Kiss of the Spider Woman

Raul Julia and William Hurt play Valentin Arregui and Luis Molina, cell-mates in a South American jail. Valentin is a political prisoner trying to keep his sanity, and Luis is a gay man with fantasies of Nazis and their beautiful women. These two men are opposites in virtually every way, but are forced to grow to respect each other. Sonia Braga plays the woman in both men's fantasies: the "Spider Woman" and the Nazi's lover. That's the plot, but the movie is really a metaphor for any dictatorship. Obviously, any totalitarian state will imprison political opponents, and from what I know, most tyrants choose to lock up homosexuals. Valentin even tries to make the pro-fascist Luis understand what the Nazis did to gays. Regardless of how the two men eventually view each other, it remains a really good movie.

***1/2 out of **** Exceptional, daring movie about a homosexual prisoner and a politically driven prisoner, who come to terms with their differences and start a friendship. William Hurt is brilliant as the homosexual prisoner, who's only escape from his sad reality is to talk about an old movie he once saw. Raul Julia is every bit as good as the tough as nails, political revolutionary. The direction is good, too.

in essence this movie is about two men sharing a prison cell in a Brazil,one a homosexual,one a political prisoner.each has his own way of dealing with the situation they're in.eventually they begin to understand each other and bond.that isn't the whole story of course.this was quote a compelling an d moving film in my opinion.Raul Julia and William Hurt play the the two cell mates and both deliver powerful performances.it's a testament to the strong writing and the direction that a movie that essentially takes place in one setting(a jail cell)for the bulk of the running time can be so compelling.if you're expecting a fast paced action packed movie though,look elsewhere.this one is all about the story and the characters.for me,Kiss of the Spider Woman is an 8/10

Luis Molina (William Hurt) and Valentin Arregui (Raul Julia) are cell mates in a Latin American prison. Homosexual Luis is in prison for corrupting minors. Valentin is a political prisoner. Luis is obsessed with a Nazi movie about occupied France for the dashing Nazi lead Werner. The prison setting is Spartan. This seems more like a two-men play. Hurt and Julia are brilliant. I would have liked a tighter shorter movie almost entirely in the prison cell. The lack of cinematic style can be excused inside the cell. It doesn't look quite as good outside. I don't particularly like the film within the film. The two leads provide compelling insightful performances. The two of them in the cell provide the best scenes in the movie.

"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

Raul Julia and William Hurt play Valentin Arregui and Luis Molina, cell-mates in a South American jail. Valentin is a political prisoner trying to keep his sanity, and Luis is a gay man with fantasies of Nazis and their beautiful women. These two men are opposites in virtually every way, but are forced to grow to respect each other. Sonia Braga plays the woman in both men's fantasies: the "Spider Woman" and the Nazi's lover. That's the plot, but the movie is really a metaphor for any dictatorship. Obviously, any totalitarian state will imprison political opponents, and from what I know, most tyrants choose to lock up homosexuals. Valentin even tries to make the pro-fascist Luis understand what the Nazis did to gays. Regardless of how the two men eventually view each other, it remains a really good movie.

This film, about two thoroughly different souls turning into each other, is one of the all-time greats. The writing is crisp, the acting is phenomenal, and the story is exquisite. I have read the book in both Spanish and English, seen the musical four times, read the script of the play, and watched this movie over and over again... I recommend it to anyone who wants a true powerhouse drama, not a schmaltzy tearjerker.