Amores Perros involves three different stories in which the mysterious old man is the central character, interacting in each scene. The first story is of a young man who yearns for his brother’s wife. He attempts to run away with her to make a life for them through dog-fighting. The second tale involves an overall good-hearted man who leaves his wife and children for a young model who loses her leg following the momentous car accident that links the three scenes together. The third story follows the old man (El Chivo) as he is hired by a man to kill his half-brother and business partner. This part of the movie also delves deeper into El C
hivo’s past as a guerilla fighter who had abandoned his 2-year-old daughter Maru to fight for his cause and his journey to set things right.
Differing social classes were addressed from the rich (model and magazine executive) to the poor (Octavio trying to make a life for himself). The movie ensured that problems do exist in each rung of the economic ladder, despite social or financial status. Women are negatively portrayed in this film. The model girl was not very likeable as a character. Susana took the abuse from her husband, she stole the money from the brother, and her mother was a drunk. All the women cheat. Model woman cheated with a married man. Marta, a married woman, cheated with one of the brothers, who tried to kill each other.
The way the director interrelated the stories is a refreshing perspective. The movie starts with the future first (the car crash) then focuses on the events that lead up to it. However, the stories in Amores Perros do not have closure. What happened with El Chivo and his daughter? What happened to the two brothers near the end? You do not find out. This method of narration is prevalent among recent movies such as Crash.
-Written by Joshua Lee
I think the reverse chronological approach as you mentioned is very intriguing and places a lot of the focus on the final yet somehow inconclusive events of the film. This technique sets the mood very strongly for the entire film and I think it is a way of leading the viewers thoughts in a very defined way. There are several other movies that I know of that share this technique as it seems to be quite successful.
ReplyDeleteThis is a strong resposne that displays understanding of the plot and its meanings. The mention of how the movie identifies that betrayal and violence is not restricted to certain social classes is insightful. Also, the mention of the way roles of women are negatively portrayed in the film is an interesting and valid obsevation.
ReplyDeleteI agree that women are portrayed in a generally negative manner. They participate in affairs and cheat in other ways. I do not think, however, that the film intends to focus on the immorality of the women in this film. The male characters are portrayed in an equally negative manner. Almost all the men in the film have mistresses. Daniel leaves his wife for his mistress, Ramiro has an affair with a co-worker, and the businessman who is kidnapped is also a married man in an affair. Ramiro is also a bank robber, while the old man is an assassin. I believe that the film is commenting upon a moral degradation of not just the women, but of humanity in general.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your comment that this movie conveys the idea that the rich are not very different from the poor. Many of the characters exhibit the same attitudes and behaviors despite being in different social classes. For example, Octavio and Daniel both betray their families. Octavio tries to steal his brothers wife, and Daniel leaves his family for Valeria.
ReplyDeleteBy: Eric Martin
I agree with the fact that the film effectively addresses the differing social classes, and that the characters within each class face their own issues. These problems are shown to all be related in the plot of this film, and I think that the relationships of these struggles is the main form of entertainment in the movie.
ReplyDelete