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IMDb > Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985)
Kiss of the Spider Woman
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Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985) More at IMDbPro »

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Overview

User Rating:
7.5/10   4,626 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 11% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
Hector Babenco
Writers:
Manuel Puig (novel)
Leonard Schrader (writer)
Contact:
View company contact information for Kiss of the Spider Woman on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
26 July 1985 (USA) more
Genre:
Drama more
Plot:
Luis Molina and Valentin Arregui are cell mates in a South American prison. Luis, a homosexual, is found... more | add synopsis
Awards:
Won Oscar. Another 10 wins & 8 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(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:
Kiss of the Spider Woman Review from The Massie Twins more

Cast

  (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
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Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Also Known As:
O Beijo da Mulher Aranha (Brazil)
more
Runtime:
120 min
Country:
Brazil | USA
Language:
English | Portuguese
Color:
Color (Metrocolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Chita Rivera won the 1993 Tony Award (New York City) for Actress in a Musical for "Kiss of the Spiderwoman". 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.
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Brooklyn Rules (2007) more

FAQ

A Note Regarding Spoilers
What does the title "Kiss of the Spider Woman" mean?
How much sex, violence, and profanity are in this movie?
more
4 out of 4 people found the following comment useful:-
Kiss of the Spider Woman Review from The Massie Twins, 31 October 2008
7/10
Author: joel massie (GoneWithTheTwins) from www.GoneWithTheTwins.com

To each his own form of escape. For political prisoner Valentin it is a dream of freedom with the woman he loves; for cellmate Luis it is to gain a sense of higher purpose by becoming involved with a selfless cause for a love he can never have. In Kiss of the Spider Woman film is an escape on two levels – a momentary reverie from inhuman conditions in a nondescript bastille and as pure cinematic escapism for the viewer who can become lost in a movie of thought-provoking fantasy and film-within-a-film parallels.

Luis Molina (William Hurt) is a homosexual window dresser, now a convict in an undefined Latin American prison (marked simply with the name Pavilhao IV), locked away for corrupting a minor. His cellmate is Valentin Arregui (Raul Julia), a journalist revolutionary detained and tortured for his political ties. At first Valentin is annoyed by Molina's fanciful attitude as the two men clearly have opposite life views, but eventually grows to depend on his kindness – a complex relationship that becomes even more intricate when Luis begins to fall in love.

Molina passes the time by telling the story of one of his favorite films, a German propaganda feature that finds distracted singer Leni (Sonia Braga) falling for an enemy Nazi soldier, confused about whether to continue aiding the French Resistance with a plot to steal a secret map to a German arsenal, or trusting in the man she loves. As her story progresses, Molina's real life begins to imitate the embroidered fiction of the movie – for his involvement with Valentin evolves into something shockingly deliberate.

The performances by William Hurt and Raul Julia are quite masterful, with Hurt embodying a quirky and unexpected character resoundingly unique amongst major roles of the time (they were purportedly cast in each other's roles, switching when the chemistry wasn't natural). Although the story is daringly bizarre and oddly beautiful, it is the performances by the leading roles that outshine the morals of the tale. Hurt in drag with his lingering monologues and frequent one-sided conversations is a courageous role that won him the Best Actor Oscar of 1985.

Kiss of the Spider Woman's claim to fame was it's groundbreaking achievement of being the first independent film ever to receive the top four Oscar nominations, including Best Picture for producer David Weisman, Best Director for Hector Babenco, and Best Adapted Screenplay for Leonard Schrader from Manuel Puig's novel. A melancholy romantic theme presides over the muted browns of Molina's fantasy narrative and the darkly tinted blues of their bleak existence as pawns for the oppressive right-wing regime. The escapism and fantasy of Kiss of the Spider Woman is just as relevant as today, and this disturbingly singular film is a one-of-a-kind, unforgettable retreat.

- Mike Massie

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
The Scene With The 2 Of them in the jail cell * Spoilers * gdengve
Question regarding second disc dvd pablobondi
AWESOME book, HORRIBLE movie iluvlex
They moved the story to Brazil Lazar_Taxon
'Tell Me A Movie' Zorro-3
(spoiler) what happened to Valentin? metoraf
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