Traffic
2000 · Directed by Steven Soderbergh
Original language: English
- thriller
- drama
- crime
The story
An exploration of the United States of America's war on drugs from multiple perspectives. For the new head of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, the war becomes personal when he discovers his well-educated daughter is abusing cocaine within their comfortable suburban home. In Mexico, a flawed, but noble policeman agrees to testify against a powerful general in league with a cartel, and in San Diego, a drug kingpin's sheltered trophy wife must learn her husband's ruthless business after he is arrested, endangering her luxurious lifestyle.
What it’s like
Sun-bleached Mexican streets in warm, grainy amber, cool blue-grey Ohio suburbs, and a San Diego that glows gold and sunlit, so each thread feels like its own country. Shot with restless handheld camera and quick cuts, it has a documentary immediacy, while Cliff Martinez's pulsing synth and sparse guitar keep the tension humming under every scene. The mood is weary and dread-tinged rather than thrilling, with long stretches of quiet procedural talk in offices, cars and motel rooms. Violence is sudden and unglamorous, with a few brutal shootings and a grim killing, and drug use and withdrawal are shown unflinchingly, though gore is limited. There is some nudity and sex, strong language throughout, and an overall sense of moral exhaustion. Best for viewers who want a serious, politically engaged crime drama with an intelligent, sobering weight, not something gentle or comforting.
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