British distributors Curzon Artificial Eye have sent us a new trailer for their upcoming Blu-ray release of director Hector Babenco's film Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985), starring William Hurt, Raul Juliá, Sonia Braga, Jose Lewgoy, and Nuno Leal Maia. The release will be available for purchase on January 25, 2016.
Official synopsis: Openly gay Molina (William Hurt) is imprisoned on a morals charge, sharing a dreary prison cell with clandestinely-held revolutionary Valentin (Raul Julia) who has been endlessly tortured by prison authorities in an attempt to extract information on his subversive activities. Molina is a glib raconteur who dwells in a fantasy world of glamorous movies from yesteryear. Intensely withdrawn Valentin is a self-disciplined intellectual devoted to his left-wing political cause. In the late-night darkness of their cell, Molina spins a fantastic yarn of celluloid romance: a Nazi propaganda film involving the unlikely love affair between a ravishing French chanteuse caught up in the Resistance and the handsome Chief of German Counter-Intelligence for Occupied France. Molina continues to weave the intricate web of his story, ever embroidering the details to draw out and manipulate Valentin's emotions. At first, Valentin is repelled yet hypnotised by Molina and his tale. Their relationship is a constant sparring match between two radically different but equally desperate human beings to maintain their identities. But gradually, a touching bond of friendship, fraternal love and self-sacrifice is formed.
Tangled Web: Making Kiss of the Spider Woman
Theatrical trailer
Manuel Puig Mini- Documentary: The Submissive Woman's Role
Slide Show commentary: Transition from Novel to Film