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
From metacritic.com
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Title: Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985)
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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 | |
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Míriam Pires | ... | Mother (as Miriam Pires) |
| Nuno Leal Maia | ... | Gabriel | |
| Fernando Torres | ... | Americo | |
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Patricio Bisso | ... | Greta |
| Herson Capri | ... | Werner | |
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Denise Dumont | ... | Michele (as Denise Dummont) |
| Nildo Parente | ... | Leader of Resistance | |
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Antônio Petrin | ... | Clubfoot (as Antonio Petrin) |
| Wilson Grey | ... | Flunky | |
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Miguel Falabella | ... | Lieutenant |
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Plot Summary
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Plot Synopsis
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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. Written by Leon Wolters <wolters@strw.LeidenUniv.nl>
Plot Keywords:
film within a film | prison | revolutionary | homosexual | foreign language adaptation |Genres:
DramaParents Guide:
View content advisory »
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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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Lyrics by Manuel Puig, David Weisman
Music by John Neschling (uncredited)
Sung by Sônia Braga (uncredited)
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Did You Know?
Trivia
Initial screenings did not go well. Raul Julia was furious after watching the first cut: "What happened to the movie? What happened to all our great work?!" After seven months of post-production, the film was sent to the New York Film Festival. The selection committee rejected it without even watching the whole movie. William Hurt wasn't too concerned about this until he saw the first cut himself and realized why they dismissed it so abruptly. The fantasy film sequences were too long and overwhelmed the story of the relationship between the two men. He wanted to buy the print and burn it so it would never be released. See more »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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Soundtracks
JE ME MOQUE DE L'AMOURLyrics by Manuel Puig, David Weisman
Music by John Neschling (uncredited)
Sung by Sônia Braga (uncredited)
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Details
Release Date:
26 July 1985 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Kiss of the Spider Woman See more »Edit
Box Office
Opening Weekend USA:
$55,962, 28 July 1985Gross USA:
$17,005,229Cumulative Worldwide Gross:
$17,009,654Company Credits
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IMDbPro »
"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