The Spider's Web: Unravelling the Musical Complexity of 'Kiss of the Spider Woman'
In this episode of *Movies First*, Chris and Jessica delve into the intriguing adaptation of *Kiss of the Spider Woman*, a musical that boldly juxtaposes the harrowing realities of Argentina's Dirty War with the vibrant world of theater. The hosts explore the complex relationship between Molina, a gay window dresser portrayed by Tonatiu, and Valentin, a political revolutionary played by Diego Luna, as they navigate the confines of a prison cell. Their dynamic is charged with tension, as Molina is secretly tasked with spying on Valentin, yet he uses storytelling to forge an emotional connection.
Listeners will appreciate the nuanced performances, particularly how Diego Luna transforms Valentin from a hardened figure into someone capable of vulnerability. The conversation reveals the film's attempt to balance personal and political narratives, with the intimate prison drama resonating more profoundly than the musical elements introduced by Jennifer Lopez’s dual roles. Chris and Jessica discuss how the film's musical sequences often feel disconnected from the overarching political drama, creating a sense of dissonance.
Despite its flaws, the hosts highlight the film's commitment to portraying the brutality of the regime, adding layers of tension to every interaction between Molina and Valentin. They reflect on the film's core themes of identity politics and human connection, emphasizing the importance of storytelling as a means to process trauma in dire circumstances.
With a score of 6 out of 10, this episode encourages listeners to engage with both this new adaptation and the original 1985 film, reminding us that the most significant stories are those we continue to tell, even imperfectly. Join Chris and Jessica as they unpack this thought-provoking narrative that challenges our understanding of love and resilience in the face of oppression.
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This episode includes AI-generated content.
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Chris: The Dirty war In Argentina saw 30,000 people
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killed or imprisoned by their own government.
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And somehow this dark chapter of history
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became the backdrop for one of Hollywood's
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most unexpected musicals. Let me tell you
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about the new Kiss of the Spider Woman
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adaptation.
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Jessica: That's such a bold choice to turn such
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serious source material into a musical.
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How does it handle that delicate balance?
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Chris: Well, it's fascinating because the film
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operates on multiple levels.
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You've got this intimate prison drama between
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two cellmates. Molina,
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this gay window dresser played by Tonariu,
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and Valentin, a, uh, political
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revolutionary played by Diego Luna.
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Their dynamic is immediately charged with
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tension.
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Jessica: Hmm. Um, tell me more about how they
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developed that relationship within such a
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politically charged setting.
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Chris: So here's where it gets interesting. Malina
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is actually planted there by the warden to
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spy on Valentin, but he uses these
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elaborate stories about his favorite films
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to build a connection. The genius is in
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how Tanatia portrays this character who's
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essentially performing multiple spy,
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storyteller and eventually genuine
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friend.
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Jessica: That must create some incredibly complex
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emotional moments between them.
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Chris: Oh, it does. And what's really compelling is
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how Diego Luna transforms
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Valentin from this hardened revolutionary
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into someone who actually allows himself to
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be vulnerable. But. And here's where
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things get complicated. The film tries to
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weave in this whole musical element with
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Jennifer Lopez playing dual roles as both a
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magazine publisher and the mysterious Spider
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Woman.
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Jessica: You know, that's quite different from the
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1985 version that won William Hurt his Oscar.
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How does this new interpretation hold up?
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Chris: Well, that's where we run into some issues.
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Despite having Bill Condon, who wrote
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Chicago, at the helm, the musical elements
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feel disconnected from the political drama.
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It's like watching two different movies
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fighting for attention.
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Jessica: So the intimate prison story works better
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than the musical numbers?
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Chris: Exactly. When we're focused on Melina and
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Valentin in their cell, the film really comes
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alive. There's this beautiful metaphor about
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how stories can help us process reality, even
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in the darkest circumstances. But then we
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shift to these elaborate musical sequences
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that just don't carry the same weight.
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Jessica: That's fascinating how even with some
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missteps, the core story still resonates.
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Chris: You know what's really interesting? The way
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they handle the political context. They don't
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shy away from showing the brutality of the
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regime, which gives every interaction between
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Malina and Valentin this underlying tension,
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every conversation could literally be a
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matter of life and death.
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Jessica: That must add so many layers to their growing
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friendship.
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Chris: It really does. And Tonatio's performance
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captures all those complexities. He
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brings this incredible vulnerability to
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Malina while still maintaining this sense of
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flamboyance that's almost like armor.
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When that armor starts to crack, it's really
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powerful stuff.
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Jessica: How does the film balance the personal story
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with the larger political narrative?
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Chris: That's actually one of its stronger aspects.
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The personal betrayals mirror the political
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ones, and even though the musical elements
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don't quite work, you can see what they were
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trying to do. Use art as a way to process
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trauma and find connection in impossible
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circumstances.
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Jessica: It sounds like despite its flaws, it's still
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contributing something meaningful to the
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conversation.
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Chris: That's exactly right. While it might only
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score a 6 out of 10, and I'd still recommend
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people watch the 1985 version first,
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there's something valuable about seeing how
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these themes of identity politics and human
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connection resonate in a contemporary
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context. Sometimes the attempt to tell these
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stories in new ways is just as interesting
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as getting everything perfect.
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Jessica: And perhaps that's what keeps these important
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stories alive. Finding new ways to tell them
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for each generation.
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Chris: You know, that's really what it comes down
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to. Even when certain elements don't quite
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work, the core story about human connection
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in the face of political oppression remains
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incredibly powerful. It's a reminder that
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sometimes the most important stories are the
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ones we keep trying to tell, even if we don't
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always get it exactly right.
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Finally, I'd like to suggest revisiting the
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1985 film or visiting it for the
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first time. If you haven't before, it would
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be worthwhile. This version scores a 6 out
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of 10.
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