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How do you make a film portraying a deeply troubling social
problem without resorting to melodrama or turning off audiences
with an overly bleak picture?
That’s the challenge Steven Soderbergh ( Erin Brockovich
, The Limey , Out of Sight ) faced when he took on Traffic,
a painfully honest portrayal of the world of illicit drugs.
To his credit, Soderbergh chose authenticity and art over
candy coating and formula. Yes, there’s more hope here
than there might be in the real world, but the compromises
are few. The film will challenge many viewers with its two-and-a-half
hour length, extensive use of a hand-held camera, scenes filmed
in Spanish (with English subtitles), a washed out, grainy
look to scenes set in Mexico, and the depressing intractability
of the problem.
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