Analysis of Amores Perros

The Urban Environment of Mexico City, As Presented in Amores
Perros

Amores Perros represents the feature film directorial debut of Alejandro González Iñárritu and was written by Guillermo Arriaga, the craftsman behind such acclained Hollywood successes as 21 Grams and Babel. It is perhaps no surprise then that this pairing, of inspired passion and experienced creativity, resulted in a film that won 52 of the 69 total awards for which it was nominated world-wide, including the Ariel Award for Best Picture from the
Mexican Academy of Film and the Critics Week Grand Prize at the Cannes Film Festival. But it is more than exceptional filmmaking that is responsible for the critical success of this film. …show more content…

As Jorge scrambles to carry the bleeding animal to their car, Octavio lashes out and stabs the gang leader in the gut, initiating the car chase that opens the film.
The first story ends on the seminal car crash, and we jump back in time again to be introduced to the main characters of the second story, Daniel and Valeria.

Story II: Upper Class Life

This middle story depicts upper class life in Mexico City in a way that puts its superficiality and frivolousness front and center. If the essence of working class life—its chaotic and dangerous nature—is symbolized by the car chase that opens the film, the fact that the first scene of the second story consists of Valeria, a high fashion model, being interviewed on a morning talk show, pretending to be in a relationship with a soap opera star, is a clear indication of the artificial and cosmetic nature of celebrity life in Mexico City.

The problems of the upper class, like those of the working class as explored in the first story, play a central role in the second story, but they are problems of a completely different order. Daniel, a successful magazine editor, is committing adultery with Valeria. Whereas in the first story the father is absent altogether, in this story Daniel’s relative wealth allows him to support both his family and the purchase of an upscale apartment for himself and Valeria. But, as he makes the choice to leave his family for his mistress, the facade of wealth begins to crumble.

The