A masterpiece that exposes the whole story of drug trafficking presented by the genius of ``Traffic'' Soderbergh. What makes it complicated but not difficult?

"Traffic" synopsis

Directed by Steven Soderbergh, who also directed "Erin Brockovich," this is a suspenseful ensemble drama depicting the various people involved in the drug route between Mexico and the United States. Three intricately intertwined stories revolve around ``Traffic,'' a huge drug connection that connects the United States and Mexico. Tijuana, Mexico. Javier, a police officer who monitors drug smuggling sites, receives a secret order from General Salazar and cooperates in destroying the drug cartel, but... Ohio, USA. Robert, who has been appointed as the new chief drug enforcement officer, strives to crack down on drug crimes, but... San Diego, USA. What action does his wife take to save a drug lord who has been betrayed by his friends and is in a predicament?

Index

• A “Columbus egg” idea that divides a complex group drama into three colors
• Chaotic visuals that make it difficult to even distinguish the actors' faces
• A genius director discovered the option of “I carry the camera”

A “Columbus egg” idea that divides a complex group drama into three colors

Traffic, for which Steven Soderbergh won the Academy Award for Best Director (he also won Best Supporting Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Editing). Set in the United States and Mexico, various aspects related to drug trafficking are portrayed, including politicians aiming to eradicate drugs, American and Mexican investigators, young people addicted to drugs, common people frightened by the drug war, and housewives involved in the drug business. , a magnificent ensemble drama told through people from all walks of life.

A feature of this film is that fragments of scenes from a huge number of characters are pieced together like a collage. There are many characters who do not interact at all in the play, and some people may find it difficult to understand their relationships with each other.

However, to put it in the extreme, it doesn't matter at all even if you can't figure out who is who. What Soderbergh is trying to do is to bring the complex web of drug problems to light by accumulating minimal perspectives.

However, if someone says, ``The structure is so complicated that I have no idea what it is,'' that's no good. Therefore, Soderbergh devised a unique plan to control traffic using the minimum amount of information.

This work can be roughly divided into three parts. A part about Wakefield (Michael Douglas), a politician in charge of the war against drugs, and his daughter Caroline (Erica Christensen), who falls into drug addiction. Her husband Helena (Catherine Zeta-Jones) takes over the business in order to survive after her husband is arrested for being a drug smuggling agent, and the detective duo Gordon (Don Cheadle) and Castro (Luis Guzman) pursue the organization. part. And then there's the part of Javier (Benicio Del Toro), an investigator in Mexico who takes part in a drug investigation while drinking alcohol.

Soderbergh separated these three parts in a brutally easy-to-understand manner. It's really "color-coded". The first part is a cold blue, the second California part is a soft warm color, and the last Mexican part is a rough yellow. The trick is that the audience can discern the three major story axes at a glance.

Soderbergh has actually used this color coding before. In the 1998 crime film Out of Sight, three types of prison uniforms appear in different tenses. Soderbergh color-coded each outfit into blue, yellow, and orange to avoid confusing the audience. I don't know if it's intentional or a coincidence, but the warm colors, blue, and yellow are the same color combinations in ``Traffic.''

Chaotic visuals that make it difficult to even distinguish the actors' faces