| Well, this is
going to be tricky. I want to
defend Amores Perros for the truths it so graphically illustrates. And I also want to
caution you: You may not want to see it.
Amores Perros displays a lot of
stomach-turning evil. But the focus of the film is on just how desperately we need
to be tender, compassionate, and forgiving. It is also about the value of family, of
responsibility, and of every human life, even the most depraved life. While these
are important themes, I encourage you to think twice before you put yourself through the
wringer of this movie. Just as the villain of Apocalypse Now looks into the
evil abyss of his own heart and gasps, "The horror! The horror!", so this debut
from director Alejandro González Iñárritu stares unflinchingly at
the cruelty humans exhibit
toward each other and to animals.
Let’s just say it is a hyperviolent movie
against violence. A graphic portrayal of infidelity in the name of marriage. A
tale of murderous sibling rivalry in the name of family.
Like Pulp Fiction, Amores Perros
focuses on
three stories about criminal behavior.
It begins with the story
of a young man who wants to
rescue his brother’s abused wife and escape the oppressive evil in their
home, but first he must find enough money to afford the escape. The second
story is about a rich married man who has an affair with a supermodel, which
leads to devastating consequences. The third follows the life of a
mysterious vagrant whose heart, hardened by a life of violence, is slowly
cracked open, driving him to a moment of crucial decision.
Each of these stories focuses on people who do the
wrong thing and pay the penalty, or people who do the right thing in a very wrong way, and
pay the penalty. Perhaps some of these people, driven to crime either out of
bloodlust or necessity, will learn from the harsh consequences of their actions and become
better people. Perhaps not. Whatever the case, if you choose to see this film,
be warned that you will see things you’d rather forget.
What makes this film so difficult to watch is a very
baffling and unique characteristic. There are dogs everywhere, and they are as
important to the story as the large cast of human characters. Almost everyone in
this movie seems to have an important dog in his or her life. And the way
people treat their dogs is an interesting and undeniable commentary on how
they treat each other.
Caution: One of the film’s stories deals quite graphically
with an illegal dog-fighting ring, and the camera does not shy away from bloody dog
carcasses — but a message at the beginning of the film insists that no animals were
actually harmed, and I sincerely hope that’s the truth.
If you're like me, you'll want to scream for the madness of these bloody,
unconscionable games to stop, as street gang punks launch their pit bulls and
Rottweilers at
each other to the death. While clever editing spares us any scenes of actual
bloodletting, there are plenty of sickening close-ups after the fights are over.
Many people will disapprove of this movie because of
these scenes. Many of those same people will not say much about the violence between
humans in the film. Why? We see people mistreat each other constantly, on
television and at the movies. We may not like it, but I'm willing to bet most
of us, myself included, have become a little numb, a little callous. I can
intellectually justify why I appreciate certain highly violent films, but I cannot justify
how I have let my emotions grow dull in response to such portrayals. There are
feelings that should rightly flare up when witnessing human violence. Even when it
is a villain that is bleeding. The audience, myself included, cringed and became
somewhat sick at watching dogs half-dying or dead. Why was I not equally injured, or more
so, to watch the way these family members turn against each other,
the way these people use and abuse each other?
I think that there is something in this contrast
that accomplishes the movie's primary objective. It reminds us what we
SHOULD feel towards each other.
I am not saying movies should not portray violence. I am saying far too many movies portray violence excessively and irresponsibly,
without giving us room to feel what we should feel about it. Thus we become
accustomed to it. And it takes heavier and heavier shocks to wake us up again.
Amores Perros immerses you in a world so dark
you end up craving the light… so that when you see glimmers of it, when a bad guy
suddenly and strangely pities his own enemy, when a liar suddenly realizes that he is his
own worst victim, when a killer suddenly comes face to face with the truth about
himself… you find yourself grabbing onto that thread of virtue and saying
"Yes!" Love is the answer.
Overall, Iñárritu’s first movie is
impressively powerful. He gets first-rate performances from a wonderful cast; I hope
I see these actors again. His camerawork reminded me of Steven Soderbergh’s
brilliant cinematography in Traffic, and his characters are as starkly drawn as
Tarantino’s in Pulp Fiction. Other critics have noticed the influence of
Bunuel. I heard echoes of Kieslowski’s Decalogue and Three Colors
trilogy (with one obvious connection to Red). But this director is far from
working with the subtlety of Kieslowski in his moral storytelling. It’s easy to shock
an audience, to hammer home a moral lesson by showing the consequences of evil. In the way he uses dogs throughout the movie, Iñárritu is giving us
something to think about. Beyond that, though, he is heavy-handed. This movie
shouts: "Look at how miserable the unfaithful married man becomes because of his
affair! Look at the consequences of a supermodel’s vanity! Look at the consequences
of using evil to accomplish something good." If Iñárritu learns
some more restraint... if he trusts his audience to think...
he may become one of the
masters.
Now, I’m not going to recommend this movie to
the general moviegoing public. The onscreen violence towards animals would give
lasting nightmares to a lot of people I know. But I am also not going to condemn the
film. Some people won’t see the truth unless it hits them in the face like a baseball
bat. Maybe… maybe somebody will be in the audience who is lying to his wife. Maybe somebody will be dreaming of doing a little bit of wrong in hopes of getting
out of a jam. Maybe there will even be someone prone to solving problems with
violence. This is the kind of movie that might make them go home, look in the
mirror, and see themselves for what they are becoming.
I am grateful I saw Amores Perros. It
made me feel ashamed of my own hard-heartedness, and challenged me to ask myself
questions. How can I re-sensitize my heart, after becoming numb from the violence in
the news, in the movies, and in rush-hour traffic? No, Amores Perros
isn’t the subtlest movie I’ve seen. But it was certainly a wake-up call
for me. And I believe it will be for others as well.
Jeffrey's Grade: A-
For an explanation of
these ratings, click
here. |
