Review of Amores Perros
By: Eric Martin
Alejandro Gonzalez Innaritu’s film Amores Perros is a Mexican film that has received international praise including a nomination for Best Foreign Language Film from the American Academy Awards. The film follows three different stories entitled “Octavio y Susana”, “Daniel y Valeria”, and “El Chivo y Maru”. All three stories are connected by a car accident shown in the beginning of the film and examine the love and cruelty humans can hold and inflict each other. The dogs these main characters own influence their actions by providing wealth, hardship, or enlightenment.
Amores Perros is a very modern film that can reach many foreign audiences. For example the narrative structure of the movie mimics many popular films by the American director Quentin Tarantino. For example, the beginning of Amores Perros follows the lead up to the car crash that connects the lives of all the characters. A dog is bleeding profusely from a gunshot wound in the back of the car. The scene the very hectic and resembles the beginning to Reservoir Dogs. Furthermore, the plot the nonlinear and jumps back and forth in time in the same manner as Tarantino’s films.
The cinematography and mise-en-scene in Amores Perros are very powerful and can convey many universal themes to global audiences. For example, the film contains many graphic images of dogfights. Dogs are shown with broken necks, sharp teeth, and bloody fur. These images highlight the cruelty humans can inflict on animals. The film also uses cinematography to suggest that humans are no better than dogs. For example, in one scene two men are tied up like dogs and left to fight over a gun just out of reach of both of them. The scene uses a low angle shot to emphasize that the men are dogs in an arena and the audience the looking down upon them as spectators.
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ReplyDeleteVery good attention to detail on the ending for the brothers who hate each other. I did not notice until reading this review that they are left in a veritable "arena" to solve their differences. Very interesting
ReplyDeleteI think that you made several excellent points in this review, without revealing any substantial plot points that would ruin the movie. Your references to Quentin Tarantino was an excellent way to show how the cinematography styles of this film are very global in nature and have actually been reproduced very well known Hollywood directors.
ReplyDeleteI also think that you made an excellent reference to the fight over a gun scene. I agree that the camera angles do make you feel as if you are looking about the scene as a spectator, which is a different approach than is used in several other parts of the film.
Overall I think this is an excellent review of the point that the film was trying to make.
I would liked to have seen a little more of a summary of the film. Otherwise, though, you make an excellent point by observing that the cinematography and mise-en-scene both contribute to the ongoing comparison of cruelty to animals and cruelty to other humans.
ReplyDeleteThe structure of the film also resembles that of Pulp Fiction,and the scene where Valeria is found passed out on the floor is almost identical to when Uma Thurman OD's on cocaine in Pulp Fiction. The film also addressed the social and economic struggles with in the country by the juxtaposition of the stories. I did not make the connection between the men fighting for the gun as a dog fight it was a good catch. All in all, good review.
ReplyDeleteThis is well written, however, a little lacking in detail. If I had not already seen the movie, I would have no idea what this film is about.
ReplyDeleteI agree that human cruelty to animals and each other is the prominent theme, but are there any other messages conveyed in this film?