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Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985)
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Overview
User Rating:
Release Date:
26 July 1985 (USA) morePlot:
Luis Molina and Valentin Arregui are cell mates in a South American prison. Luis, a homosexual, is found... more | add synopsisPlot Keywords:
Film With Ambiguous Title
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Story Within The Story
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Ambiguous Ending
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Torture
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First Gay Sexual Experience
more
Awards:
Won Oscar. Another 10 wins & 8 nominations moreNewsDesk:
(3 articles)
Belated 'Kiss' (From New York Post. 8 July 2008, 1:09 AM, PDT)
Hurt's Oscar Stolen
(From WENN. 15 February 2006)
User Comments:
"Film within a film" really works moreCast
(Cast overview, first billed only) | William Hurt | ... | Luis Molina |
 | Raul Julia | ... | Valentin Arregui |
 | Sonia Braga | ... | Leni Lamaison / Marta / Spider Woman |
 | José Lewgoy | ... | Warden |
| Milton Gonçalves | ... | Secret Policeman |
| Míriam Pires | ... | Mother Molina |
| Nuno Leal Maia | ... | Gabriel, Molina's friend |
| Fernando Torres | ... | Americo |
| Patricio Bisso | ... | Greta |
| Herson Capri | ... | Werner, Leni's German lover and Chief of Counter-Intelligence in movie fantasy |
| Denise Dumont | ... | Michelle, Leni's best friend in movie fantasy (as Denise Dummont) |
| Antônio Petrin | ... | Clubfoot, Resistance fighter in movie fantasy |
| Wilson Grey | ... | Flunky, Resistance fighter in movie fantasy |
| Miguel Falabella | ... | Lieutenant |
| Walter Breda | ... | Agent #1 |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
View content advisory for parentsRuntime:
120 minColor:
Color (Metrocolor)Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 moreSound Mix:
MonoCertification:
Iceland:16 | Canada:14 (Ontario) | Argentina:18 | Chile:18 | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R | Australia:M | Netherlands:12MOVIEmeter: 
4% since last week
why?
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
Originally, William Hurt was cast as Valentin and Raul Julia was cast as Molina. During rehearsals, the two actors had trouble finding the chemistry they needed for their scenes together. They agreed to try an experiment where they would switch roles, with Hurt as Molina and Julia as Valentin. The role-switching rehearsal went so well that the two actors and director Hector Babenco decided that Hurt and Julia would switch parts for the film as well. moreQuotes:
[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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FAQ
Wasn't this a musical on Broadway?What does the title "Kiss of the Spider Woman" mean?
Is this movie based on a novel?
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Reading the other reviews, I see that homophobes have been duly warned about this movie, so I won't say anything about the relationship between the two men beyond that it is complex and beautiful.
What interests me more for the purposes of this little blurb is that no one has commented on how the "film within a film" (much like the "play within a play" in Hamlet) reflects the actual events unfolding in the prison cell. Molina (William Hurt) is ostensibly retelling his favorite film to entertain Valentin (Raul Julia) and make the time pass more quickly, but he himself admits that he "embroiders" the story to make it more real. So who is to say if this film exists except in Molina's mind, and if it does, what really transpired in the film? The story about the French woman who is in love with a German officer during World War II, and must decide whether or not to betray him, is an obvious parallel to Molina's decision to betray Valentin or not. Even Molina says that he most identifies with Leni La Maison (Sonia Braga) in this film of his, and it's not just because he is a drag queen. It's because he has to choose between the man he loves and "patriotism" (in his case, represented by the police/government as well as his ailing mother).
This storytelling tactic works brilliantly, in my opinion. Kiss of the Spider Woman is indeed original, quirky, and a must-see.