Music by John Kander. Download Kiss of the Spider Woman Study Guide Subscribe Now Valentín is a journalism student in love with Marta, a beautiful and well-educated member of the upper class in Argentina. The Vortex Theater Company's "Kiss of the Spider Woman" is the antithesis of Disney's "The Lion King"; the entire physical production would fit in … Additional obstacles to the production included Manuel Puig's antagonism toward Babenco; he did not like Pixote, and suspected the director was an “opportunist.”. Use the HTML below. Kiss of the Spider Woman And while he loves her, he fears the Spider Woman, a vampy diva who kills men with her kiss. Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. William Hurt, Raul Julia, and Sônia Braga star in the leading roles, with supporting roles by José Lewgoy, Milton Gonçalves, Míriam Pires, Nuno Leal Maia, Fernando Torres, and Herson Capri. Principal photography began October 13, 1983 in São Paulo, Brazil. After a sympathetic doctor risks his job by administering morphine to help him sleep, Valentin finds himself on an idyllic tropical island with Marta. Puig biographer Suzanne Jill Levine identified the film as a compilation of various Third Reich productions with the American Paris Underground and Die große Liebe (The Great Love), a 1931 Otto Preminger film starring Zarah Leander as a cabaret singer who falls in love with high-ranking German lieutenant. Several days later, Lancaster's assistant telephoned Babenco to make sure Kiss of the Spider Woman was in the mail, and the director sent it right away. The gay man narrates the stories of two fake movies and his own life. Molina has apparently been promised parole if he succeeds in obtaining information that will allow the secret police to break up the revolutionary group. As noted in Puig's 2001 biography, Manuel Puig and the Spider Woman: His Life and Fictions, the novel was banned in Argentina, and the English translation edition preceded a widespread publication in Spanish. In Manuel Puig’s novel Kiss of the Spider Woman, Luis Alberto Molina, a hairdresser, and Valentin Arregui Paz, a Marxist revolutionary, are roommates in a Buenos Aires prison from September to October of 1975. She's A Woman Lyrics from Kiss Of The Spider Woman musical. Babenco continued to develop the property despite the author's misgivings, and attracted potential investors, including German filmmaker Frank Ripploh. Brent Carver, Anthony Crivello, Chita Rivera and the original cast of Kiss of the Spider Woman. Richard Gere was set to play Valentin, giving the production further box-office credibility. He tries to find Ana, his old flame of the past. Hurt also won Best Actor at the BAFTA Awards, the 1985 Cannes Film Festival[12] and several other festivals. Another Julio Prestes Train Station, São Paulo, Brazil. Add one Producer, female. Two unlikely cellmates, Valentin and Molina play a breathless cat-and-mouse game as they struggle to survive. A gay man and a political prisoner are together in a prison. (1985). The DVD version contains a bonus disc with voluminous commentary (accessible in English via subtitles) on the making of the film, and on the careers of the writers, actors and producers; as well as the post-production history of the film . At the reception, Los Angeles Times critic Kevin Thomas asked Babenco about his future projects, and the director mentioned his desire to adapt Puig's novel, starring Burt Lancaster. The life of a boy in the streets of Sao Paulo, involved with crimes, prostitution and drugs. Mostly consisting of dialogue between two men in an Argentine jail cell, the novel traces the development of their unlikely friendship. Kiss of the Spider Woman (Portuguese: O Beijo da Mulher Aranha) is a 1985 drama film directed by Argentine-Brazilian filmmaker Héctor Babenco, and adapted by Leonard Schrader from the 1976 Manuel Puig novel of the same name. Meanwhile, rumors circulated in the press that Lancaster had a penchant for cross-dressing, and Babenco attempted to dispel the scandal at the Cannes Film Festival by telling a French gay tabloid that he did not know Lancaster was homosexual when he was cast. Kiss of the Spider Woman is a powerful psychological drama – a dark chamber nocturne. Nonetheless, a story of two people catching each other in their own webs and becoming more than just cellmates. William Hurt, Raul Julia, and Sônia Braga star in the leading roles, with supporting roles by José Lewgoy, Milton Gonçalves, Míriam Pires, Nuno Leal Maia, Fernando Torres, and Herson Capri.