Kiss of the spider woman character analysis the average student has to read dozens of books per year. The film kiss of the spider woman takes place in an unnamed, fascist country in south america. During their long and difficult ordeal, molina attempts to break up the monotony by retelling a romantic movie drama from the 40s about nazis and nightclub singers. The film was later adapted into a broadway musical. Although there are noticeable difference between the novel kiss of the spider woman, and the film, both expressions of the story of molina and valentin provide unique insights onto the lives of prisoners facing discrimination and cruelty amidst a political revolution. Enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing kiss of the spider woman near you. Tracks from the musical kiss of the spider woman, new broadway cast recording. This 39page guide for kiss of the spider woman by manuel puig includes detailed chapter summaries and analysis covering 16 chapters, as well as several. Although these to type of readers may be from the same sex, their way of thinking and interpreting this literary work.
It depicts the daily conversations between two cellmates in an argentine prison, molina and valentin, and the intimate bond they form in the process. Kiss of the spider woman is a fascinating character study an exploration into how a bond of kinship can develop between two very different men, each of whose present circumstances is erected on a foundation of secrets. It is generally considered puigs most successful work. There are passages in the movie that seem to be absolutely selfcontained, and then a word or gesture will reveal that they have depths we can only guess.
Kiss of the spider woman, the 1976 spanishlanguage novel by argentine writer manuel puig, is a landmark novel that has continued to remain significant. A forbidden story from its conception, a story that develops in the argentina of dreams, the tango and the social repression, two men who meet in solitary conditions short samples contained in the book. Kiss of the spider woman tells one of those rare and entrancing stories where one thing seems to happen while another thing is really. According to matthew teorey in spinning a bigendered identity in silkos ceremony and puigs kiss of the spider woman, the spider woman in native american tradition is the creator of the universe and an important source of. Take a look at even more movies and tv shows that were so nice they made em twice at least. Manuel puig s 1976 novel kiss of the spider woman is, on the surface, the story of an unlikely friendship that develops between the two protagonists. Raul julia and william hurt star in this 1985 film directed by hector babenco which explores the relationship between two political prisoners in. William hurt, raul julia, and sonia braga star in the leading roles, with supporting roles by jose lewgoy, milton goncalves, miriam pires, nuno leal maia, fernando torres, and herson capri. This study guide consists of approximately 24 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of the kiss of the spider woman. Events in the prison, valentin raul julia watching another political prisoner, arguing with cellmate molina william hurt about his movie fantasy, in kiss of the spider woman, 1985, from the novel by manuel puig. Kiss of the spider woman character analysis freebooksummary.
The property of manuel puigs 1976 novel, kiss of the spider woman, proved a promised land. Kiss of the spider woman is quite possibly the most unusual buddy movie ever made. Making kiss of the spider woman is a strange odyssey from novel to film is chronicled in this brilliant documentary, at one point burt lancaster had a real mysterious obsession and was desperate to play the part of the gay molina, and we get to hear that burt lancaster was originally considered for the role of luis molina, on. Only with a development well into the movie will the audience realize the layers he brought to molinas roleplaying. Valentin wakes up feeling better after not eating prison food and molinas mothers food. 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 1985 financial information. One is about a french chanteuse who falls in love with an ss officer, and the second is a tale of tropical. The gay man narrates the stories of two fake movies and his own. The story features a film within a film, featuring luis molina episodically telling valentin arregui the plot of a fictional film called her.
The gay man narrates the stories of two fake movies and his own life. Molina believes the spider woman is real and he claims he. Molina is a middleaged lowermiddleclass gay man who passes the. Argentine writer manuel puigs book kiss of the spider woman has a theme that endures throughout all its various incarnations. I would argue that the one of the primary reasons for the title is that it refers to the web in. A rerelease of the 1985 drama starring william hurt and raul julia as a gay window t. Kiss of the spider woman was part of that evolution. By the end of the film, what started out as a contest between two opposite personalities has. Kiss of the spider woman brazilunited states, 1985.
Financial analysis of kiss of the spider woman 1985 including budget, domestic and international box office gross, dvd and bluray sales reports, total earnings and profitability. He advises motion picture plots to valentin, so as to divert him, yet additionally to escape into a dreamland. Molina, a gay window dresser who is selfcentered, selfdenigrating, yet charming as well. A political prisoner and a gay man share their dreams in a south american prison. Although these to type of readers may be from the same sex, their way of thinking. Kiss of the spider womans main theme is the conflict between escapism and reality, and to what extent the former can help us understand or tolerate the latter. To help pass the time, molina spins out old movie yarns.
