The Styrous® Viewfinder: William Hurt

March 20, 2019

20,000 Vinyl LPs 175: Kiss of the Spider Woman & William Hurt

Kiss of the Spider Woman soundtrack

vinyl LP front cover detail

detail photo by Styrous®

Today is the birthday of screen actor William Hurt. The list of the films he has starred in and the actors with whom he has performed is astounding. It was difficult to decide which of his films to feature for this blog; I settled on Kiss of the Spider Woman as of all his films, this one totally blew me away and it demonstrated his extraordinary acting talent.

Kiss of the Spider Woman soundtrack

vinyl LP front cover

photo by Styrous®

Kiss of the Spider Woman (Portuguese: O Beijo da Mulher-Aranha) is a 1985 Brazilian-American drama film directed by Argentine-born Brazilian director Héctor Babenco, and adapted by Leonard Schrader from the Manuel Puig novel of the same name. William Hurt, Raúl Juliá, Sônia Braga, José Lewgoy, and Milton Gonçalves star in the leading roles.

It is a film that could never have been made in the United States and if it had been, it would never have been as powerful nor brilliant. The film tells of two very different men who share a prison cell in Brazil during the Brazilian military government: Valentin Arregui, who is imprisoned (and has been tortured) due to his activities on behalf of a leftist revolutionary group, and Luis Molina, a pederast in prison for having sex with an underage boy.

William Hurt as Luis Molina

Kiss of the Spider Woman

movie still

Hurt captured the character of Molina with an insight that is skillful, shocking, and brilliant. His speech, movements and innuendos are astounding. It is no surprise he won an Academy Award for the role. During filming of Kiss of the Spider Woman, Hurt and a friend were threatened at gunpoint but were let go several hours later.

In 1985, Hurt garnered critical acclaim and multiple acting awards for Kiss of the Spider Woman including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award for Best Actor and the Best Male Performance Prize at the Cannes Film Festival.

Kiss of the Spider Woman soundtrack

vinyl LP back cover

photo by Styrous®

Hurt was born William McChord Hurt in Washington, D.C. on the 20th of March, 1950. He studied at the Juilliard School and began acting on stage in the 1970s. Hurt made his film debut in 1980 as a troubled scientist in the Ken Russell science-fiction feature Altered States, for which he received a Golden Globe nomination for New Star of the Year.

Kiss of the Spider Woman soundtrack

vinyl LP record sleeve, side 1

photo by Styrous®

Hurt played a leading role, as a lawyer with Kathleen Turner, in the neo-noir Body Heat (1981) and The Big Chill (1983). He appeared in the thriller Gorky Park, also in 1983, opposite Lee Marvin.

Kiss of the Spider Woman soundtrack

vinyl LP record sleeve, side 2

photo by Styrous®

Hurt received another two Academy Award nominations for his lead performances in Children of a Lesser God (1986) and Broadcast News (1987). He remained an active stage actor throughout the 1980s, appearing in Off-Broadway productions, including Henry V, Fifth of July, Richard II and A Midsummer Night's Dream. He received his first Tony Award nomination in 1985 for the Broadway production of Hurlyburly.

Kiss of the Spider Woman soundtrack

vinyl LP record, side 1

photo by Styrous®

Kiss of the Spider Woman soundtrack

vinyl LP record label, side 1

photo by Styrous®

Kiss of the Spider Woman soundtrack

vinyl LP record, side 1

photo by Styrous®

Kiss of the Spider Woman soundtrack

vinyl LP record label, side 2

photo by Styrous®

Tracklist:

Side 1:

A1 - Kiss Of The Spider Woman Overture - 0:50
A2 - The Most Ravishing Woman - 2:25
A3 - Visions Of The Ultra Rhine - 1:15
A4 - Kabaret - 1:14
A5 - Je Me Moque De L´Amour, lyrics by David Weisman, Manuel Puig, Vocals – Sonia Braga - 2:48
A6 - Molina`s Fantasies - 0:48
A7 - Lunapark - 1:32
A8 - Novela Das Nove - 3:23
A9 - Spider Island - 1:42

Side 2:

B1 - Pavilhao IV - 5:15
B2 - The Avocado Scene (Dialogue) - 1:04
B3 - Kiss Of The Spider Woman Theme - 3:44
B4 - The Call - 1:04
B5 - Valentin`s Message (Dialogue) - 0:19
B6 - Blue For You - 0:42
B7 - Goodbye Mama - 0:58
B8 - Spider Woman Finale - 2:58

Credits:

Producer – Danny Holloway

John Neschling / Nando Carneiro and Wally Badarou ‎– Original Soundtrack With Music & Dialogue: Kiss of the Spider Woman
Label: Island Visual Arts ‎– 90475-1-E
Format: Vinyl, LP
Country: US
Released: 1985
Genre: Electronic, Non-Music, Classical, Stage & Screen
Style: Soundtrack, Modern Classical, Spoken Word

Viewfinder links:

Gay Gaze 'n Daze

Golden Globe Award
William Hurt

Net links:

William Hurt Filmography
Kiss of the Spider Woman website

LA Times ~ Art, Commerce and Hurt

New York Times review

Roger Ebert review

Variety review

YouTube links:

Kiss of the Spider Woman - Trailer
Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985) (complete 1 hr. 46 min., 45 sec.)

Kiss of the Spider Woman (9min., 34 sec.)
Kiss of the Spider Woman Gay kiss: William Hurt and Raúl Juliá

¡Feliz cumpleaños!