A conservative judge is appointed by the President to spearhead America's escalating war against drugs, only to discover that his teenage daughter is a crack addict. Two DEA agents protect an informant. A jailed drug baron's wife attempts to carry on the family business.
An intertwined drama about the United States' war on drugs, seen through the eyes of a once conservative judge, now newly-appointed drug czar, his heroin-addicted daughter, two DEA agents, a jailed drug kingpin's wife, and a Mexican cop who begins to question his boss's motives.
The scenes that take place in the White House were shot on the set of the television series The West Wing (1999), which is a near-exact replica (albeit wider, to allow for free movement of the cameras) of the actual interiors of the White House's West Wing. See more »
Goofs
At the beginning, when they discover the drug on the truck, the guy wearing a hat is handcuffed, but when they're stopped by General Salazar, his handcuffs are gone. See more »
The Criterion Collection DVD is presented in 1.85:1, whilst the Criterion Blu-ray is presented in 1.78:1. According to the Blu-ray insert, the latter is the director's preferred ratio. See more »
No compromises here. Traffic takes a long, hard look at the narcotics industry in North America and manages to entertain at the same time. The triple plot allows you to see the whole industry with multiple perspectives. The movie is visually stunning, loved the different filters for the three locations.
That the war on drugs cannot be won, and is hypocritical to boot, is a message that needs as much air-time as it can get.
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No compromises here. Traffic takes a long, hard look at the narcotics industry in North America and manages to entertain at the same time. The triple plot allows you to see the whole industry with multiple perspectives. The movie is visually stunning, loved the different filters for the three locations.
That the war on drugs cannot be won, and is hypocritical to boot, is a message that needs as much air-time as it can get.