Kiss of the Spider Woman

Note: The film alternates between scenes set in real life and the events of The Kiss of the Spider Woman, a film within the film, but this plot summary retells both storylines separately. In Argentina in May 1983 at the tail end of the Dirty War, Luis Molina, a trans woman convicted of public indecency for same-sex acts, is moved to the same cell as Valentín Arregui, a political dissident involved with a revolutionary group. Though initially irritated by Molina's flamboyance and chatterbox personality, Valentín lets Molina tell him the plot of her favorite film, the Hollywood musical The Kiss of the Spider Woman, starring her idol Ingrid Luna. The in-universe film, depicted as the character of Molina imagines it, is set in an imaginary South American country and follows Aurora (portrayed by Ingrid Luna), a successful magazine publisher and popular bachelorette whose best friend and assistant is Kendall (pictured by Molina as herself), and who falls instantly in love with a photographer named Armando (pictured as Valentín). The three travel to Aurora and Armando's home village, where they encounter the dangerous gangster Johnny Desiderio, who comes to want Armando dead. As Aurora left the village when she was too young to remember, Armando introduces her to it and its inhabitants. Aurora learns that the village is protected from malevolent spirits by a powerful being named the Spider Woman (also portrayed by Ingrid Luna) in exchange for the regular sacrifice of a native woman's lover. Realizing that the Spider Woman will pick him as sacrifice, Aurora attempts to drive Armando away by pretending that she cares for neither him nor the villagers, but his unwavering devotion eventually breaks her facade. They reaffirm their mutual love, and Aurora decides that now that she was aware of the villagers' troubles, she wishes to help them as Armando does. Kendall, jealous of Armando, betrays them to Johnny, and the couple escapes into the jungle, where Armando plans to sacrifice himself to the Spider Woman so that she continues protecting the village. However, Kendall, who followed the couple and whom Aurora loves as a true friend, sacrifices himself to the Spider Woman instead. Aurora realizes that although fearsome, the Spider Woman is not evil, as death can be necessary for life to exist, and the couple is able to live happily ever after. Unbeknown to Valentín, Molina was tasked with spying on him by the warden in exchange for potential parole. Despite being eager to be released from prison as her mother is ailing, Molina is hesitant to report on Valentín, rarely giving away any information and continuously caring for the latter as he is tortured and poisoned by prison officers. In return, Valentín warms up to Molina, and although originally dismissive, grows increasingly interested by her retelling The Kiss of the Spider Woman. As anti-government protests grow in size, the warden surprises Molina by approving her parole. The prospect of being separated from each other leads Valentín and Molina to realize that they have fallen in love, and they become lovers the night before Molina is freed from prison. On the day of her release, Molina offers to contact Valentín's group in order to pass on information from Valentín to them, and Valentín agrees. As Armando had to Aurora in her re-telling, Molina gives Valentín a red scarf, and says she hopes Valentín will not forget her. Valentín reassures her he won't, and the two bid each other an emotional farewell. After her release, Molina reunites with her family. Unaware that the warden has arranged to have her followed in the hope that she will lead them to Valentín's group, she makes contact with Valentín's comrades and passes on the information entrusted to her. Officers chase them, and the revolutionaries try to escape with Molina, but when she falls behind, they are forced to shoot her dead to prevent the officers from obtaining the information she holds. As she lays dying, Molina imagines herself dancing with Valentín/Armando. Before being welcomed into death by the Spider Woman at the end of her dying dream, Molina declares that she does not regret her sacrifice, although, like Kendall died for Aurora, she did it not for Valentín's cause but out of love for him. Later, Valentín is devastated by the news of Molina's death. In October 1983, the military junta is toppled and thousands of political prisoners are freed. As his fellow inmates make it outside the jail and emotionally reunite with their families and friends, the newly-freed Valentín kisses Molina’s red scarf and raises it up in the air, saying “We made it, my love. We made it.”