[4]. As he wanders the streets wounded, the secret police catch him and demand the telephone number, but Molina refuses and dies. The film is based on the 1976 novel El beso de la mujer araña (Kiss of the Spider Woman) by Manuel Puig. The novel was considered for a film adaptation by various directors, including Rainer Werner Fassbinder. During filming in Brazil, Hurt and a friend were threatened at gunpoint but were let go several hours later. Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985) Plot. Since Babenco "rarely" spoke English, Hurt took direction from him via an assistant director. Stark agreed to take on the project at that time, but neither he nor Columbia are credited onscreen. Combine 2 Movie Titles, Get 1 Film! Kiss of the Spider Woman, novel by Manuel Puig, published in 1976 as El beso de la mujer araña. A Broadway musical of the same name, also based on the novel, was produced in 1993. In the midst of a searing Florida heat wave, a woman persuades her lover, a small-town lawyer, to murder her rich husband. The site's consensus states; "Kiss of the Spider Woman weaves an alluring exploration of sexual and societal norms that's further elevated by strong work from William Hurt and Raul Julia. Molina at first refuses to take the number, fearing the consequences of treason, but he relents, bidding Valentin farewell with a kiss. Aside from its plot, which was hardly 1980s multiplex fodder, the film took top honors at Cannes, it was the first independent film to be nominated for all of the big Oscars and William Hurt became the first man to win Best Actor for playing a … Leon Wolters . Check out our gallery of the 2021 Oscar nominees in the leading and supporting acting categories, as the characters they so brilliantly played and in real life. Juán returns to his native Buenos Aires after 20 years to visit his dying father. As the story develops, it becomes clear that Valentin is being poisoned by his jailers to provide Molina with a chance to befriend him, and that Molina is spying on Valentin on behalf of the secret police. The film was also nominated for Best Picture (the first independently produced film that was), Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay. Valentin encourages Molina to have self-respect and opens him up to political commitment. Kiss of the Spider Woman (Spanish: El beso de la mujer araña) is a 1976 novel by Argentine writer Manuel Puig. With William Hurt, Raul Julia, Sônia Braga, José Lewgoy. Kiss of the Spider Woman is a musical with music by John Kander and Fred Ebb, with the book by Terrence McNally.It is based on the Manuel Puig novel El Beso de la Mujer Araña.Directed by Harold Prince, the musical had runs in the West End (1992) and Broadway (1993) and won the 1993 Tony Award for Best Musical. History of a famous Brazilian bandit of the early seventies. [7][8], Babenco met American producer David Weisman in early 1982 through a mutual friend to discuss bringing “Latin American magical realism” into the mainstream. "Chapter Seven: Kiss of the Spider Woman" is the seventh episode of the first season of Katy Keene, and the seventh episode of the series overall.2 It premiered on March 19, 2020. One of Aurora’s movie roles is a “Spider Woman” who kills with a kiss. Title: You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. Although Babenco intended to imply that Lancaster was not gay, and his sexual orientation had nothing to do with the actor's involvement with the film, his statement was taken out of context when it was published, and prompted further inquisition into Lancaster's personal life. During the time they spend together, the two men come to understand and respect one another. Winner of multiple Tony Awards including Best Musical, Kiss of the Spider Woman revamps a harrowing tale of persecution into a dazzling spectacle that juxtaposes gritty realities with liberating fantasies. Kiss of the Spider Woman is a graceful, intensely compelling novel about love and victimization. Kiss of the Spider Woman takes place against the violent backdrop of mid-1970s Argentina, but the terror and unrest of the period had its roots in the earlier government of Juan Domingo Perón (1946-55). The gay man narrates the stories of two fake movies and his own life. Kiss of the Spider Woman revamps a harrowing tale of persecution into a dazzling spectacle that juxtaposes gritty realities with liberating fantasies.Cell mates in a