But if they wanted me to take out the dogfights, that would be impossible. While the subject matter could be a serious obstacle to British distribution, Gonzalez Inarritu is open to suggestions about cuts. The British Board of Film Classification is rigorous about films that show or even suggest animal violence, saying: "Baiting animals is a no-no as far as we are concerned, no matter how good the film is." There will certainly be more of a problem here. In Mexico, where the film has been a big hit, the press hardly commented on the animal cruelty question. The film's animal trainer is very respected in animal welfare circles, Gonzalez Inarritu says - "and he used his own dogs, so he cared about them". The dogs were wearing plastic muzzles - apparently clearly visible if you freeze-frame the film on video - while the ones that appear dead and bloodied were made up and drugged for 20 minutes at a time. Despite realistic-looking scenes in which dogs leap at each other, fangs apparently primed to bite, a lot was done in the shooting and editing - "the same way I'd avoid hurting somebody in a car accident". The film's director, Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, insists he was scrupulous about not harming any animals during filming. Following its British premiere at Edinburgh, Amores Perros (Love's a Bitch) is about to be picked up by a major UK distributor for release later this year. That debate could now become more than academic. Arguing that "context is no defence", the society declared: "Anything which involves goading or cruelty to animals is unacceptable." N o sooner had Amores Perros won a prize at the Cannes film festival than the RSPCA rushed to attack its bloody scenes of dogfighting.
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