This early adaptation of Nelson Rodrigues tragic moralistic play "O Beijo no Asfalto" is a depressive mess that fails in almost all levels.
The 1981 version is far superior in all levels and I can suggest it easily. It's the same dramatic story of a man (Reginaldo Faria) who witness a man being hit by a car and as the victim lays dying he asks as a final request to get a kiss, which shocks the society because of the "taboo" of homosexuality, and from that moment the man faces persecution from the media, police and even his marriage is threatned. No one believes that a dying man would ask such a thing to a total stranger and someone who isn't gay.
Why I immensely disliked this version? Besides the point of prudish times to the point that the famous kiss of the title isn't shown at all (obscured by the crowd), the story is treated in such a melodramatic and depressive manner that I simply didn't care about almost anything in the story. Ok, it's not a happy story in any way neither should be, but it's hard to feel convinced by many aspects or critical moments of it all, and the only interesting things are the performance of Faria as the tormented guy who simply made an act of kindness, and Jorge Dória as the main persecutor since it gives to his character such an internal drama since he faces his own inner prejudices (I don't recall if the character, as played by Tarcisio Meira in the remake, was made in a similar fashion as being a closeted man, or just curious. Dória was given some great subtle moments of revelation).
I don't think it has the same bite and energy as Rodrigues play, it's just a series of repetitive events destined to make the lead character go crazy and we end up feeling like him, just asking ourselves why oh why this is happening. It's such a downer movie that you can keep waiting for its ending and not in a curious way. 4/10.
The 1981 version is far superior in all levels and I can suggest it easily. It's the same dramatic story of a man (Reginaldo Faria) who witness a man being hit by a car and as the victim lays dying he asks as a final request to get a kiss, which shocks the society because of the "taboo" of homosexuality, and from that moment the man faces persecution from the media, police and even his marriage is threatned. No one believes that a dying man would ask such a thing to a total stranger and someone who isn't gay.
Why I immensely disliked this version? Besides the point of prudish times to the point that the famous kiss of the title isn't shown at all (obscured by the crowd), the story is treated in such a melodramatic and depressive manner that I simply didn't care about almost anything in the story. Ok, it's not a happy story in any way neither should be, but it's hard to feel convinced by many aspects or critical moments of it all, and the only interesting things are the performance of Faria as the tormented guy who simply made an act of kindness, and Jorge Dória as the main persecutor since it gives to his character such an internal drama since he faces his own inner prejudices (I don't recall if the character, as played by Tarcisio Meira in the remake, was made in a similar fashion as being a closeted man, or just curious. Dória was given some great subtle moments of revelation).
I don't think it has the same bite and energy as Rodrigues play, it's just a series of repetitive events destined to make the lead character go crazy and we end up feeling like him, just asking ourselves why oh why this is happening. It's such a downer movie that you can keep waiting for its ending and not in a curious way. 4/10.
