Kiss of the Spider Woman

UPC: 897246001508

Studio: City Lights Home Video

MPAA Rating: R   Contains:[Violence, Adult Situations, Not For Children, Adult Language, Profanity]

Summary: Political prisoner Valentin Arregui (Raul Julia) and homosexual pederast Luis Molina (William Hurt) share a Brazilian prison cell in this fantastical drama from the book by Manuel Puig. Sensitive and flamboyant, Molina helps pass the time by recounting memories from one of his favorite films, a wartime romantic thriller that just may also be a Nazi propaganda film. He weaves the characters into an ongoing narrative meant to spur Valentin's imagination and distract him from the brutal realities of political imprisonment and separation from the woman he loves. Hard around the edges, and willing to die for his political principles, Valentin nonetheless allows Molina to penetrate some of his defensive shell. An odd friendship forms between the two vastly different prisoners, the dreamer and the activist. As the narrative unfolds, it becomes clear that Valentin is being poisoned by his captors, to compel him to reveal names and secrets, and that Molina may have other agendas that belie his honesty and openness with Valentin. The intense character study builds toward a surprising conclusion. Kiss of the Spider Woman received Oscar nominations for best picture, best director and best adapted screenplay, and Hurt took home the best actor trophy for his portrayal of the soulful and conflicted Molina. The film was later adapted into a Broadway musical. ~ Derek Armstrong, Rovi

Category: Drama

Awards: Best Actor – British Academy of Film and Television Arts Best Actor – Los Angeles Film Critics Association Best Actor – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Adapted Screenplay – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Director – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Picture – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Actor – Cannes Film Festival Best Picture – National Board of Review Best Actor – National Board of Review Best Actor – National Board of Review Best Foreign Film – Independent Spirit Awards

Features: cc

Disc 1 - Trivia Track in English and Spanish

Original Theatrical Trailer
Original Mono and 5.1 Surround Sound
Optional Subtitles in French and Spanish
Optional Dubbing in French and Spanish

Disc 2 - Manuel Puig Mini-Documentary: The Submissive Woman's Role
Spider Woman on Broadway: Mini-Documentary with Hal Prince, John Kander, Ferd Ebb, Chita Rivera, Terrence McNally, Manuel Puig
Slide Show Commentary: Transition from Novel to Film
Photo Galleries: Over 150 Exquisite Images

Kiss of the Spider Woman

Format: DVD

Release Date: 11/04/2008

Audio: DD2 Dolby Digital Stereo

Runtime: 120 Minutes

Sides: 2

Number of Discs: 2

Language(s) English

Subtitles: English,Spanish

Region: USA & territories, Canada

Chapters: Disc #1 -- Kiss of the Spider Woman: The Feature
1. Something A Little Strange [8:38]
2. The Part About Lovers [4:18]
3. Film at Eleven [3:35]
4. Propaganda or Porno [3:53]
5. Being Like a Woman [7:30]
6. Together for a Lifetime [8:46]
7. The Feelings of a Man [10:29]
8. Who are You? ~ Intermission [3:53]
9. Love Letters [7:12]
10. My Other Life [5:10]
11. Injustice and Domination [5:00]
12. Unable to Take, Unable to Give [8:23]
13. A Perfect Teardrop [9:08]
14. The Cadre of Valentin Arrequi [8:14]
15. A Red Scarf [12:15]
16. Happy or Sad ~ Credits [5:35]
Disc #2 -- Kiss of the Spider Woman: Special Features
1. A Completely Different World [4:52]
2. Puig! Puig! Puig! [8:53]
3. Hotel Room In Sweden [7:46]
4. Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? [8:01]
5. Two Countries In A Cell [7:52]
6. Like A Wounded Bird [10:23]
7. Liver Trouble [7:50]
8. A Hundred And Four Days [10:13]
9. Film Within A Film [7:12]
10. Who's Smoking Cigars Down There? [12:01]
11. Buzz Along La Croisette [:00]
12. Quatro, Se?or Babenco! [9:45]
13. Visiting An Eternal Work [8:02]
14. End Credits [4:11]

Derek Armstrong

It's surprising that Kiss of the Spider Woman didn't hit the stage until after it was filmed: Much of the narrative takes place inside the contained space of a Brazilian jail cell, all the more isolated by being boarded off from the rest of the prison. Hector Babenco's sensitive direction avoids claustrophobia by visiting dreamy images from a romantic fantasy/Nazi propaganda film, which William Hurt's Molina describes to Raul Julia's Valentin to distract him from reality. Just as quirky as it sounds, the film triumphs as a study of how imprisonment alters behavioral tendencies -- and inspires unforeseen motivations -- in the prisoners' attempts to simulate normalcy. The gruff Valentin adheres to Molina's flight of fancy and confronts an awakening sexual curiosity, while Molina, the apolitical drama queen, courts danger by agreeing to assist Valentin's rebellion. Both leads show major acting chops here, generously layering their portrayals. Spider Woman is less interesting when it ventures outside the cell, including the muddled, unsatisfying ending. But there's a lot of substance here, and more laughs than one might expect from a prison film, though this certainly strays from that genre. The details of the hokey propaganda film are especially funny. ~ Derek Armstrong, Rovi

Cast and Crew: Elvira Bisso  Actor 
Lineu Dias  Actor 
Edmilson Santos  Actor 
Nildo Parente  Actor 
Ana Maria Braga  Actor 
Carlos Fariello  Actor 
Luis Serra  Actor 
Fernando Torres  Actor 
Sergio Bright  Actor 
Luis Guilherme  Actor 
Walter Vicca  Actor 
Oswaldo Barreto  Actor 
Benjamin Cattan  Actor 
Joe Kantor  Actor 
Denise Dummont  Actor 
Miriam Pires  Actor 
Walter Breda  Actor 
Luis Roberto Galizia  Actor 
Sylvio Band  Actor 
Wilson Grey  Actor 
Pericles Campos  Actor 
Kenichi Kaneko  Actor 
Walmir Barros  Actor 
Claudio Curi  Actor 
Paulo Ludmer  Actor 
Frederico Botelho  Actor 
Miguel Falabella  Actor 
Georges Schlesinger  Actor 
Hector Babenco  Director 
Wally Badarou  Composer (Music Score) 
John Neschling  Composer (Music Score) 
Francisco Ramalho, Jr.  Executive Producer 
Francisco Ramalho, Jr.  Producer 
Leonard Schrader  Screenwriter 
David Weisman  Producer 
Nando Carneiro  Composer (Music Score) 
William Hurt  Actor 
Raul Julia  Actor 
Sonia Braga  Actor 
Jose Lewgoy  Actor 
Nuno Leal Maia  Actor 
Antonio Petrim  Actor 
Milton Goncalves  Actor 
Patricio Bisso  Actor 
Herson Capri  Actor 

Country: USA,Brazil