It is an exceptional character drama of two men who would have little use for each other if they met on the street but, locked together in a prison cell, their relationship deepens despite their differences from mutual distrust to understanding and respect. I would like to have kiss of the spider women on dvd on my collection it been 22 years since i seen in movies it was a fantastic performaces. Kiss of the spider woman summary and study guide supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides for challenging works of literature. One day, a man washes ashore, and she nurses him back to life. Essay on analysis of kiss of the spider woman by manuel. The intense character study builds toward a surprising conclusion. He admired every movie she made except one, where she played the spider woman, a figure of death. He confides in valentine about his passion for movies, especially his love of the beautiful movie star aurora. He tells movie plots to valentin, in order to distract him, but also to escape into a fantasy world. From title of the novel, kiss of the spider woman, it is evident that manuel puig would have some knowledge of the history behind the myth of the spider woman. Click below to download the full study guide for kiss of the spider woman. Kiss of the spiderwoman musical characters stageagent. H aving been translated into a play for stage and radio, a musical, and the much lauded film directed by hector babenco, argentine writer manuel puigs book kiss of the spider woman has a theme that endures throughout all its various incarnations. Critical analysis this essay will explore a close reading of kiss of the spider woman by manuel puig, i will critically analyse specific sections of the text looking at the formal and thematic characteristics of post modern and contemporary literature, not only will i study the stereotypical techniques used in postmodernism and contemporary literature but.
Kiss of the spider woman movie clip those nazi blondes. Analysis kiss of the spider woman in this analysis i will observe manuel puigs novel the kiss of the spider woman whilst critically applying the theories concerning media control and escapist allusions through the notion of dreams. Complete summary of manuel puigs kiss of the spider woman. This 39page guide for kiss of the spider woman by manuel puig includes detailed chapter summaries and analysis covering 16 chapters, as well as several more indepth sections of expertwritten literary analysis. He is touchy, selfdebasing on occasion, and expressive, and frequently searches for valentins consolation. Kiss of the spider woman began life as manuel puigs novel published in 1976 under the title. Valentin arregui tells his love story to luis molina. A gay man and a political prisoner are together in a prison. This paper explains that by creating the characters molina and valentin in kiss of the spider woman 1985, directed by hector babenco, manuel puig has confronted issues of sexuality and gender in a masochistic latin american culture. It is, essentially, a twoactor drama featuring two men, of vastly different demeanors and ideologies, who share the same cell in a brutal prison.
Movie is about government agency tries to extract the truth from valentin arregui using his homosexual prison mate luis molina. Kiss of the spiderwoman characters breakdowns including full descriptions with standard casting requirements and expert analysis. With this plot development, kiss of the spider woman becomes a film about betrayal and the dynamics of exploitation. 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. Declan bennett as valentin and samuel barnett as molina in kiss of the spider woman, directed by laurie sansom. 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. The kiss of the spider woman of 1976, a history not to read but rather to perceive and live thanks to the peculiar style used by manuel puig. When molina tells the stories of his beloved movies, valentin imagines the woman he loves, and the very climax of the movie involves the. Molina shares the food he claims to have received from his mother with valentin.
Molina narrates the cinematic tale of a woman sonia braga in her third role who is trapped on a desert island, entangled by a spider web that grows from her body. Kiss of the spider woman is a 1985 drama film directed by argentinebrazilian filmmaker hector babenco, and adapted by leonard schrader from the manuel puig novel of the same name. Kiss of the spider woman begins with a theatricalsounding homosexual describing the plot of an old movie her petite ankle slips into. The female lead in his imaginary movies is a beautiful woman named leni braga. The film premiered at the 1985 cannes film festival, where hurt won the best actor award and babenco was nominated for. No one has time to read them all, but its important to go over them at least briefly. Despite its 2 hour length, the film does an excellent job of conveying molinas. Though it seems that the motifs of fantasy and escapism in kiss of the spider woman are seen only in the movies and thoughts depicted throughout the book, it can in fact be said that all conversations between characters which were not linked to being in jail is a form of escapism.
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