ON 17 JANUARY, to begin our regular 'Reviews' feature, Kiss of the Spiderwoman by Harry Ring. This week PETER PURTON, a member of the Labour Campaign for Lesbian and Gay Rights, gives an alternative interpretation of the film.
THE FILM Kiss of the Spider Woman nas been hailed as both a magnificent film and as a deep and serous study of human relations and of sexuality.
Its central theme the relationship which Socialist Action No 127 carried a review of elops between Molina, an effeminate gay man, Valentin, a very definitely straight they share American prison cell.
The staging, the drama dev- and the acting (especially are superb. But politically, Spider Woman is tar trom question the basis of bearded, silent, wedded to Cause.
Jedi Lollule of his comrades.
Lalle Molina is the full gay stereotype. A former shop whom he can be a passive silai cu Valentin's cold exterior is anent. ter to him; but his first girl friend stil matters more judice, and he understands ASTION CA 1 reverse occurs, and ValenLale al.
happens to be from a comDecret. Molina falls in love with Course both because Hurt's percloser to the real thing, blem is with the whole role that Molina has to play. wnal une torturers cannol falling in love he becomes USCCON Valentin has indeed askec DOUL ul calls u.
Ouce Liberation OCLWCCI pays Hoerabon causes are not contradicendl Orange strike Republican News/An Phoblacht, the somewhat different light. peaceful nationalist demonstrations.
turn to the RUC for protection -of the Orange state.
behaviour during the loyalist strike, WE REPRODUCE, from the front page of paper's comments on the role of the Royal Ülster Constabulary (RUC), which puts Thatcher's 'law and order' campaign in a THE ROLE of the RUC in refusing to confront loyalist strikers, who erected roadblocks and openthreatened tionalists going about their business during Monday's shut-down in the six counties, has confirmed what republicans have always known - that the RUC is an irreformable and unacceptable secRecent SDLP moves towards recognition and support for the RUC, including the appointment of members to the RUC Authority, have come unstuck for the time being following the behaviour of RUC personnel who, at roadblocks and pickets throughout the six counties, adopted an openly coAnd in the exceptional cases where the RUC was forced into conflict with pickets, it showed a degree of reluctance and restraint which they have showed by its actions and its attitude on Monday, March 3rd, that it is part and parcel of the loyalist state and that, like other loyalists, its support for British law and British order is conditional on that law and order being directed solely against the naindication, however, that this the slightest difference to the Dublin government which regularly boasts that collaboration between the gardai and RUC is being increased substantially in the wake of the Hillsborough deal. Only a week earlier, when signing the European Conventhe Coalition justice minister, Alan Dukes, encouraged Northern nationalists to join the RUC, saying that progress was being made in cosmetic excercises in the past year, including the re-routing of the July 12th Orange parade in Pornot hide for long the real sectarian face of the RUC, however, and it was hardly surprising that in Portadown and nearby Lurgan last Monday maskallowed to enforce their own version of law and Alan Dukes, Garret FitzGerald, John Hume backwards for the past four months to 'reassure' unionists and to persuade nationalists that they should abandon their support for the IRA and politicians were given their answer last Monday. By placating loyalism they have endangered entire nationalist communities and by soliciting support for the RUC, they have ignored the historical and contemporary role of that force as an integral part While establishment politicians in the SDLP and Dublin try to minimise the significance of RUC RTE, through blatant self-censorship and distortion, fails to inform people in 'single-channel land' about the full extent of the loyalist bullying tactics and the RUC's acquiesence in those tactics, Nor-
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helpless gay, having finally from the police and sym tin's current girl friend. In the final sequence,
on a little boat to row away. Molina, in abandoning for