RottenTomatoes.com
Log In | Register | What is RT?
Check out the new RT Community
  • Home
  • Movies
  • DVD
  • Celebrities
  • News
  • Critics
  • Trailers & Pictures
  • CommunityBeta
  • Box Office
  • | In Theaters
  • | Opening
  • | Upcoming
  • | Best Of
  • | Certified Fresh
  • | Showtimes
RT Search Powered by Google
help icon Enhanced RT
searches on Google
Click here to turn on enhanced search results from RT on your Google searches.
 
Movies / On DVD / Kiss of the Spider Woman
Kiss of the Spider Woman

Rate this Movie Help Icon

  • Write a Review
  • Read Reviews
  • Add to List
  • Get this Movie
  • Buy Poster External Icon
Bookmark and Share

Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985)

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
87 %
Tomatometer
Template ImageTemplate Image

How does the Tomatometer work Help Icon

Reviews Counted:23

Fresh:20

Rotten:3

Average Rating:7.5/10

Runtime: 3 hrs 48 mins

Genre: Dramas

Synopsis: Hector Babenco's Oscar-nominated drama, adapted from Manuel Puig's novel and set in an unspecified Latin American country, takes a penetrating look at the role of entertainment in a politically... Hector Babenco's Oscar-nominated drama, adapted from Manuel Puig's novel and set in an unspecified Latin American country, takes a penetrating look at the role of entertainment in a politically oppressive regime. When activist Valentin (Raul Julia) is tossed in a cell, already beaten and tortured by prison guards anxious to get information out of him, he ends up sharing the space with Molina (William Hurt), a homosexual deeply engaged with popular culture--especially the movies. The two men have widely divergent views of life: while the leftist Valentin strives to bring forth a revolution, Molina buries himself in elaborate fantasies taken directly from the cinema. In particular, he relates two fanciful narratives--one a Nazi melodrama, the other an escapist fable about a glamorous "spider woman" (Sonia Braga), harkening back to the glory days of film noir and murderous femme fatales. The impatient and dedicated Valentin tries to raise his cellmate's conscience, and gradually the two men come together and, in a stunning and shocking conclusion, each one truly learns to put himself in the other's place. Hurt delivers an Oscar-winning performance in this captivating tribute to the power of film and fantasy as an escape from inhumane conditions. [More]

Starring: William Hurt, Raul Julia, Sonia Braga, José Lewgoy

Starring: William Hurt, Raul Julia, Sonia Braga, José Lewgoy

Director: Hector Babenco

Director: Hector Babenco

[See More Credits]

Get This Movie

Rent DVD
 
 

Click on the "ADD" button to put this movie into your Netflix queue.

 
 
Buy DVD
 
 
Release:

Oct 21, 2008

[DVD Details]
 
 
  • Released theatrically in 1985, the groundbreaking Kiss of the Spider Woman is a brilliant and moving drama that has never before been available on DVD. Set in 1970's Brazil, the powerfully emotional film follows the complex relationship between two prison inmates and explores the roles of sex and fantasy under a totalitarian regime.
  • Kiss of the Spiderman is a cult classic and one of the most requested films for DVD of all time.
  • Source: WEA
  •  
     
     
     

    Reviews for Kiss of the Spider Woman

    • T-Meter Critics
    • Top Critics
    • RT Community
    • My Critics
    • My Friends
    • DVD
     
     
    1 - 20 (sorted by date)
    Text View | 1 2 >> >|
    Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
     
     
    N/R

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
    03/16/09
    Variety
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    Babenco's film blends ideology with drama and betrayal for a tale as intellectually rewarding as it is passionate.

    Full Review Source: PopMatters | comment Comment
    11/20/08
    Matthew Sorrento
    Matthew Sorrento
    PopMatters

    Argentine writer Manuel Puig's book Kiss of the Spider Woman has a theme that endures throughout all its various incarnations: that of human dignity and compassion surviving within a society that denies it.

