The Flavor of Corn

Plot

Lorenzo is a young man, a newly qualified teacher on his first posting, who has been appointed to a small Italian village. One of his pupils, a cute and smart 12-year-old boy named Duilio, a farmer's son, gradually grows to love Lorenzo and they become good friends but the boy wishes Lorenzo was his older brother. Lorenzo often visits Duilio's home, meets his family, and they become good friends. Lorenzo meanwhile meets a young woman, with whom he falls in love. However, the relationship with his girlfriend is not perfect and he chooses to break up with her as she is about to be married: her fiance and her agree on an open relationship. Lorenzo declines the offer. At the same time Lorenzo becomes much closer to Duilio, and they often spend time with each other. The boy is given books and other things and the boy in turn makes and gives his friend a carved boat and poems. The boy kisses his teacher in a farm building on the lips. The boy's sister returns and all three become friends. But many things change after Duilio’s stepmother begins to distrust Lorenzo and says as much to the father. Gradually at the request of the father, who knows that his son loves his teacher more than himself, they meet less often. Duilio has to work on his father's farm in the afternoon, but Duilio still needs Lorenzo and misses him. To get out of this difficult situation, Lorenzo decides to leave the village and Duilio forever. The mother realises that the teacher's feelings for the boy are pure and asks to be forgiven. The family say he is always welcome anytime. The boy knows his teacher will never return not that he can not return. The teacher rejects the idea of a loving but homosexual relationship with the boy and has to leave. The boy does not know why his friend will never come back and runs after the taxi. The teachers weeps at the lost love with a boy who tells him everything and trusts him totally.

Cast

Reception

Upon its release in North America, the film received positive reviews for its sensitive portrayal of the romantic relationship that develops between a first year school teacher and his adolescent admirer. Allrovi commended the film's handling of its delicate subject matter writing, "This drama addresses with great care the awakening of homosexual desire in a 12-year-old boy." The Seattle Times lauded the film for being "unflinchingly honest" and the San Francisco Bay Area Reporter described the story as "fascinating", adding that the film "approaches its forbidden topic with an even hand and a warm heart." In September 2012, a "special event" screening of the film was arranged as part of a 1980s retrospective at the 17th Milano Film Festival, which touted the film as a "hidden jewel" that managed to avoid the familiar tropes and clichés employed by other films of the genre.

Home media

Since its original release in 1986, the film has been subtitled in various languages and distributed internationally on VHS and DVD in numerous countries, including Italy (released as Il sapore del grano), China (translated as The Taste of Wheat), Germany (released as Die Qual der Liebe), and the United States (released as The Flavor of Corn). In 1994, Award Films International released the film in North America in the VHS format with English subtitles. As of 2013, no evidence of an official North American DVD release has been found. However, in November 2011, Ripley's Home Video released the film in Italy in the Region 2 DVD format, which includes the option to watch with English subtitles.