Adiós, Roberto

Adiós, Roberto

Year: 1985

Runtime: 90 mins

Language: Spanish

Director: Enrique Dawi

DramaRomance

After separating from his wife, Roberto looks for a place to stay and moves in with Marcelo, a gay man whose sexuality he doesn’t realize. Their friendship deepens, and after a night of heavy drinking they sleep together. Roberto must now confront his emerging feelings and the possible judgment of his family.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline – Adiós, Roberto (1985)

Trace every key event in Adiós, Roberto (1985) with our detailed, chronological timeline. Perfect for unpacking nonlinear stories, spotting hidden connections, and understanding how each scene builds toward the film’s climax. Whether you're revisiting or decoding for the first time, this timeline gives you the full picture.

1

Roberto's separation and move-in

Roberto, an office worker, is going through a separation from his wife Marta, with whom he shares a son. Lacking a place to live, he follows a friend's advice and meets his cousin Marcelo, a writer who lives in a spacious apartment. Roberto moves in with Marcelo, and the two quickly form a strong, if initially uneasy, friendship.

Marcelo's apartment
2

Marcelo's sexuality and first impressions

Unbeknownst to Roberto at first, Marcelo is homosexual, which surprises Roberto and challenges his assumptions. The two men grow closer as Roberto settles into Marcelo's home, creating a bond that feels both supportive and unsettled. Their living arrangement marks a turning point in Roberto's view of his own life.

Marcelo's apartment
3

Marcelo confides about lack of attraction to women

Marcelo opens up to Roberto about his lack of attraction to women, sharing his inner truth with his cousin. Roberto listens, and this confession begins to push him to confront his own prejudices. The friendship deepens as Marcelo's honesty breaks down some of the walls between them.

Marcelo's apartment
4

Ambiguous sexual tension after a night out

After a night of drinking and attending an artistic gathering, hints of a possible sexual encounter between the two men arise. The moment remains ambiguous, leaving Roberto to question what the boundary between friendship and desire might be. The tension tests Roberto's comfort with changing norms.

artistic gathering
5

Roberto's inner conflict and dreams begin

Roberto's internal struggle surfaces through dreams and visions that echo his fears and judgments from others. He fears rejection from neighborhood friends and the pressure to conform to heterosexual norms. These nocturnal experiences blur the line between reality and fantasy as he debates his future.

6

Ex-wife's pleas and social pressures

Marta pleads with Roberto to reconcile, adding emotional pressure at a time when his friendship with Marcelo is intensifying. The outside world pushes him toward difficult choices about his living situation and his identity. The tension between family duty and personal truth grows.

Roberto's social circle
7

Religious condemnation

A Catholic priest condemns Marcelo's relationship as an offense to God, intensifying Roberto's fear of social condemnation. The church's pronouncements amplify the sense that Roberto is breaking with accepted norms. This moral pressure weighs on him as he weighs his loyalties.

Catholic Church
8

Psychoanalytic advice

A psychologist suggests therapeutic treatment to help Roberto cope with his turmoil. The confrontation with therapy adds to the sense that his crisis is medicalized and solvable through professional help. Roberto feels the weight of experts interpreting his situation.

Psychologist's office
9

Doubt from a former childhood ally

Roberto encounters disbelief from a prostitute he once frequented as a child, who questions his new life and choices. This encounter underscores the social stigma he faces from multiple directions. The memory of past behavior contrasts with his current questions about identity.

Old neighborhood
10

Threats from locals and authorities

A neighborhood bully, accompanied by plainclothes police, threatens to pull the trigger and kill Marcelo. The menacing scene crystallizes the risk of social violence against their bond. It forces Roberto to confront real world danger linked to his nonconformity.

Neighborhood street
11

Mother's tears and emotional toll

Roberto endures his mother's tears as she pleads for him to choose a conventional path. The maternal anguish adds a personal and intimate pressure to abandon Marcelo. The scene highlights the family stakes behind his crisis.

Mother's home
12

Despair leads to leaving Marcelo

Overwhelmed by the pressures, Roberto decides to leave Marcelo and moves into a budget hotel. The separation feels like surrendering his new life in favor of safety and social acceptance. The choice marks a low point in his emotional arc.

Budget hotel
13

Nervous breakdown and street walk

During this turbulent period, Roberto has a nervous breakdown and wanders through the street in his underwear. His vulnerability becomes public when he is arrested. This scene marks a turning point where his personal crisis becomes a legal matter.

City street
14

Phone call to Marcelo and release

With only a single phone call available, Roberto reaches out to Marcelo, who arrives at the police station with a lawyer to secure his release. Marcelo's intervention prevents a harsher outcome and reconnects them briefly in a moment of rescue. The episode confirms Marcelo's importance in Roberto's life.

Police station
15

Reunion with family and ambiguous farewell

Roberto is freed and is reunited with his wife and son, who had already been informed by Marcelo. Still, Marcelo prepares to leave, asking where he is going next. Marcelo replies that he will go home, implying that his own life will continue elsewhere, and bids Roberto a not quite farewell.

Police station

Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 14:28

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Characters, Settings & Themes in Adiós, Roberto

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