Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985)

A gay man and a political prisoner are together in a prison. The gay man narrates the stories of two fake movies and his own life.

Director:

Hector Babenco

Writers:

Manuel Puig (based on the novel by), Leonard Schrader

Stars:

William Hurt, Raul Julia, Sônia Braga

Won 1 Oscar. Another 12 wins & 10 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
William Hurt	...	Luis Molina
Raul Julia	...	Valentin Arregui
Sônia Braga	...	Leni Lamaison / Marta / Spider Woman (as Sonia Braga)
José Lewgoy	...	Warden
Milton Gonçalves	...	Pedro
Míriam Pires	...	Mother (as Miriam Pires)
Nuno Leal Maia	...	Gabriel
Fernando Torres	...	Americo
Patricio Bisso	...	Greta
Herson Capri	...	Werner
Denise Dumont	...	Michele (as Denise Dummont)
Nildo Parente	...	Leader of Resistance
Antônio Petrin	...	Clubfoot (as Antonio Petrin)
Wilson Grey	...	Flunky
Miguel Falabella	...	Lieutenant

Storyline

Luis Molina and Valentin Arregui are cell mates in a South American prison. Luis, a trans individual, is found guilty of immoral behavior and Valentin is a political prisoner. To escape reality Luis invents romantic movies, while Valentin tries to keep his mind on the situation he's in. During the time they spend together, the two men come to understand and respect one another.

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Plot Keywords:

film within a film | prison | revolutionary | homosexual | foreign language adaptation | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

R

Details

Official Sites:

Agita Productions, Inc.

Country:

Brazil

Language:

English French Portuguese German

Release Date:

26 July 1985 (USA)

Also Known As:

El beso de la mujer araña

Filming Locations:

Julio Prestes Train Station, São Paulo, Brazil

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$55,962, 28 July 1985

Gross USA:

$17,005,229

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$17,009,654

Company Credits

Production Co:

HB Filmes, FilmDallas Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

120 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Dan Weisman and Hector Babenco fought constantly during editing, sometimes to the point of physical confrontations, making things very difficult for the people cutting the picture. Leonard Schrader had to come back from Tokyo, where he was working on his brother Paul's film Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters (1985), to act as go-between.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Luis Molina: She's... well, she's something a little strange. That's what she noticed, that she's not a woman like all the others. She seems all wrapped up in herself. Lost in a world she carries deep inside her.

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Connections

Referenced in Amazon Women on the Moon (1987)

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Soundtracks

JE ME MOQUE DE L'AMOUR
Lyrics by Manuel Puig, David Weisman
Music by John Neschling (uncredited)
Sung by Sônia Braga (uncredited)

User Reviews

A well-acted and well-directed film

"Kiss of the Spider Woman" is a fine portrayal of how two completely different men can come to understand one another and how unselfish love can transcend sexual preference. The story slowly reveals itself as the movie progresses, and in the end,the film is about much more than is first apparent. I admired the gutsy performances by Hurt and Julia, and the direction by Brazilian Hector Babenco, who uses long, involved shots, instead of cutting away quickly (which, unfortunately, is used so often). The film hasn't remained very well known since it was released in 1985, but it is definitely worth seeing if you can find it. 8/10