BORDER PATROL: THE WAR AGAINST DRUGS CONTINUES

BY CHELSEA GILLILAND

The room is lit just enough to see the cinder block walls and blank table. “Let me be the first to tell you, your government surrendered the war against drugs a long fucking time ago,” Eduardo Ruiz (Miguel Ferrer) preaches to the two DEA agents who are interrogating him for drug smuggling. The government may have given up the war on drugs, but Steven Soderbergh does justice to the issue in Traffic, newly released on DVD. Soderbergh’s blend of motion picture and documentary style give the film depth and jarring realism. Tantalizing scenery, witty dialogue and outstanding performances combine to form an intriguing and insightful film.

Soderbergh won the 2001 Best Director Academy Award for his work on Traffic after directing such successful films as Sex, Lies and Videotape, Kafka, and Erin Brokovich. His award was well deserved for bringing originality and dynamic to an issue most often drowned in clichéd re-creations of the so-called underworld. Soderbergh tackles the drug trade forcefully by illustrating its corruptive nature and the failing efforts against it, yet he remains objective.

With a camera on his shoulder, Soderbergh directed the film to look like a documentary. The story contrasts the lives of various characters involved in the US/Mexico drug trade by intertwining slow, momentous scenes. Shooting back and forth among the filmy blue tones of Washington and Ohio, the seedy yellow tint of Mexico, and clear San Diego, Soderbergh distinguishes the feel of each location. Washington’s dull blue reflects the slow, melancholy nature of bureaucratic politics, where Robert Wakefield (Michael Douglas), the newly appointed drug czar, struggles to battle the war against drugs while his 16-year-old daughter, Caroline (Erika Christensen), battles addiction. Sun-baked Mexico scenes add a feel of dinginess to the desert landscape, complementing the story of Javier Rodriguez (Benicio del Toro), an honest Mexican cop who gets caught in a circle of corruption. In San Diego, the absence of a filter shows the intermediary dealings of socialites Helen (Catherine Zeta-Jones) and Carlos Ayala (Steven Bauer), a businessman who is prosecuted by two DEA agents for drug smuggling.

Known for his cinematic creativity, Soderbergh uses his innovative style to create a distinctive look for Traffic. He uses subtitles in Mexico scenes for authenticity and intersperses slow and fast paced scenes for dramatic appeal. Slow scenes capture characters’ emotions and the pace of the war, while fast scenes create suspense through fear and immediacy. When combined with the colored filters, landscape shots of settings add perspective and atmosphere. Mexico City viewed from a helicopter is particularly enticing. The camera weaves between buildings, over rooftops, and above the city. These additional shots work because they are not overdone, but provide breaks between scenes.

The music takes a back seat to the stunning visual landscapes, but adds cultural context to the settings. In Mexico we hear light drumming and the drug neighborhoods are filled with an eerie rap. Throughout the film, the natural sounds of the streets, wind, and footsteps add a touch of realism and complement the documentary feeling of the film.

Screenwriter Steven Gaghan, who won an Oscar in 2001 for his work on Traffic, covers the drug scene with objectivity, yet criticizes both sides’ policies, including the US government’s naive approaches to the problem. After spending a few days observing the workings behind the US/Mexico drug trade by looking at border traffic and meeting with Mexican General Salazar, Wakefield asks a plane full of government officials “to think outside of the box for the next few minutes.” When he follows with “the dam is open for new ideas,” the passengers sit silently without any suggestions. It is scenes like this one that make Traffic so compelling - they make people want to know more.

Witty teenage insights into life and the drug business prove Gaghan’s ability to show real people’s perspectives and provide amusement for the viewers. Seth Abrahams (Topher Grace) explains to Wakefield after being insulted for bringing Wakefield’s daughter to a bad neighborhood: “It is an unbeatable market for us man. It’s a 300% market value. I’m sorry, you’re telling me that white people would still be going to law school?” Omitting unnecessary details, political jargon, and dramatic one-liners from his script, Gaghan creates a realistic contrast between the clueless government officials and the resourceful drug traffickers. He does include some short catch phrases that may be considered trite, but work because they are true. One evident line is: “In Mexico, law enforcement is an entrepreneurial activity.”

Notable performances highlight the contrasting nature of the characters. Benicio del Toro’s role as the one honest Mexican cop in the midst of corruption earned him a Best Supporting Actor Oscar. Toro captures the essence of a confident street-smart cop merely with his facial expressions. His eyes glare confidently into the eyes of his opponents as he pretends to be on their side. When Javier is asked where he would like to meet with US drug officials safely, Toro shows an innocent smirk before the scene cuts to a hotel pool. He illustrates how a simple expression can show intentions. Toro’s compelling performance proves him to be among the realm of leading actors.

Erika Christensen also proved to be compelling along with the entire supporting cast. Christensen seems to be a promising newcomer with her convincing performance as a drug-addicted teen. She demonstrates the subtle habits of addicts without over-dramatizing her emotions. When her father catches her doing drugs in her bathroom, she leans against the wall in a state of euphoria, her eyes bugged and rolled up, her body sweaty. She captures the effects of a drug addict’s inability to focus as her father yells at her.

Disappointingly, Michael Douglas falls into his usual rigid businessman role as the new US drug czar. His performance is convincing, but lacks the luster and originality of many of the other supporting actors. His actions and expressions are all too familiar to anyone who has seen his previous work. In a scene that is supposed to be a climax, Douglas comes across as flat. As Wakefield reveals his new plan to battle the drug war in a press conference, he continually stops and stares blankly before finally walking out. His speech is dry and his face is straight throughout, making difficult to read his emotions. Douglas does show real emotion after finding his daughter passed out in a crack house. He kneels by the bed and grasps her awkwardly, crying.

Traffic accomplishes something many films have trouble achieving – realism. The fact is that the war on drugs still exists in America and Mexico. It is a circular effort to stop an industry too deeply entrenched in society to end. Traffic provides a realistic look inside a problem with no easy solutions. The crime and corruption goes far beyond drug users. Soderbergh takes a new approach to an old problem, blaming human nature for losing the war. Traffic won’t stop the drug trade, but may give the government a hint.