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‘Kiss of the Spider Woman’ | Anatomy of a Scene
The director Bill Condon narrates a musical dance sequence featuring Jennifer Lopez.
Hi, I’m Bill Condon. I directed “Kiss of the Spider Woman.” I also wrote the screenplay adaptation. So this is a scene from the movie within the movie. Jennifer Lopez plays a great fashion editor who has come to this small village with Diego Luna, who is a great photographer, and her sidekick and best friend, played by Tonatiuh. Then the gangster who owns this club and controls the village, shows up. He’s played by Tony Dovolani. Tony, a legendary ballroom dancer, is someone who was in “Shall We Dance” with Jennifer years ago. So this is a reunion too, between these two great dancers. When we were building the number, Jennifer’s credo here was don’t make it easy on me. I want to do things that are difficult. So ultimately her grabbing that glass and getting on the ground and spinning and then getting up, that was all at her instigation. And I think you’ll notice here that we shot this number when they dance in one master the way they used to very wide so that you can see a full figure. The take I chose to put in the movie is the one where Diego Luna watching Jennifer pull off this amazing number sees that incredible Colleen Atwood fringe is about to crash into the champagne glass and grabs it. I just thought it was a wonderful moment. It was choreographed by all of our choreographers led by Sergio Trujillo, Christopher Scott, Brandon Bieber because we prepared this movie in three locations. Diego Luna was working in Madrid, Jennifer was in Los Angeles, and we were prepping in New York. So it was a constant kind of exchange of ideas. “I’ll see you in the lobby in the morning?” This scene also introduces a romantic triangle within the movie. Diego Luna, still in love with a woman from the village called Paulina Paz, who is dating this gangster. And Jennifer being his new love. So this triangle then gets reflected in the prison drama itself. “And with that, I say Ciao. Good night, Valentín.” “No, don’t stop now.” “It’s a bunch of silly clichés, but at least these new characters inject a bit of dramatic conflict.” “Better to leave the audience wanting more. Sleep tight.”
The director Bill Condon narrates a musical dance sequence featuring Jennifer Lopez.
By Mekado Murphy
October 17, 2025
