One can analyze the movie Traffic through the postmodern and postcolonial lenses to gain a better idea of what the film is about. Here is a brief plot summary of the movie from imbd.com:
Multiple storyline montage (warning: graffic footage)
POSTMODERN LENS
The use of parallel storylines is clever for keeping the viewer interested as well as showing how seemingly unrelated events can be incredibly intertwined. Sometimes the short vignettes for each story can be confusing, but more often than not they left me wanting more. It is sort of like reading a book with very short chapters that end with scenes or lines that are so interesting you just HAVE to read the next chapter. In addition, the narrative is presented from multiple perspectives, which adds depth and intrigue. Based on prior viewing experiences, one can easily guess that the storylines will all come together by the end of the movie, so I was constantly trying to figure out the connection. So, even if a person is very disinterested in the topic of the movie (i.e. drug trafficking), it is possible to love the movie because of the mystery involved in solving the puzzle. Director Steven Soderberg may have been thinking about how parallel stories would draw the reader in, but I think that he chose to tell the story this way for a different reason. His use of an alternative narrative version calls attention to how the same events have a different reality depending on a person’s relationship to it. For example, the arrest of drug lord Carlos Ayala is a victory for Drug Czar Robert Wakefield but a tragedy for his wife and son. The film allows us into the lives of people on multiple sides of the War on Drugs to see how complicated it really is.
The use of parallel storylines is clever for keeping the viewer interested as well as showing how seemingly unrelated events can be incredibly intertwined. Sometimes the short vignettes for each story can be confusing, but more often than not they left me wanting more. It is sort of like reading a book with very short chapters that end with scenes or lines that are so interesting you just HAVE to read the next chapter. In addition, the narrative is presented from multiple perspectives, which adds depth and intrigue. Based on prior viewing experiences, one can easily guess that the storylines will all come together by the end of the movie, so I was constantly trying to figure out the connection. So, even if a person is very disinterested in the topic of the movie (i.e. drug trafficking), it is possible to love the movie because of the mystery involved in solving the puzzle. Director Steven Soderberg may have been thinking about how parallel stories would draw the reader in, but I think that he chose to tell the story this way for a different reason. His use of an alternative narrative version calls attention to how the same events have a different reality depending on a person’s relationship to it. For example, the arrest of drug lord Carlos Ayala is a victory for Drug Czar Robert Wakefield but a tragedy for his wife and son. The film allows us into the lives of people on multiple sides of the War on Drugs to see how complicated it really is.
POSTCOLONIAL LENS
In Traffic, the Mexican government is portrayed as corrupt and unable to function on its own. One of the top generals in the War on Drugs is profiting from the same drug trafficking that he is supposedly trying to curb. The entire Mexican anti-drug campaign is a fraud, as Salazar is wiping out one cartel, not out of duty, but rather because he has aligned himself with another cartel for profit (Wikipedia). One of only trustworthy, honest characters in the film is Mexican cop Javier gets fed-up with the sick politics and corruption and eventually turns to the U.S. government, because that is evidently the only organization that can make any good out of the situation. However, Soderberg’s use of multiple perspectives reveals that even the U.S. government—which might look like the hero to Javier—has its own problems, such as that the Drug Czar can’t even control the drug use in his own family.
In Traffic, the Mexican government is portrayed as corrupt and unable to function on its own. One of the top generals in the War on Drugs is profiting from the same drug trafficking that he is supposedly trying to curb. The entire Mexican anti-drug campaign is a fraud, as Salazar is wiping out one cartel, not out of duty, but rather because he has aligned himself with another cartel for profit (Wikipedia). One of only trustworthy, honest characters in the film is Mexican cop Javier gets fed-up with the sick politics and corruption and eventually turns to the U.S. government, because that is evidently the only organization that can make any good out of the situation. However, Soderberg’s use of multiple perspectives reveals that even the U.S. government—which might look like the hero to Javier—has its own problems, such as that the Drug Czar can’t even control the drug use in his own family.
1 comment:
I love the second clip with Benicio. Your analysis helped me understand what was happening, even though I've never seen the film. It looks like a really good film with a lot of layers. I want to see it now!
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