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Actors: William Hurt, Raul Julia, Sonia Braga
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| Review Summary and Plot Commentary about Kiss of the Spider Woman |
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The film is an intense South American prison drama about two inmates; Luis Molina (Hurt) a homosexual, the other Valentin Arregui (Julia), a political prisoner. In a brutal, filthy Brazilian prison two men sharing a cell are incarcerated for very different reasons. Molina has been arrested for having sexual relations with a 16-year old boy. Arregui is a journalist who has spoken out against the fascist regime in command of the country. During their long and difficult ordeal, Molina attempts to break up the monotony by retelling a romantic movie drama from the 40's about Nazis and nightclub singers. The female lead in his imaginary movies is a beautiful woman named Leni (Braga).
All the while, Arregui is tortured in an attempt to make him reveal the identity of his co-conspirators. Part of the torment is poison placed in the food making Molina and then Arregui violently ill. Molina cares for his ailing cellmate and helps clean him after a foul bout with diarrhea. Eventually they come to rely on each other for their very existence. It becomes evident that Molina is cooperating with the warden, trying to learn information from Arregui in exchange for favors such as leaving the prison to visit his aging mother and bringing food in for them.
Arregui warms up to his cellmate, relating the story of his capture and the woman he loves, Marta (Braga). Finally the last movie Molina conjures up for his cellmate is about a “Spiderwoman” (Braga). He is paroled but followed by agents from the prison as he makes a rendezvous with a contact of Arregui. He is intercepted, while Arregui in prison drifts into delirium, dreaming of Marta.
--David Fletcher, Resident Scholar
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| Analysis of Kiss of the Spider Woman |
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Time/era of movie:
- 1980's-1999
Crime & Scandal
Yes
Story of
- abuse in prison story
Taboo Sex Story?
Yes
Kind of sex:
- molestation
- Two guys MAKING OUT (squish squish!)
Main Character
Identity:
- Male
Profession/status:
- small businessman
Age:
- 20's-30's
Eccentric:
Yes
- eccentric
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events?
Yes
Hair color?
- blonde
Hair type
- (man) short/standard straight
Body type
- (man) average
Unclothed?
- Full Frontal
Events of movie makes character more...
- tougher
How sensitive is this character?
- soggy whimpering jelly muffin
Sense of humor?
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- average physique
Secondary Main Character
Identity:
- Male
Hair color
- brunette (Black)
Hair style
- (man) short/standard wavey
Body type
- (man) average build
Unclothed?
- buttocks and chest
How much in movie?
- 80%
Ethnicity/Nationality
- Hispanic/Latinic
Main Adversary
Identity:
- an organization
Profession/status:
- govt employee
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- 90%-100%
Setting
The Americas (not US):
Yes
The Americas:
- South
Misc setting
- prison
Style
Accounts of torture and death?
- very explicit references to deaths and torture
Movie makes you feel...
- depressed/sad
Sex/nudity in movie?
Yes
What kind of sex:
- touching of personal anatomy
- seeing breasts
- seeing nude male butt
- seeing full frontal--women
- seeing full frontal--men
Non-American film?
Yes
What language?
- English
Any profanity?
- A lot of foul language
Is this movie based on a
- book
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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