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Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985)

Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985)

7.8

A gay man and a political prisoner change each other's lives through their stories in this wonderfully made drama

Movie

Brazil, United States of America
English, French, German
Drama
1985

What it's about

Stuck in a Brazilian jail cell, gay man Luis Molina passes the time by talking about his favorite romance films to political prisoner Valentin Arregui. While the two disagree on philosophies, they forge an unexpected friendship.

The take

Sometimes, all you need to make a good movie is to get two vastly different characters and force them to stay together. It’s probably why Kiss of the Spider Woman was made in the first place– the novel dumps hardened, self-sacrificial activist Valentin and flamboyant gay man Molina in a jail cell. But rather than depict Molina and Valentin just talking, the film visually recreates the stories they tell to each other as films-within-a-film. Molina’s fictional love stories are given all the glamor and drama of classic 60s romances, and Valentin’s life story depicted with a straightforward, gritty realism that matches the hard experiences he had. So as they tell their stories and challenge each other with their respective approaches to life, director Héctor Babenco ensures that as the two finally feel heard by each other, the audience, too, can easily empathize with the perspectives they take. It also ensures that the plot twist holds a strong punch. Though its escapist approach may suggest otherwise, Kiss of the Spider Woman realistically explores the way storytelling has always meant freedom.

What stands out

The way Molina’s ending is terribly realistic, while Valentin’s ending is escapist is such a brilliant way to demonstrate how they’ve changed each other’s perspective for the rest of their lives.

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