Kiss of the Spider Woman Review from The Massie Twins

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 homosexual 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

www.GoneWithTheTwins.com