Latin American prison, Valentin is a tough revolutionary undergoing torture and Molina is an unabashed homosexual serving eight years for deviant behavior. Kiss of the Spiderwoman A Musical in 2 Acts, a Prologue and 19 Scenes. Get a sneak peek of the new version of this page. New York City socialite Jane Holzer, who appeared in several Andy Warhol films and was an acquaintance of David Weisman, agreed to finance initial production costs, and Leonard Schrader, who had collaborated with his brother, Paul Schrader, on The Yakuza, was hired to write the script. [8] Hurt and Julia had agreed to work for the Screen Actors Guild pay scale, and deferred the greater portion of their salaries for a profit-share in the sale of the film's distribution rights, as well as its box-office gross. Cell mates in a Latin American prison, Valentin is a tough revolutionary undergoing torture and Molina is an unabashed homo When Lancaster expressed interest, Babenco initially assumed he was disingenuous, but promised to send him a copy of the novel. Despite Valentin's occasionally snapping at Molina over his shallow views of film-watching and unrealistic romance, an unlikely friendship develops between the two. Sometimes the entire state turns into a jail and then prisons become just a continuation of the state… [14], 1985 film based on the novel by Manuel Puig, "William Hurt Looks Back at 'Kiss of the Spider Woman,' the Groundbreaking, Oscar-Winning Drama Turning 30 This Month", "A Trailblazer, "Kiss of the Spider Woman" Set to Hit Cannes 25 Years Later", "William Hurt: In Every Role, A New Life To Inhabit", "Kiss of the Spider Woman Movie Review (1985)", Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985) - Reelviews Movie Reviews, "Festival de Cannes: Kiss of the Spider Woman", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kiss_of_the_Spider_Woman_(film)&oldid=1008655668, Films about Brazilian military dictatorship, Films featuring a Best Actor Academy Award-winning performance, Independent Spirit Award for Best Foreign Film winners, Films about Latin American military dictatorships, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles containing Portuguese-language text, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Antônio Petrin as Clubfoot, Resistance fighter in movie fantasy, Wilson Grey as Flunky, Resistance fighter in movie fantasy, This page was last edited on 24 February 2021, at 11:16. Leander was the model for the Kiss of the Spider Woman’s “Leni Lamaison,” who was named after propaganda filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl. The book is wrote by Manuel Puig. Luis, a trans individual, is found guilty of immoral behavior and Valentin is a political prisoner. Rehearsals took place in a São Paulo prison that had been vacated in the wake of riots, and sets were constructed at Vera Cruz Studios, which had been abandoned due to bankruptcy. The picture's expected $1.5 million budget was financed in part by Brazil's Embrafilme, which purchased Brazilian distribution rights for $160,000. On the orders of the police chief, the policemen dump Molina's body in a rubbish pit and fabricate a story about his death and his presumed collaboration with the revolutionary group. Adapted by Academy Award(c) nominated screenwriter Leonard Schrader from Manuel Puig's world-acclaimed novel set in a non-specific Latin American country, KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN is a story of sex, politics, and obsessive love of movies - under an oppressive right-wing regime. An emotionally distant writer of travel guides must carry on with his life after his son is killed and his marriage crumbles. He weaves the characters into a narrative meant to comfort Valentin and distract him from the harsh realities of political imprisonment and separation from his lover, Marta. Oscars flashback 15 years to 2006: ‘Crash’ stuns ‘Brokeback Mountain’, Beginning at the end by Anne-Katrin Titze. The gay man narrates the stories of two fake movies and his own life. While Babenco and Weisman were also working for the same “deferred investment plan,” other players, including actress Sônia Braga, opted to be paid upfront. In the prison, Valentin is being treated after being tortured. A group of seven former college friends gather for a week-end reunion at a South Carolina vacation home after the funeral of another of their college friends. "Kiss of the Spider Woman" tells one of those rare and entrancing stories where one thing seems to happen while another thing is really happening. Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Directed by Hector Babenco. The film centres on a dialogue between two very different individuals who share a prison cell in Brazil during the Brazilian military government: Valentin Arregui, who is imprisoned (and has been tortured) due to his activities on behalf of a leftist revolutionary group, and Luis Molina, an effeminate homosexual in prison for having sex with an underage boy. William Hurt won the Academy Award for Best Actor. But the secret police have had Molina under surveillance, and at the rendezvous, a gun battle occurs, with the revolutionaries shooting Molina. This, along with Lancaster's advancing age, and a heart bypass operation in Apr 1983, caused the production to be delayed, and the filmmakers turned to William Hurt as a replacement. It received widespread critical acclaim;[5] Hurt won the Academy Award and BAFTA Award for Best Actor, and the film received a further three Oscar nominations including Best Picture. Kiss of the Spider Woman (Portuguese: O Beijo da Mulher Aranha) is a 1985 drama film directed by Argentine-Brazilian filmmaker Héctor Babenco,[3] and adapted by Leonard Schrader from the 1976 Manuel Puig novel of the same name. It depicts the daily conversations between two cellmates in an Argentine prison, Molina and Valentín, and the intimate bond they form in the process. The film's setting was relocated from Argentina to Brazil, with the added political context of the then-current Brazilian military dictatorship. Showing all 6 items Jump to: Summaries (5) Synopsis (1) Summaries. While the book alludes to five motion pictures, the film version focuses on a single Nazi propaganda movie. The Argentinian author was the first to adapt his own novel as a stage play. A political prisoner and a gay man share their dreams in a South American prison. 14 of 17 people found this review helpful. View production, box office, & company info. Written by Soundtrack listing. 13 wins & 10 nominations. Mix well, and watch the sparks fly. Song lyrics to Broadway show. Based on the true story of a Brazilian rubber tapper who leads his people in protest against government and developers, who want to cut down their part of the rainforest for a new road and ... See full summary ». One day, Marxist revolutionary Valentin Arregui Paz is pushed into this cell after being tortured. "[10] James Berardinelli gave Kiss of the Spider Woman three stars out of four, calling it "a fascinating character study." There are passages in the movie that seem to be absolutely self-contained, and then a word or gesture will reveal that they have depths we can only guess. A new speech teacher at a school for the deaf falls in love with the janitor, a deaf woman speechless by choice. Kiss of the Spider Woman (Original, Musical, Drama, Broadway) opened in New York City May 3, 1993 and played through Jul 1, 1995. A gay man and a political prisoner are together in a prison. Discussion of themes and motifs in Manuel Puig's Kiss of the Spider Woman. In 1981, Argentine-born director Héctor Babenco was in Los Angeles, to accept an award from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association for his breakout feature film, Pixote. The two met in the coming weeks at the New York Critics’ award ceremony, and Lancaster committed to the role of Molina. Was this review helpful to you? Martin and Hazel Quarrier are small-town fundamentalist missionaries sent to the jungles of South America to convert the Indians. - Part 2, Leon Wolters . He was born in … During the time they spend together, the two men come to understand and respect one another. ... such are the eyes through which we see the world nowadays. Reviewing the film in 2009, Berardinelli claimed that it "has lost none of its power over the years," and felt that it was not the best film of 1985 but was more deserving of the Best Picture Academy Award than Out of Africa.