    Full Review Source: Slant Magazine | comment Comment
    08/14/08
    Jeremiah Kipp
    Jeremiah Kipp
    Slant Magazine

    Explores the rapture and torture of desire, and the tension between harsh reality and escapist fantasy. [DVD]

    Full Review Source: Groucho Reviews | comment Comment
    08/11/08
    Peter Canavese
    Peter Canavese
    Groucho Reviews

    Centering on the evolving camaraderie in prison between a gay window-dresser and a Marxist radical, the movie, like the book, is schematic, and the recreations of old movie scenes are uneven, perhaps a result of helmer Babenco's limited visual style

    Full Review Source: EmanuelLevy.Com | comment Comment
    10/22/07
    Emanuel Levy
    Emanuel Levy
    EmanuelLevy.Com
    N/R

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
    02/09/06
    Geoff Andrew
    Geoff Andrew
    Time Out

    No review available.

    comment Comment
    11/06/05
    Cole Smithey
    Cole Smithey
    ColeSmithey.com

    No review available.

    comment Comment
    05/08/05
    Linda Cook
    Linda Cook
    Quad City Times (Davenport, IA)

    Bold and touching performances by William Hurt and Raul Julia.

    Full Review Source: Spirituality and Practice | comment Comment
    08/22/04
    Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
    Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
    Spirituality and Practice

    No review available.

    comment Comment
    07/30/04
    Thomas Delapa
    Thomas Delapa
    Boulder Weekly

    No review available.

    comment Comment
    07/02/04
    Jake Euker
    Jake Euker
    F5 (Wichita, KS)

    No review available.

    comment Comment
    01/05/04
    Carol Cling
    Carol Cling
    Las Vegas Review-Journal

    No review available.

    comment Comment
    12/05/03
    Rich Cline
    Rich Cline
    Shadows on the Wall

    No review available.

    comment Comment
    08/21/03
    John Esther
    John Esther
    Pasadena Weekly

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | comment Comment
    07/30/03
    TV Guide's Movie Guide
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    No review available.

    comment Comment
    07/21/03
    Walter Chaw
    Walter Chaw
    Film Freak Central
    N/R

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
    05/20/03
    Janet Maslin
    Janet Maslin
    New York Times
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    No review available.

    comment Comment
    05/08/03
    Brandon Judell
    Brandon Judell
    PopcornQ

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Nick's Flick Picks | comment Comment
    01/10/03
    Nick Davis
    Nick Davis
    Nick's Flick Picks

    Sorry, but this was boring and poorly executed.

    comment 1 Comment
    11/22/02
    Alex Sandell
    Alex Sandell
    Juicy Cerebellum
     
     
    1 - 20 (sorted by date)
    Text View | 1 2 >> >|
    all

    Latest News for Kiss of the Spider Woman

    June 14, 2007: William Hurt to Battle "The Incredible Hulk"
    If it's not "Iron Man" adding some more casting muscle, it's "The Incredible Hulk." More...

    See All

    More DVDs

    Close
    Top Rentals
    Tomatometer Percentage Movie
    40% 40% Surrogates
    83% 83% Whip It
    29% 29% Gamer
    97% 97% The Hurt Locker
    81% 81% Michael Jackson's This…

    More Rentals…

    New On DVD This Week
    Tomatometer Percentage Movie
    87% 87% A Serious Man
    37% 37% The Time Traveler's Wife
    78% 78% Bronson
    11% 11% The Stepfather

    More New Releases…

    See All

    RT On Current TV

    The Rotten Tomatoes Show on Current TV

    DIRECTV 358 | Comcast 107 | DISH Network 196 | More...

    Learn how you can be part of the show

    More...

    What’s Hot On RT

    Runaways Pictures

    Runaways Pictures

    Run away with Kristen and Dakota!

    Other News

    Close
    • Top Stories
    • Popular
    • Interviews
     
     

    Comments

     
     
    Top Stories
    Headlines Comments
      
    • Tom Cruise Accepts Another Mission: Impossible Source: Deadline Hollywood Daily
    32
    • Chris Nolan on Board for Dark Knight Sequel -- and Superman Reboot? Source: Deadline Hollywood Daily
    258
    • Tim Robbins Joins Green Lantern Source: Hollywood Reporter
    58
    • Fox Moves Forward with 24 Movie Source: HitFix
    8
    • Bill Murray Talks Ghostbusters III Source: Sunday Mail [UK]
    56
    • Captain America News, News, and More News Source: Collider.com
    20
    • Taylor Lautner Is Stretch Armstrong Source: MTV
    78
    • Weekly Ketchup: Sci-Fi at the Oscars, Raimi eyes The Shadow
    288
    • Percy Jackson Star (Briefly) Rumored for Spider-Man Reboot Source: Hollywood Reporter
    35
    • Five Facts About Alice in Wonderland
    140
    Popular
    Headlines Comments
      
