Kiss of the Spider Woman (Collector's Edition)

I remember liking this movie when it came out in 1985 but I had forgotten just how good this movie really is. William Hurt certainly deserved the Oscar he won for his portrayal of Molina, an effeminate sex offender-he is always in character-on the other hand, Raul Julia is wonderful as a political prisoner too. This film makes a thoughtful statement about both friendship and what being a man is really all about as well.

I can't remember when I have seen such a realistic film. You can almost smell and taste the awful prison food that these two men eat, for instance. The sex between the two men is handled with great delicacy. This is a really fine movie that troubled me long after I saw it again.

Based on the classic play this film tells the story of friendship, fantasy, love, loss, and betrayl. Set in a foreign prison. Two individuals--a gay man (William Hurt) and str8 man (Raul Julia)form a bond that opens the world of the mind and fantasy to escape the physical realm of their prison walls. Sadly this bond is just a facade to illicit government espionage and secrets.

This film was surely a head of it's time. Some might compare this to a "Brokeback Mountain" style of film. If you are squemish about a film dealing with homosexual aspects this film is perhaps not for you. Even though the film and the story is more mulit-layerd with drama and subtext to be labeled a "gay" film.

The acting performances are incredibly powerful and heart wrenching. Sadly, Raul Julia is no longer alive, but this is a fantastic example of his dramatic ability, when so many are familiar on a larger scale of viewer with his performance as Mr. Addams in ADDAMS FAMILY and ADDAMS FAMILY VALUES. William Hurt does not portray a "typical" gay man for laughs or mocking purposes or explotation. His performances goes much deeper than that.

This film explores how we all can be manipulated by kindness and love when are at our most low and vulnerable place in our life. We all have a choice to merciful and kind, or deceptive to reach our own means. Which eventually backfire on us in eventual time.

I highly suggest reading the play before seeing this film. It might help in understanding.

This is an Oscar winning film and very much so.

Buy it and await the visit and fatal KISS OF THE SPIDERWOMAN. Will be one to enter this web of complex dimensions. Devout film lovers take note, this should be on your list.

Buy Kiss of the Spider Woman (Collector's Edition) Now

Why is this film not on video or DVD? Think back to 1985. This was one of the biggest films of the year. Did you ever read a bad review of it?

William Hurt won Best Actor at the Oscars, BAFTA and Cannes for this film! It was nominated for Best Film, Best Director and Best Screenplay Adaptation!

Come on FOX, get your act together and release it!

Read Best Reviews of Kiss of the Spider Woman (Collector's Edition) Here

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 [....] 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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Captivating film with amazing performances that really holds your attention. William Hurt deserved his Oscar, and the late Raul Julia was just as good. The two actors portray prison inmates who gradually begin to accept one another, as Raul Julia's character slowly abandons his prejudices for William Hurt's flamboyantly homosexual film buff, whose method of escape from the harsh prison is to talk about, in detail, his favorite Nazi propaganda film.

Superbly directed and acted, I ultimately felt that it was too short, and that it felt extremely rushed at times. I would have like a little more development of the characters as well. There was also one pivotal scene that felt extremely forced and unrealistic, in terms of character.

Other than that, it is definitely worth a look. I'd recommend this one strictly for film buffs who can handle the subject matter.

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