Kiss of the Spider Woman

1985

Action / Drama / Romance

28
Rotten Tomatoes Critics - Certified Fresh 86% · 36 reviews
Rotten Tomatoes Audience - Upright 81% · 5K ratings
IMDb Rating 7.3/10 10 18328 18.3K

prison based on novel or book politics homophobia male homosexuality torture

Plot summary

The story of two radically different men thrown together in a Latin American prison cell. One is Valentin, a journalist being tortured for his political beliefs. The other is Molina, a gay window-dresser who fills their lonely nights by spinning romantic fantasies drawn from memories of old movies.

Director

Hector Babenco Photo
Hector Babenco

Top cast

Sonia Braga Photo
Sonia Braga as Leni Lamaison / Marta / Spider Woman
William Hurt Photo
William Hurt as Luis Molina
Raul Julia Photo
Raul Julia as Valentin Arregui
Ken Kaneko Photo
Ken Kaneko as Prison Guard
720p.BLU 1080p.BLU
870.27 MB
1280*720
English 2.0
NR
Subtitles
23.976 fps
2 hr 0 min
Seeds 2
1.85 GB
1920*1080
English 2.0
NR
Subtitles
23.976 fps
2 hr 0 min
Seeds 14

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by Davidon80 8 / 10

'...what this world offers me...is the struggle'.

Babenco's, Kiss of the Spider woman, is one of many forgotten master pieces. Forgotten simply because it's themes, content and style is still too obscure even by todays standards. The movie is a rich myriad of imagery, poetics and emotions which all become thicker and more complex as the movie unfolds. On the surface, Kiss of the Spider woman, appears as a prison thriller. However what differentiates this movie from other movies of it's genre, is the emotional questions that the movies raises. The movie is a study of moral rights in the modern world. In this movie the two leads are forced to evaluate themselves and rationalise their feelings with one another, this is shown in the way the movie contrasts the politics of the free thinking individual; that being revolution, individual rights of man, people forcing change, with the prejudices of modern society, mainly the modern day fear of homosexuality. Stylistically the movie is also outstanding, taking an unconventional narrative that mixes the 'dream' with the 'real'. The character of Valentin represents the modern day hero, with his idealism and dreams of change. Where as the character of Luis represents the failed dreams of the individual and the longing for fulfilment. The Nazi movie that is intertwined within the story, should also merit a comment, as it is through this sub plot where the story is able to ensnare it's audience into a labyrinth like world within a fictitious/mythological past within thirties Europe. The black and white movie, within the movie, 'The kiss of the Spider woman' serves as a continuous reminder of the power of the dream world with that of our everyday reality. The eighties was a bizarre time for art, there was the prevailing sense of change in the air. With the Cold War coming to an end, there was the popular belief of a new world emerging from the lesson learnt from two world wars. This movie, 'The Kiss of the Spider woman', serves as a cautious warning that mans is a nostalgic yet forgetful beast and that hope of change and the dream of freedom, within a society that is not yet ready to take on all of the social/political dynamics of freedom, remains nothing but a failed romance.A worthy classic. A movie experience that anyone who loves cinema or is interested in a study of humanity should seek out..
Reviewed by

Reviewed by medders 8 / 10

A well-acted and well-directed film

"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

Read more IMDb reviews

1 Comment

Be the first to leave a comment