Plot summary
Currently streaming on Netflix is Fuchsia Libre, a Filipino movie about a gay man named Oliver whose sexuality has created a bridge between himself and his father.
When Oliver becomes a big success on the underground wrestling circuit, he hopes his father will finally accept him for who he is.
In this Ending Explained article for Fuchsia Libre, we ask the question: Does Oliver receive his father’s acceptance?
How does the movie begin?
At the beginning of the movie, we are taken back to Oliver’s past when he was just a young boy and being brought up by his father.
Oliver is aware of his sexuality at this early age, which we discover when he becomes smitten by another boy at the boxing club, of which he is a member.
A few years later, when Oliver has come of age, his father takes him to a female strip club. But as Oliver’s not interested in watching women undress, the experience is an uncomfortable one for him. This isn’t something he tells his father, however.
Why is Oliver afraid to ‘come out’ to his father?
Danilo is a policeman and in line for a promotion at work. He invites his boss around for dinner, as he thinks this will improve his chances.
But when the evening of the dinner arrives, Danilo sees Oliver kiss another guy. So angry is he, that he hits Oliver’s boyfriend and then hits Oliver.
Danilo’s boss is a witness to this incident, thus scuppering his opportunity for promotion.
As we are also witnesses to the incident, we know that Danilo is homophobic and fiercely so, which is why Oliver is fearful of coming out to him.
Is Oliver able to live a happy life as a gay man?
We cut to 10 years later when Oliver is working at a gym and his father (who we assume has been fired from the force because of the earlier incident) is working at a garage.
There is tension between the two when Oliver visits Danilo for their regular Friday night dinner. It’s clear from the uncomfortable silence that Danilo is still disapproving of his son’s sexuality.
Thankfully, Oliver has support from his gay friends, some of whom also work at the gym. For this reason, he’s able to live life happily as a gay man, despite not having his father’s acceptance.
Oliver’s life is made happier by his job at the gym, which he enjoys. However, this is threatened when his boss tells him he might have to sell the gym for financial reasons.
What is Oliver’s plan to save the gym?
Oliver needs to make money to save the gym so decides to become a fighter at an underground wrestling club. On his first visit, he is surprised to discover his father is working there. He thinks he might be a part of the criminal operation that runs it.
Oliver isn’t prepared to let his father see him at the club, so when he books his first fight, he wears a mask as part of his costume. He then takes on a new alter ego – Fuchsia Libre – and impresses the crowd with his camp fighting style and even camper outfit.
Oliver loses his first fight but Patron, the head of the club, wants to keep him around because of the positive audience response his character earned.
Danilo, who is unaware that his son is behind the mask, agrees to sponsor Fuchsia. There’s a reason why he does this, as we discuss below.
Why does Danilo sponsor Fuchsia Libre?
It turns out that Danilo is still a policeman and working undercover at the club. He’s there because he knows Patron is involved in extortion, human trafficking, and murder. We’re witness to Patron’s murderous ways when he brutally kills another fighter for going against his wishes.
Danilo plans to bring Patron down by creating a distraction at the club. This distraction is Fuchsia Libre, who Danilo hopes will become good enough to feature in a fight that warrants Patron’s full attention. With Patron watching the fight, Danilo thinks he will have the opportunity to sneak away and steal incriminating evidence from the criminal’s computer.
As the movie continues, Oliver starts to win more and more fights, which is good news for Danilo as it means his plan can progress.
It’s good news for Oliver too, as he thinks he is earning his father’s acceptance with his winning streak, even though Danilo doesn’t know it’s him under the mask.
The time comes when Oliver thinks it’s okay to reveal his secret identity to his father. Sadly, he doesn’t get the reaction he expects, as Danilo calls him a “mistake” and tells him he doesn’t want a gay son.
Does Danilo bring down Patron?
It’s the day of the biggest fight yet and this one is more dangerous for Oliver as his opponent, Santiago, is bigger and possibly tougher too. The fight is life-threatening as Patron wants the two fighters to fight to the death; something which has become a common rule within the club.
While Patron is focused on the fight, Danilo takes the opportunity to extract information from his computer. He then communicates with his police colleague Raymond to tell him the download is complete.
Meanwhile, Oliver is coming off worse in the wrestling bout. Knowing his son is in danger, Danilo hits the fire alarm as a means of bringing the fight to an end. He then enters the ring to pick up his son, who is now badly injured.
After taking Oliver to another room, he tells his son that he’s sorry for his attitude. He then talks about his realization that just because somebody is gay doesn’t mean they’re weaker than everybody else. This is in reference both to Oliver’s success in the ring and his brave attempt to risk his life in order to save the gym.
Shortly after this bonding moment, the two are confronted by Patron and his men. Together, they fight back against the gang but it almost ends tragically when Patron shoots Oliver in the chest. The battle ends when Danilo retaliates and shoots Patron.
We then cut to a scene in a hospital. Fortunately, Oliver is alive but he’s confined to a bed in the ward. Patron survived being shot too but as we discover during a news broadcast, he was arrested and is now facing a court trial.
Does Oliver receive his father’s acceptance?
In the hospital ward, Danilo apologises to Oliver for his lack of understanding and failure as a father. During this bonding moment, Oliver realizes his father now accepts him for who he is.
During the conversation, Oliver’s gay friends arrive. Danilo was the person who invited them, which shows that not only does he now accept Oliver’s homosexuality but as he was willing to speak to his friends, he is now more accepting of gay people in general.
Read More: Fuchsia Libre Movie Review
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