Khouri uses the brothel as a microcosm for the Brazilian elite of the 1930s. The decadence, the beautiful clothes, and the classical music mask a rotting core of political corruption, exploitation, and moral bankruptcy. The loss of Hugo's innocence directly mirrors the country's loss of democracy during the 1937 coup. Exceptional Performances
Amor Estranho Amor (translated to Strange Love or Love Strange Love ), released in 1982, is a film that has carved out a unique, albeit highly controversial, place in cinematic history. Directed by Walter Hugo Khouri and starring Xuxa Meneghel (before her massive success as a children's television host) and Tarcísio Meira, this Brazilian drama often sparks intense discussion due to its thematic content and the subsequent fame of its cast. Khouri uses the brothel as a microcosm for
If you haven't seen "Amor Estranho Amor" before, here's why you should add it to your watchlist: Long before she became Brazil’s "Queen of Children"
The primary reason Amor Estranho Amor is rarely shown today—and why it created such a stir—stems from the casting of Xuxa Meneghel. Long before she became Brazil’s "Queen of Children" and a global superstar in children's television, she was a young actress and model who appeared in this film, which features explicit scenes. who played young Hugo
However, for international audiences, the draw is undeniably the presence of a baby-faced Xuxa Meneghel, in her first starring film role, two years before she became "Queen of the Shorties". Xuxa was initially reluctant to do the erotic film and has said she was coerced into doing it by her then-boyfriend, soccer legend Pelé. Playing a teenage prostitute named Tamara who seduces a 12-year-old boy, her scenes are at the heart of the film’s scandal. The actor Marcelo Ribeiro, who played young Hugo, has stated that the controversial nature of the film "cancelled" his acting career, as he was forever typecast.
Have you seen the updated English dub of Love, Strange Love? What did you think of the infamous “party scene”? Join the conversation in the comments below.