Kiss of the Spider Woman

Year:1985
Genre: Romantic Drama/Prison Film
Directed: Hector Babenco
Stars: Raul Julia, William Hurt, Sonia Braga, Jose Lewjoy, Milton Goncalves
Production: Agita Productions, Inc.

The plot behind Kiss of the Spider Woman is much more complex than the almost goofy title would suggest. It's not a low budget science fiction film but rather a two man show largely taking place in a small South American prison. Political firebrand Valentin Arregui (Julia) is tossed into a cell for sedition by the government. He's angry, brash and ready to die for his beliefs. His bunk-mate Luis Molina (Hurt) is a pederast homosexual who is not exactly inclined to politics. He spends his time retelling in fluid detail, the love story of his favorite movie, an unnamed Nazi propaganda film involving a seductive vamp. What starts out as a rocky relationship soon turns into a quaint and ultimately tragic love story where trust is brought to its limits.

Based off a book of the same name written by Manuel Puig, Kiss of the Spider Woman leaves much to the imagination; which is kind of the point. Much of the two main character's dialogue tows the line between sub-textual to cryptic and yet so much is said and understood. The stories Molina weaves echo and even foreshadows the events taking place in the isolated prison cell and though the friendship soon leads to something more, the characters are so wonderfully three-dimensional even the most squeamish of audiences won't mind tender moments shared between the two male leads.

Raul Julia's Valentin is head strong and disciplined; trying with all his will to undermine the government's ominous authority. Valentin however is sequestered from the rest of the prison population and is never seen with anyone else in the prison except his cell-mate. No doubt them bunking together is meant to be a humiliation to Valentin purported by the prison Warden (Lewjoy). As a result, all of Valentin's rage is unfairly released on the kind and loving Molina. William Hurt turns in quite a performance as Julia's foil, moving and speaking with a level that moves beyond homosexual archetypes; a progressive thing for 1985. By the end of the film Luis is changed by his relationship with Valentin, so much so that he aids him in his fight not out of a renewed political awakening but out of a need to find worth in life though unrequited love.

Kiss of the Spider Woman can be slow at times and suffers from some pedestrian direction by Hector Babenco. In fairness to Mr. Babenco, almost the entire film takes place in one prison cell. I'd imagine it'd be hard to fit the two actors, himself, the DP, the AD, the gaffer, the sound mixer, the grip and whatever other crew you'd need into tiny little cage. Occasionally the camera wonders away from the prison into the expressionistic sets of the film in Molina's imagination. Like the characters we get a respite from the imposing prison yet the film simply doesn't take enough chances with the idea. Segments featuring the actual "Spider Woman" (Braga) are like watching mediocre Guy Maddin movies; there's artistry clearly at work but it's abundantly plain there was no budget.

Despite this, the film remains an important and interesting little character piece that highlights gay issues and specifically gay love at a time few others did. It's a bittersweet, beautiful and haunting tale that shouldn't be overlooked despite mediocre sets and evident thrift. The story has since been made into a musical that achieved success on Broadway and London's West End which makes sense. A story this universal and audacious shouldn't be kept in the confines of a good flick but should be seen in haste in all arty forms.

Final Grade: A