Kiss of the Spider Woman

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Kiss of the Spider Woman was originally a 1976 novel by gay Argentinian writer Manuel Puig. It was later adapted into an Academy Award winning film in 1985 and a Tony award winning musical in 1993. And a 1983 play. But that one isn't as well known.

The story follows the imprisonment of Luis Molina (William Hurt in the film), a white gay man who was caught corrupting a minor, and political prisoner Valentin Arregui (Raul Julia in the film), who was part of a leftist revolutionary group and is currently being tortured for information.

Molina passes the time by describing his favorite movies: the most prominent (and the only one featured in the film) being a romance story of star-crossed lovers...that also happens to be a Nazi propaganda film. Naturally, the film within a film is draped with metaphors and symbolism relating to the two characters. It is later revealed that Molina was imprisoned with Valentin to spy on him in the hope that he will open up to Molina, using the film as a way of getting him to talk. Just one problem: Molina has fallen in love with Valentin. Cue moral dilemmas, political statements and gay angst.

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Tropes used in Kiss of the Spider Woman include:

• All Love Is Unrequited: Valentin's girlfriend loves Valentin who loves Marta. Molina loves the waiter, and later Valentin, both of whom are straight. Subverted when Valentin agrees to sleep with Molina.
• Bi the Way: Valentin reciprocates Molina's love for him.
• Bring My Brown Pants: Very embarrassingly happens to Valentin after eating poisoned food.
• Bury Your Gays
• Downer Ending: Molina dies and Arregui continues to be tortured.
• Genre Shift: After Molina is let out on good behavior the novel is told through a series of reports and documents.
• Heel Face Turn: Molina, though we know that he was a heel after he starts turning.
  • The protagonist of the Nazi propaganda film. Technically speaking.
• Heroic Sacrifice: The heroine of Molina's second film.
  • And Molina himself.
• Ho Yay: Until Molina reveals he loves Valentin, making it explicit, the film is rife with this.
• Last-Name Basis: Molina is rarely called Luis. Valentin gets this too by everyone except Molina (see Meaningful Name).
• Meaningful Name: Valentin = Valentine.
• Narm Charm: Molina's second film is an in-universe example. Doubly so since it's a Nazi film.
• Scary Black Man: The warden's assistant.
• Where the Hell Is Springfield?: All we know is that we're in some kind of Latin America country in the midst of a civil war. Intentionally done so by the author to avoid the wrath of the Argentinian government.
• Wholesome Crossdresser: Molina, though he comes off a little creepy.

Additionally, the film provides examples of:

• Adaptation Distillation: Only one of Molina's five films from the novel makes it to the film.
• Where the Hell Is Springfield?: Averted. Though like the novel, the location is never explicitly stated, the movie was filmed in Brazil. Details like a Brazilian flag and some Brazilian cities providing the backdrops make this explicit.

And the musical provides examples of:

• Pragmatic Adaptation: The musical takes even more liberties than the film.