Drugs: They lead to hypocrisy, corruption and death. They exist everywhere, as if embedded in the system. At least, that is what the movie “Traffic” seems to say.
It’s not “Requiem for a Dream,” nor is it “Trainspotting.” I know, once you’ve seen one drug movie, you’ve seen them all. However, “Traffic” takes the cake. It creates an image we rarely see depicted in films: a corrupt system of government that spends millions of dollars to find solutions to drug problems and the effects of governmental decisions on families and society.
The sensation of drugs allows addicts to escape reality as dealers maintain drug cartels. These are the elements that make the motion picture “Traffic” go ’round.
“Traffic” is an original flick directed by Steven Soderbergh, who also directed “The Limey.” Four plots intersect and provide a devastating message: A right answer to the drug problem does not exist, nor will the problem ever end. The addiction and the business screw everyone over, but the business will surely rake in the dough.
Three color tones, according to location, make the cinematography in “Traffic” dynamite. In Mexico, the fuzzy yellow tint gives the film a documentary feel. The blue-tinted camera work in Washington D.C. gives sections of this movie an eerie ambiance while the clear shots in Ohio give it a realistic view, as if one were looking through the eye of the camera. The variety of tones sets different moods that play with the audience’s emotions. That is part of the fun in this film.
Judge Robert Wakefield, weakly played by Michael Douglas, is hired by the president of the United States to win the war on drugs. The funny thing is, he has his own issues with alcohol.
Straight-A student Caroline (Erika Christensen) is Wakefield’s 16-year-old lost daughter and feels tired by the masks people wear. Nobody understands her and she is “angry about a lot of things.” Her emotional baggage and ongoing junkie habits that lead her to prostitution are well-performed. Caroline’s position grips the heart. Christensen is by far the most believable actress in “Traffic.”
Next, we have the crooked Mexican government, which works with the American government to halt drug trade across the border. Mexico’s debased general, Arturo Salazar, is working for the drug lord while conspiring with U.S. officials to catch this criminal. However, two Tijuana cops working for the general, Javier (Benicio Del Toro) and his partner Manolo (Jacob Vargas), are supposed to bust those involved with the drug syndicate. This produces an unfolding dilemma.
Dealer Carlos Ayala (Steven Bauer) is arrested for dealing. His innocent wife Helena (Catherine Zeta Jones) turns ruthless to get her husband released from jail. She has no choice but to preserve her husband’s illegal business transactions. This section of the screenplay unveils the institution where drugs provide an attractive alternative in a situation where a person such as Helena is trapped.
All four stories weave into one creation that is pure genius: “Traffic.” The tension throughout the show is disturbing, but the innovative subject matter and cinematography are worth it. The ending is high and dry, leaving the audience hanging. Nothing in this film is candy-coated, but it’s part of the film’s brilliance.
‘Traffic’ more than just another drug movie
Daily Emerald
January 17, 2001
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