loosely conforming to the Classical Hollywood Structure, Red Rocket suggests a sense of fate by occasionally flouting rules. By thwarting expectations, Sean Baker forces the audience to reflect on Mikey Saber’s persistent narcissism and naivety, which trap him in sweet bubbles. The 30-minute exposition unfolds, matching the paradigm of a character-driven plot. Awkward and Self-Indulgent Mikey Saber might appear to be, as evidenced by his boasting of being a porn star during job interviews and rambling without taking social cues, he still commits effort to reintegrating into family life with his wife Lexi and the wider Texian community after coming back from LA. Sean Baker deceives the audience into expecting a character arc featuring the protagonist reconciling his playboy attitude with the mundane realities that require more responsibilities and maturity.

Nevertheless, Mikey Saber’s encounter with Strawberry in a donut shop turns the trajectory unexpectedly. The scene does not merely introduce a relationship subplot, which complements the main plot in bringing about the character’s transformation. Instead, Sean Baker introduces a competing force juxtaposed with the main storyline established in the first act, which forms an external reflection of the protagonist’s inner struggle between expectations and realities.

There is a contrast in genres. While the scenes of Lexi and Mikey relentlessly debating about domestic burdens and financial situations compose a realist drama, the flirtations between Mikey and Strawberry fit into the trope of a dream-like romantic comedy. While the former occur in the dark and messy interior of their residence or the paved roads beside the metal pipes of a fuming oil refinery, the latter happen in donut shops, well-decorated houses, or amusement parks with large patches of colors. The imagery of donuts and strawberries connotes both sweetness and sex. The appearance of Strawberry also arouses Mikey’s yearning for success. Her perfect and youthful body and face remind him of Lexi, whom he took advantage of being a suitcase pimp. Strawberry relights his confidence about revitalizing his career in the adult industry. These creative choices further underscore Sean Baker’s intention to establish a “Green World” of sexual liberation and social mobility, which lures Mikey and makes him leave his life crumbling.

Sean Baker also implies the imaginary nature of Mikey’s encounter, which can be interpreted as an outward projection of his repressed subconsciousness. In some scenes, moments of perceptual objectivity and scenes without Mikey (unrestricted information) are embedded to portray Lexi’s desperation in response to Mikey’s wandering heart. In contrast, Strawberry only appears in the POV shots representing Mikey’s perspective, which is often sexual. This becomes especially prominent in the last shot when Mikey walks to Strawberry’s House after being kicked out by Lexi. Strawberry walks out of her house and starts strip dancing in front of Mikey in a POV shot. The theatricality makes the audience question the validity of Mikey’s perspective, adding to the inaccessibility and ambiguities of the character Strawberry.

The use of Bye Bye Bye in the opening and ending creates an ironically cyclical structure. Things never change for Mikey Saber. His laziness always bars him from any success by his own. The only way for him to have a taste is by manipulating and exploiting individuals like Lexi and Strawberry. His narcissism and vanity make him never say bye to his unrealistic ambitions. Sean Baker is telling us the harsh truth that the lives of many are never like Hollywood movies or political discourse, in which the status quo can always be disrupted or improved. For them, “American Dream” is like Strawberry. It seems sweet, exciting and in their hands but always remains a myth. Unable to reach the “Strawberries” promised by the establishment and can’t put up with the mundane realities represented by Lexi: that’s the dilemma many Americans like Mikey are experiencing

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