The situation changed dramatically in the late 2010s. In 2017, the ban was effectively lifted after a judge at the Federal Supreme Court declined to hear the case, finding it to be unfounded. By 2018, the film was legally free for exhibition. The film made its long-awaited debut on Brazilian television on , aired by the Canal Brasil network.
This action sparked intense backlash and frustration from her co-stars and the film's producer, Anibal Massaini Neto. Vera Fischer, who won a best actress award for the film, was openly critical of Xuxa's actions. Fischer told the press in 2019. She also noted the financial and artistic loss for everyone involved. Producer Massaini lamented the irony of censoring a cultural work in the early days of Brazil's redemocratization, calling it "very unpleasant".
Khouri's stylistic signature is all over the film. Reviewers note his deliberate pacing, elegant camera movement, and an "obsession with blue eyes staring out of frozen faces in closeup". While the film is packed with nudity and sexual situations, critics often note that it is staged in a bureaucratic, almost sterile fashion, a problem that makes the film feel slow to many modern viewers. Its 110-minute runtime offers a "stylish, often opulent" look at its lavish settings, creating a world that is as visually decadent as it is morally corrupt. Amor Estranho Amor -Love Strange Love- -1982- English
Unlike the upbeat pornochanchadas of the era, this film is deeply somber and visually polished. Availability and Legacy
Throughout the film, Ana Maria's character struggles to make sense of her strange love, caught between her responsibilities as a mother and wife, and her uncontrollable desires. The movie explores themes of love, lust, family dynamics, and the complexities of human relationships. The situation changed dramatically in the late 2010s
"Love Strange Love" was the product of a director at a crossroads. Walter Hugo Khouri was already an established name in Brazilian cinema, known for his existential and psychological dramas that often drew comparisons to European masters like Ingmar Bergman and Michelangelo Antonioni. By the late 1970s and early 1980s, however, the Brazilian film industry was evolving, and Khouri adapted by infusing his trademark introspective style with the eroticism that was becoming commercially popular.
The film’s legacy is inextricably linked to , who played the young prostitute Tamara. Shortly after the film's release, Xuxa became Brazil’s most famous children’s TV host, known as the "Queen of the Little Ones". The film made its long-awaited debut on Brazilian
In 1937, right before the rise of the authoritarian Estado Novo regime in Brazil, a 12-year-old Hugo is sent to live with his mother, Anna (played by Vera Fischer). Anna is the mistress of a powerful, corrupt politician and resides in a luxurious, upscale brothel that caters to the political elite.
On review aggregators, the film holds a near-zero visibility due to its banned status. User reviews on surviving databases are almost universally negative, citing the film as "sickening" and "criminal."
In a 2020 interview with the show Fantástico , Xuxa stated, "Who hasn’t seen the film, please, watch it. Because this film speaks about a very current thing, which is child exploitation, and that is the reality for many people". She continued to defend herself in subsequent interviews, lamenting the "fake news" and accusations of pedophilia that have haunted her for decades. She expressed regret over her decision to hide the film, saying, "They did the worst thing, which was to pay to keep the film hidden… If they had shown that 'crappy' film back then for everyone to see, none of this would have happened, because they would see there’s nothing there".