The Big Picture

Kiss of the Spider Woman is an underrated gem that captures the eerie, dreamy feeling of Twin Peaks. The film tells the story of two men in a Brazilian prison, blending reality with fantasy and exploring the complexities of human relationships. Director Héctor Babenco created the dreamlike atmosphere through cinematic techniques, showcasing the transformative power of storytelling.

It’s been a long time since David Lynch finished Twin Peaks, and many of us have been longing to get back that eerie, dreamy feeling only the Red Room can convey. If that’s your case, look no further. There are many works out there that try to emulate this feeling, but perhaps the best one is Kiss of the Spider Woman, an underrated gem by Brazilian director Héctor Babenco. This is the work that gave William Hurt his Best Actor Oscar in 1986, with equally great supporting performances from Raul Julia and Sônia Braga. Set within the confinement of a jail cell and the vastness of human imagination, this is the perfect fix for those who appreciate a good story set in the blurry lines between what’s real and fantastic.

Kiss of the Spider Woman A gay man and a political prisoner are together in a prison. The gay man narrates the stories of two fake movies and his own life. Release Date July 26, 1985 Director Hector Babenco Rating R Runtime 120m Main Genre Drama

What Is ‘Kiss of the Spider Woman’ About?
Between 1964 and 1985, Brazil lived under a military dictatorship. Political arrests, exile, and torture were common in the period, and Kiss of the Spider Woman takes place in this context, as two men share a tiny cell in a Brazilian prison. One is Luis Molina (Hurt), a trans woman who was sent to jail for “corrupting an underage youth,” and the other is Valentin Arregui (Julia), a journalist and political prisoner arrested for aiding an armed revolutionary group.

Everything unfolds from Molina’s point of view. As he and Valentin spend time together stuck in prison, Molina recounts the story of one of his favorite movies, a fictional Nazi propaganda film called Her Real Glory, based mostly on Leni Riefenstahl’s pictures (although she’s never mentioned). As he tells it, though, he’s called by the warden (José Lewgoy) multiple times, so the story takes a long time to be finished, which helps to build a sensation of blurriness. Also, although Molina is the one telling the stories, Valentin is the one who pictures what we see onscreen. Molina has a highly fetishized view of love and romance, adding another layer of surrealism to everything he says, both in and outside the stories he tells.

The political side of Molina and Valentin’s actual story is a stark contrast to the fantastical tales Molina tells. We’re constantly reminded of why these two people are stuck inside the four walls of a jail cell, even if those aren’t fair reasons. It’s through their shared experiences of systemic injustice and taste for stories that they develop their relationship. It’s rocky at first, as Valentin feels bitter about his arrest and his separation from his girlfriend Marta (Braga), who introduced him to the revolutionary movement. Gradually, though, the exchanges between him and Molina become more authentic and tender as they grow closer. Molina, who never thought much about political involvement, starts developing some, and Valentin, who was very cynical about everything, starts softening up his views.

Towards the end, we learn there’s more to Molina’s encounters with the warden. It’s also his final story, about a Spider Woman who seduces and eats men on a dark beach, that somehow sends Valentin into a fragile state of mind as he falls deeper and deeper into despair. Molina is the only thing tethering him to reality and life itself.

How Is ‘Kiss of the Spider Woman’ Similar to ‘Twin Peaks?’

While Kiss of the Spider Woman and Twin Peaks belong to different genres, they do share a lot in terms of style and language. Both of them blend reality with fantasy as a way of delving into the complexity of human relationships and exploring the darker aspects of society. In particular, the blending of reality and fantasy is done in such an entrancing fashion, favoring the characters over the subjects themselves.

In Kiss of the Spider Woman, Molina’s storytelling introduces a layer of fantasy into the stark reality of a South American prison. These cinematic narratives become a coping mechanism for the characters and a lens through which they reinterpret their harsh surroundings. Similarly, in Twin Peaks, David Lynch employs surrealism and dreamlike sequences to blur the lines between reality and imagination. The iconic Red Room acts as a space where reality itself is distorted, giving way to a dreamy haze that reflects the characters’ struggles, especially Special Agent Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan), in a very similar way to how the jail cell in Kiss of the Spider Woman works for Valentin once Molina starts telling his stories.

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Both of these works also explore the subject of moral duality and the juxtaposition of contrasting elements. Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee), for example, is gradually revealed to be a force for good made in response to the evil humankind has unleashed upon the world. She falls victim to these twisted practices herself but is always remembered as an angel by the town’s inhabitants, and Cooper doesn’t give up his investigation because he believes in her. In Kiss of the Spider Woman, Molina is seen as a figure of the sort himself, falling victim to the injustice of a political system that is rigged against him, but still allowing himself to cooperate with it somehow in a way that he thinks benefits both him and Valentin.

Laura Palmer and Molina are then a testament to how both these works use symbolism in similar ways. In Kiss of the Spider Woman, Molina even creates a sort of avatar for himself in his fantastical stories with the Spider Woman character, which is very similar to how Twin Peaks uses döppelgangers to explore the clash between good and evil. While we know Molina to be a good person, the Spider Woman embodies his darker aspects, especially seduction and betrayal.

‘Kiss of the Spider Woman’ Is an Ode to Storytelling

Prison is an oppressive environment, but, for someone who’s been oppressed their whole life, there may still be room for something new. That’s the case with Molina. His tales serve not only as a means of escapism but also as a mechanism for personal growth and emotional connection. The fantasy within the film becomes a tool for Molina and Valentin to navigate the harsh realities of their existence, demonstrating the cathartic and transcendent potential of storytelling.

Director Héctor Babenco plays a key role in showcasing the transformative power, as he skillfully uses cinematic techniques to enhance the fantastical elements of the film. The seamless transitions between Molina’s storytelling and the prison scenes create a dreamlike atmosphere that inevitably makes us think of David Lynch’s work, especially Twin Peaks and Mulholland Drive. The whole setting of the jail cell gradually turns into a less oppressive place as the stories begin to fill it. Somehow, the color palette prioritizing blue and gray elements makes it the perfect place for dreaming, and Molina’s eccentric personality contributes a lot to the otherworldly atmosphere inside.

Even outside the prison, though, this dreamy setting is also ever-present. It may be an English language film, but Kiss of the Spider Woman is mostly a Brazilian production, with a Brazilian cast and crew, and filmed on Brazilian sets. The setting of Molina’s stories and Valentin’s memories of Marta are all in downtown São Paulo, where colorful 1920s and 1930s architecture is predominant to this day. One of Molina’s last scenes was filmed in the very place where São Paulo was founded in 1554. This juxtaposition of the prison setting against classical urban architecture plays a crucial role in establishing everything that happens outside the cell as fantastical. Downtown São Paulo is the perfect setting for Kiss of the Spider Woman in this sense, because of how it seamlessly combines modern and classical architecture, making the simple act of crossing the street feel like walking into a dream.

Kiss of the Spider Woman is streaming on Amazon Prime in the U.S.

Watch on Amazon Prime