[11]. Although Lancaster was attached, giving it built in marketability, the novel's untraditional narrative made it a challenge to adapt, and its homosexual theme was perceived as a detriment to attracting widespread audiences. Take two rival television reporters: one handsome, one talented, both male. Molina passes the time by recounting memories from one of his favorite films, a wartime romantic thriller that is also a Nazi propaganda film. [13] Hurt and Julia won a joint award for Best Actor from the National Board of Review. Below-the-line expenses were raised by Babenco's HB Filmes, and international production services were funded by Weisman's Sugarloaf Films, Inc. Is 'Kiss of the Spider Woman' based on a book? Luis Molina and Valentin Arregui are cell mates in a South American prison. "[5], Roger Ebert gave the film three and a half stars out of four, calling it a "film of insights and surprises" and remarking that "the performances are wonderful. Without the use of a narrative voice, Puig uses dialogue, prison reports, and stream-of-consciousness to tell the story. Image gallery, trailer, awards information, cast and crew, screenplay, production notes, and related links. Kiss Of The Spider Woman Spider Woman: Sooner or later You're certain to meet In the bedroom, the parlor or even the street There's no place on earth You're likely to miss Her kiss Sooner or later In sunlight or gloom When the red candles flicker She'll walk in the room And the curtains will shake and the fire will hiss Here comes her kiss However, Babenco remained wary of anglicizing the source material, and was relieved by the casting of Puerto Rican actor Raul Julia, who replaced Richard Gere. The crew was mainly Brazilian, accompanied by several Argentine-born craftsmen. Kiss Of The Spider Woman broke a lot of ground back in 1985. Valentin provides Molina with a telephone number and a message for his comrades. When Molina declares himself in love with Valentin, a physical consummation of that love occurs on Molina's last night in prison. What does the title "Kiss of the Spider Woman" mean? Book by Terrence McNally, based on the novel of the same name by Manuel Puig. Kiss of the Spider Woman has the notoriety of being the first independently produced film to be nominated for the Best Picture Oscar (at the 58th Academy Awards). Review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes gives it a rating of 87% based on reviews from 30 critics. In the 1940s, in São Paulo, bohemian guy engages in a love affair with two daughters of a friend of his mother's, but ends up marrying uncongenial woman, with whom he quarrels all the time. Superbly acted and directed, if not a little dated. Now out of prison, Molina calls the telephone number, and a meeting is arranged with the revolutionary group. The morning after Hurt consented to the role, Weisman and Babenco met with independent producer Ray Stark, whose company, Rastar, had been acquired by Columbia Pictures. The film was awarded the inaugural Golden Space Needle award from the Seattle International Film Festival. Kiss of the Spider Woman weaves an alluring exploration of sexual and societal norms that's further elevated by strong work from William Hurt and Raul Julia. The film premiered at the 1985 Cannes Film Festival, where Hurt won the Best Actor award and Babenco was nominated for the Palme d'Or, and was released in the United States on July 26, 1985. To escape reality Luis invents romantic movies, while Valentin tries to keep his mind on the situation he's in. In an Argentine prison, two men share a cell: Molina, a gay window dresser who is self-centered, self-denigrating, yet charming as well; and Valentin, an articulate, fiercely dogmatic revolutionary haunted by memories of a woman he left for the cause. Molina is granted parole in a surprise move by the secret police. Luis, a trans individual, is found guilty of immoral behavior and Valentin is a political prisoner. Take a look ahead at some of our most anticipated superhero series arriving in 2021 and beyond. The actor was in attendance at the event, and Thomas introduced him to Babenco. Manuel Puig is the acclaimed author of many novels, including Betrayed by Rita Hayworth, Kiss of the Spider Woman, and The Buenos Aires Affair. Best Supporting Actor Oscar nominees: Who contended for a performance that clocked in at 6 minutes? Read Kiss of the Spider Woman eBook onlie. A gay man and a political prisoner are together in a prison. To escape reality Luis invents romantic movies, while Valentin tries to keep his mind on the situation he's in. [9], The film received positive reviews. Official movie site. Babenco, who was an expatriate in Brazil at that time, feared a xenophobic backlash against the production for casting American actors. Their remote mission was previously run by the Catholics, ... See full summary », Luis Molina and Valentin Arregui are cell mates in a South American prison. 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