▁and ▁was ▁released ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁on ▁July ▁ 2 6 , ▁ 1 9 8 5 . ▁It ▁received ▁w ides p read ▁critical ▁acc laim ; ▁H urt ▁won ▁the ▁Academy ▁Award ▁and ▁B AF TA ▁Award ▁for ▁Best ▁A ctor , ▁and ▁the ▁film ▁received ▁a ▁further ▁three ▁Oscar ▁nomin ations ▁including ▁Best ▁Picture . ▁ ▁Plot ▁The ▁film ▁tells ▁of ▁two ▁very ▁different ▁individuals ▁who ▁share ▁a ▁prison ▁cell ▁in ▁Brazil ▁during ▁the ▁Brazil ian ▁military ▁government : ▁Val entin ▁Ar reg ui , ▁who ▁is ▁imprison ed ▁( and ▁has ▁been ▁tort ured ) ▁due ▁to ▁his ▁activities ▁on ▁beh alf ▁of ▁a ▁left ist ▁revolution ary ▁group , ▁and ▁Luis ▁Mol ina , ▁an ▁eff em inate ▁hom osex ual ▁in ▁prison ▁for ▁having ▁sex ▁with ▁an ▁under age ▁boy . ▁ ▁Mol ina ▁passes ▁the ▁time ▁by ▁rec ount ing ▁mem ories ▁from ▁one ▁of ▁his ▁favorite ▁films , ▁a ▁w art ime ▁rom antic ▁thr iller ▁that ' s ▁also ▁a ▁Naz i ▁propag anda ▁film . ▁He ▁we aves ▁the ▁characters ▁into ▁a ▁narr ative ▁meant ▁to ▁comfort ▁Val entin ▁and ▁dist ract ▁him ▁from ▁the ▁har sh ▁real ities ▁of ▁political ▁imprison ment ▁and ▁separation ▁from ▁his ▁lo ver , ▁Mart a . ▁Val entin ▁encourag es ▁Mol ina ▁to ▁have ▁self - res pect ▁and ▁opens ▁him ▁up ▁to ▁political ▁commit ment . ▁Despite ▁Val entin ' s ▁occasionally ▁sn apping ▁at ▁Mol ina ▁over ▁his ▁shall ow ▁views ▁of ▁film