The film is famously known for a scene where Xuxa's character attempts to seduce the young boy. When Xuxa later became a world-renowned children's television host, she fought for decades to remove the film from circulation.
Directed by Walter Hugo Khouri, Love, Strange Love (1982) is not a conventional love story. It is a psychological drama set against the backdrop of 1937 Brazil, during the Estado Novo (New State) regime of Getúlio Vargas.
The story is framed as the reminiscence of an adult man, Hugo, who returns to a mansion in São Paulo to reflect on 48 pivotal hours from his childhood in 1937. love strange love 1982 ok ru
Before you click that OK.ru link, understand what you are about to see. This is not Lolita . It is not Taxi Driver . It is a film made in 1982 by a 52-year-old director, featuring a child in vulnerable situations with adult women. There is a reason it was banned. Even if you can separate the art from the artist, the images are uncomfortable.
Xuxa Meneghel, who plays Tamara, later became Brazil's most iconic television host for children ("The Queen of the Shorties"). In the years following her rise to fame, she reportedly attempted to buy all existing copies of the film to prevent it from being seen, fueling its reputation as a "lost" or forbidden film. The film is famously known for a scene
★★★½ (Artistically significant / Morally problematic / Historically essential)
The film's cast is a fascinating mix of established stars and future icons: It is a psychological drama set against the
, who later became Brazil’s "Queen of the Children". In the film, a teenage Xuxa plays Tamara, a young prostitute who seduces the 12-year-old Hugo.
A check of the site reveals a page dedicated to the film, titled "LOVE STRANGE LOVE (Brazil, 1982) Subtitles in English". This indicates that for many years, the primary way for international audiences and curious viewers to see the film was through such unofficial channels. The film on OK.ru has a runtime of 2 hours 1 minute and 44 seconds, which aligns with the film's known runtime of roughly 110 minutes.
Ultimately, Love Strange Love serves as a fascinating case study in the intersection of celebrity, censorship, and art. Whether viewed as a provocative period piece or a scandalous footnote in pop culture history, its availability online ensures that the conversation around Khouri’s vision—and the controversies it birthed—will continue for years to come.
: In 1937, 12-year-old Hugo is sent to live with his mother, Anna, who resides in a luxurious bordello catering to influential politicians. The film depicts Hugo’s sexual awakening as he observes the house's activities and interacts with the women there.