Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Amores Perros (2000) is a raw, interwoven triptych that explores love, loss, violence, and fate in Mexico City. It was Iñárritu’s feature debut and instantly marked him as one of the most daring voices in modern cinema. Often compared to Pulp Fiction for its non-linear storytelling, the film builds a portrait of humanity through three seemingly separate yet deeply connected stories—all sparked by a single car accident.
Detailed Summary
Octavio and Susana’s Story (The Dogs of Violence)
Octavio (Gael García Bernal) is a young man living in Mexico City, trapped in a tense home with his abusive brother Ramiro. Ramiro is married to Susana, whom Octavio secretly loves. To win her over and escape their bleak life, Octavio begins entering his dog, Cofi, into brutal underground dogfights. The money starts piling up, but so do the enemies. Eventually, Octavio convinces Susana to run away with him—but she betrays him, choosing to stay with Ramiro. Octavio’s spiral leads directly into the catastrophic car crash that links all three stories.
Daniel and Valeria’s Story (The Dogs of Vanity)
Daniel (Álvaro Guerrero) is a wealthy magazine publisher who leaves his wife and children for Valeria (Goya Toledo), a glamorous Spanish supermodel. At first, their life in a new apartment seems like a fantasy, but after the crash, Valeria is gravely injured and loses the use of her leg. Worse, her beloved little dog Richie falls through a hole in the apartment floor and gets trapped beneath the floorboards. As Valeria grows bitter and resentful, her career destroyed, Daniel begins to regret his choices. Their love story disintegrates into suffocating misery, mirroring the trapped dog’s cries beneath their feet.
El Chivo’s Story (The Dogs of Redemption)
“El Chivo” (Emilio Echevarría) is a former guerrilla fighter turned hitman who now lives on the streets with a pack of stray dogs. Haunted by the family he abandoned years ago, he drifts through life doing assassination jobs while secretly watching his estranged daughter from afar. After the crash, El Chivo rescues Octavio’s dog Cofi and takes him in. When Cofi massacres El Chivo’s other dogs—a devastating moment—El Chivo is forced to confront his own violent existence. He eventually chooses redemption: sparing a man he was hired to kill, reuniting two estranged brothers, and finally leaving behind money and a note for his daughter. He walks away into an uncertain but freer future.
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Movie Ending
The film closes with El Chivo as the emotional core. After sparing the man he was supposed to kill, he instead locks him up with his corrupt employer and leaves them to decide each other’s fate. He leaves a heartfelt note and financial security for his daughter but never reveals himself, knowing he cannot truly undo the past. Meanwhile, Octavio’s dream of escaping with Susana collapses completely—she leaves him, and he loses his dog-fighting winnings after being stabbed. His story ends with him badly injured, his future uncertain. Daniel and Valeria’s relationship is all but destroyed; Valeria has lost her modeling career, her beauty is scarred, and their apartment echoes with Richie’s muffled barking. The final shot of El Chivo walking away into the horizon, with Cofi at his side, becomes the film’s quiet yet powerful conclusion: redemption is possible, but not without pain and sacrifice.
Are There Post-Credits Scenes?
No. Amores Perros does not include any post-credits scenes. The narrative closes firmly with El Chivo’s final walk, leaving viewers with a reflective silence.
Type of Movie
The film is a multi-narrative drama/thriller, often classified as neo-noir. It combines realism, gritty violence, and emotional storytelling in a non-linear structure.
Cast
- Gael García Bernal as Octavio
- Goya Toledo as Valeria
- Emilio Echevarría as El Chivo
- Álvaro Guerrero as Daniel
- Vanessa Bauche as Susana
- Jorge Salinas as Ramiro
Film Music and Composer
The soundtrack, curated by Gustavo Santaolalla, became iconic. His haunting guitar-driven score perfectly balances melancholy and intensity. It features contributions from Latin American artists and sets the emotional tone throughout.
⇢ KEEP UP WITH THE TREND
Filming Locations
The movie was shot almost entirely in Mexico City, capturing its chaotic energy, class divisions, and raw street life. The settings—from cramped apartments to gritty dogfighting arenas—add authenticity to each story, grounding the drama in a vividly real environment.
Awards and Nominations
- Academy Awards: Nominated for Best Foreign Language Film (2001)
- Cannes Film Festival: Won Critics’ Week Grand Prize and Prize of the Ecumenical Jury (2000)
- BAFTA Awards: Won Best Film Not in the English Language
- Numerous Ariel Awards (Mexico’s top film awards), including Best Picture and Best Director
Behind the Scenes Insights
- This was Iñárritu’s debut feature, and he insisted on filming with handheld cameras to capture raw energy.
- Real dogs were never harmed in fight scenes—special effects and editing created the illusion.
- Gael García Bernal’s breakout performance made him an international star.
- The interconnected narrative style later became Iñárritu’s signature, explored again in 21 Grams and Babel.
Inspirations and References
- Inspired by the French nouvelle vague and Tarantino’s nonlinear storytelling.
- The use of dogs as metaphors for human behavior—loyalty, violence, suffering—was central to Iñárritu’s vision.
- The film’s title translates roughly to “Love’s a Bitch,” emphasizing both canine imagery and the harshness of love.
Alternate Endings and Deleted Scenes
Iñárritu has stated the ending was always meant to focus on El Chivo’s redemption. However, some early drafts expanded Daniel and Valeria’s story, showing more of her career decline, but these were cut to maintain pacing.
Book Adaptations and Differences
Amores Perros is an original screenplay by Guillermo Arriaga, not adapted from a book. However, its success led to academic works analyzing its nonlinear storytelling and themes of fate and interconnectedness.
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Memorable Scenes and Quotes
Key Scenes
- The high-speed car chase that leads to the accident connecting all stories.
- Cofi’s victory in his first brutal dogfight.
- Valeria screaming as Richie’s cries echo from beneath the floorboards.
- El Chivo discovering Cofi has slaughtered his beloved strays.
- The final shot of El Chivo walking away, free yet broken.
Iconic Quotes
- “Si quieres hacer reír a Dios, cuéntale tus planes.” (If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans.)
- “No hay nadie en el mundo que no cambie de opinión.” (There is no one in the world who doesn’t change their mind.)
- “La vida es muy cabrona.” (Life’s a bitch.)
Easter Eggs and Hidden Details
- The dogs symbolize the emotional state of their owners: Cofi as Octavio’s loyalty, Richie as Valeria’s trapped beauty, El Chivo’s strays as his lost family.
- The interlocking timeline means small background details in one story connect to events in another.
- The crash is filmed from multiple angles, each story recontextualizing its meaning.
Trivia
- The film is considered the first part of Iñárritu’s “Death Trilogy,” followed by 21 Grams and Babel.
- It was banned in some countries due to its graphic dogfighting scenes.
- Quentin Tarantino personally praised the film at Cannes.
- It remains one of the highest-grossing Mexican films of all time internationally.
Why Watch?
Because Amores Perros is not just a movie—it’s an experience. It’s messy, painful, and brutally human, showing how lives collide through chance and consequence. If you like films that make you feel the rawness of existence, this is essential viewing.
Director’s Other Movies
- 21 Grams (2003)
- Babel (2006)
- Biutiful (2010)
- Birdman (2014)
- The Revenant (2015)
