Review of Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985) by George M — 09 Sep 2011

William Hurt is simply brilliant as the effeminate Luis in this wonderful movie from the mid-1980s. Luis is imprisoned in a South American gaol, his cellmate, played by the late Raul Julia, is tough, political journalist, who has been tortured and brutally interrogated by agents of military regime running the country.

To pass their time in the cell, Luis retells the story of his favourite films, acting out the roles of the glamourous life which he longs for.

Gradually, the two men become unlikely friends, relying on each others strengths and learning of their own weaknesses. But, behind all of this, there is a deeper manipulation going on with dark forces trying to exploit the situation.

Kiss of the Spider Woman is a strange mix of fantasy and brutality, often told in flashback and through the plot of the movies described by Luis.

Sonia Braga plays multiple roles as the central fantasy figure for both men and is brilliantly vampy in her roles but this film really belongs to the two men being almost a two-hander, with Hurt deservedly winning an Oscar for his performance.

Based on the novel by Manuel Puig and directed by Hector Babenco, Kiss of the Spider Woman is probably unlike anything you may have seen before and is one of the stand out movies of the era.