SPPO 1160 Introduction to the Cultural Production of Spain and Spanish America Antonio González Iñárritu, Amores perros (2000) Dr B. Bollig

SPPO 1160: Amores perros. Session Aims: –Introduce Amores perros; –Contextualise film: Mexico; Mexican film; –Introduce González Iñárritu; Position in Mexican film industry; Key influences; –Outline key techniques and themes; –Set seminar work.

SPPO 1160: Amores perros. Amores perros: –Boom of new Mexican cinema; –Commercially and critically successful films.

SPPO 1160: Amores perros. Context: Mexico: –Released June 2000; –End of PRI government, PAN victory 2000; Mexican Revolution of 1910s; One-party rule; Corruption of 1990s; –Background of political violence.

SPPO 1160: Amores perros. Context: Mexican film: –“Golden Age” of Mexican film; –3 rd Cinema/Imperfect cinema; –State vs private funding; –Importance of “telenovela”; –New audiences of 1990s/2000s?

SPPO 1160: Amores perros. Context: Mexican film: –“Golden Age” of Mexican film; –3 rd Cinema/Imperfect cinema; –State vs private funding; –Importance of “telenovela”; –New audiences of 1990s/2000s?

SPPO 1160: Amores perros. Alejandro González Iñárritu; –Biography; –Position in Mexican film industry.

SPPO 1160: Amores perros. Alejandro González Iñárritu; –Biography; –Position in Mexican film industry.

SPPO 1160: Amores perros. Alejandro González Iñárritu; –Key influences;

SPPO 1160: Amores perros. Key techniques: –Camera work; –Colour; –Narrative.

SPPO 1160: Amores perros. Key techniques: –Camera work; –Colour; –Narrative.

SPPO 1160: Amores perros. Key techniques: –Camera work; –Colour; –Narrative.

SPPO 1160: Amores perros. Key techniques: –Sound; –Character.

SPPO 1160: Amores perros. Key themes: –Mexico City; –Love/betrayal; –Violence and machismo.

SPPO 1160: Amores perros. Key themes cont.: –Fathers; –Money; –Politics and death.

SPPO 1160: Amores perros. Seminar preparation instructions: –Divide yourselves into groups of +/-6 students; –In pairs within the group pick one of the following questions: prepare your answer with your partner for next week; –In the seminar you will discuss your answers with the rest of the group and then we will debate each group’s answers as a class.

SPPO 1160: Amores perros. Seminar questions: 1.Choose one of the categories outlined by Jordan & Allison in the chapter of Spanish Cinema dealing with film theory and technique (mise en scene, cinematography, sound, editing, narrative, etc). Analyse this aspect in a five- to ten- minute section of Amores perros. 2.Read the Sánchez-Prado essay on Amores perros. Summarise the argument. Do you agree? Why? 3.Choose one of the films from the list of secondary viewing. Compare and contrast an aspect of the film’s technique with that of Amores.

SPPO 1160: Amores perros. Any questions? Do you know what you have to do for next week?