    • Total Recall: Jeff Bridges' Best Movies
    114
    • Box Office Guru Wrapup: Avatar Finally Toppled by Dear John
    104
    • Weekly Ketchup: Sci-Fi at the Oscars, Raimi eyes The Shadow
    96
    • Five Facts About Alice in Wonderland
    70
    • Five Favorite Films With Precious' Gabby Sidibe
    35
    • Friday Harvest: The Last Airbender, The A-Team, and more!
    27
    • Critics Consensus: From Paris With Love Is Not Bon
    22
    • Total Recall: Anthony Hopkins' Best Movies
    18
    • Five Favourite Films with Anika Noni Rose
    17
    • Awards Tour: Pixar and Disney Rule The Annies
    15
    Interviews
    Headlines Comments
      
    • Oscar Nominee Gabby Sidibe Talks Precious
    20
    • One Man's Quest To Find The Worst Movie Ever
    7
    • Five Favorite Films With Peter Jackson
    77
    • Robert Downey Jr. talks Sherlock Holmes & Iron Man 2 - RT Interview
    22
    • Director Ruben Fleischer Talks Zombieland
    3
    • "I Don't Hate Women": Lars von Trier on Antichrist
    17
    • Eric Bana talks Love the Beast - RT Interview
    13
    • Fight Club Sound Designer Reflects on Film's 10th Anniversary
    24
    • James Schamus talks Taking Woodstock - RT Interview
    8
    • John Hurt Talks Harry Potter, Quentin Crisp and Alien - The RT Interview
    16
     
     

    Sponsored Links

    Around The Network

    • Kiss of the Spider Woman at Rotten Tomatoes

    Fresh Links

    Featured
    Celebrity Yearbook Photos
    Celebrity Yearbook Photos External Link

    Check out PopEater's collection of childhood photos of celebs, from Tom Cruise to Kim Kardashian.

    Who Will Win the Oscars?
    Who Will Win the Oscars? External Link

    TIME's Richard Corliss pores over the Oscar noms for the major awards and offers his take on who will win.

    Oscar Fever = Terminal Illness?
    Oscar Fever = Terminal Illness? External Link

    For a different take, the AV Club delves into why awards season is terrible.

    Who's the Razziest?
    Who's the Razziest? External Link

    Moviefone has put together a list of the actors with the most Razzie noms ever.

    Mass Effect Movie?
    Mass Effect Movie? External Link

    Hollywood.com makes a case for a big screen adaptation of popular game Mass Effect.

    Promos
    Get the Flixster App Now!
    Get the Flixster App Now! External Link

    Download it from iTunes and get Tomatometer scores straight to your iPhone!

     
     
    About| Site Map| Help| RT To Go| Contact Us| Critics Submission| Linking to RT| Licensing| Movie List| Games| Celebs List| Newsletter
    IGN Logo
    About Us | Advertise | Contact Us | Press | Careers
    IGN | GameSpy | Comrade | Arena | FilePlanet | Direct2Drive | GameSpy Technology
    TeamXbox | Game Sites | VE3D | CheatsCodesGuides | GameStats | GamerMetrics
    AskMen.com | Rotten Tomatoes | GIGA.DE | What They Play | Battlefield Heroes
    By continuing past this page, and by your continued use of this site, you agree to be bound by and abide by the User Agreement.
    Copyright 1998-2010, IGN Entertainment, Inc. | Support | Privacy Policy | User Agreement | Subscribe to RT's XML feed! RSS Feeds
    IGN’s enterprise databases running Oracle, SQL and MySQL are professionally monitored and managed by Pythian Remote DBA.
    Certain product data ©1995-present Muze, Inc. For personal use only. All rights reserved.