This is one of your best videos. I especially like the way you explore Traffic's visual contrasts and how the aesthetic depiction in Mexico is a lot more thoughtful and sophisticated than the imitators it arguably inspired. I also adore the film. My favourite Soderbergh.
Great analysis and thank you for giving Cliff Martinez's gorgeous score its due. The soundtrack made the movie. One of the most effective scores at evoking emotion and atmosphere in the viewer.
This film is a masterclass in how to use multiple narratives in order to serve an overall analysis of a particular subject. When addressing addiction, and the money oriented societal problems it is fuelled by, it's very easy to become biased through black and white opinions. The film is very adept in showing how anyone can be affected by decisions others make that are out of your control. I would say that this film is flawless, but I did find the handheld camera quite jarring. It reminds me that everything is being recorded by a camera guy, and detracts from the 'reality' of the feature. That is my only gripe though, everything is beautifully done.
I think they used handheld as the director mentioned he wanted a documentary type feel to the movie. Altho, handheld camera can accentuate realisticism by its rawness which gives feelings of a footage/actual video recorded as the thing happened in realife. But yeah, it didnt suit the movie very well
I'm surprised the opinion on traffic has become divided, I think it holds up very well. It's too bad that there aren't many hyperlink movies now, the arrival of prestige TV seems to have crushed the genre. Now, Traffic would be a 10 part HBO series.
I was always tickled by the casting of Tomas Arana as the corrupt Mexican official Del Toro butts up against. Considering his long history of starring in Italian cult movies and cop thrillers, it made me wonder if it was an intentional reference.
@@WildFlicks Man's a beloved icon in Italy, but he's barely known in the US outside of cult cinema circles. It's crazy to me that he had this entire second career in US movies and TV, he pops up in all sorts of random places and it's always a treat to see him because he's such a great presence. If you're interested in seeing more of his Italian filmography, check out ALMOST HUMAN from 1974. His performance in that is absolutely bonkers, he's somehow both terrifying yet incredibly charismatic because of it. He plays "fidgety, sweaty psychopath" better than any actor I've ever seen, he feels genuinely dangerous and unpredictable.
Great video thanks! I picked up Criterion Collection’s Traffic and it’s amazing. Thank you. Have you seen The Game? It’s worth a video. What an incredible video.
This is one of my favorite movies...It is not a comedy by any means...It is raw and direct and to the point...It is a long movie but in a good way...There are many reasons to watch this film .....................................................................................................................................................
Traffic is a movie i watched because of benicio del toro because i saw him in the usual suspects and really i really liked that funny English speaking accent of his in usual suspects that's why i saw this and also that he won best supporting actor in this! in starting i was like why is the director showing all these different scenes i found it slow in the starting and after 2nd half i say it was dark reality but i guess that's the director's way of showing and i respect it , the interest came and it got better in the second half ,i really enjoyed those freindly little conversation between monty and ray(gacha) 😂 but it was made intelligently i should say very well directed this kind of drugs included movies are always interesting to you especially if you're seeing this after Narcos for example that doll scene,also liked how steven soderbergh showed Helena as she says she's never been on her own and by the end she was on her own independent , the rest of cast including mr. Douglas especially were terrific and off course mr. Del Toro anyone who hasn't seen his acting in SICARIO²⁰¹⁵ please do see
Is it toothless though? Yes a bit. He quits an obviously pointless and demoralising job. But drugs are bad m'kay in this film so it misses alot. I would have liked to see how people really get people hooked on drugs which is not rich white boys tempting rich white girls. But that would not get made.
I wathed the miniseries. It was quite good. But it was same old heroin ridiculous tropes rolled out. But it did the right thing and he said "oh actually maybe we should look at our own society and not try to police the whole world instead." So it wins on being a pretty good and nuanced set of characters with the exception of the daughter. I was reminded of The One With Kate Winslet in Africa or something.
I'm no film expert, but my favorite part was the golden filtering used for the Mexico scenes. The effect on me was not "a gross country that isn't the U.S." but instead I felt the bright sun, heat and humidity along with history... especially when Wakefield's helicopter lands in front of the Mexico City Cathedral in the Distrito Federal
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This is one of your best videos. I especially like the way you explore Traffic's visual contrasts and how the aesthetic depiction in Mexico is a lot more thoughtful and sophisticated than the imitators it arguably inspired. I also adore the film. My favourite Soderbergh.
Great analysis and thank you for giving Cliff Martinez's gorgeous score its due. The soundtrack made the movie. One of the most effective scores at evoking emotion and atmosphere in the viewer.
This film is a masterclass in how to use multiple narratives in order to serve an overall analysis of a particular subject. When addressing addiction, and the money oriented societal problems it is fuelled by, it's very easy to become biased through black and white opinions. The film is very adept in showing how anyone can be affected by decisions others make that are out of your control. I would say that this film is flawless, but I did find the handheld camera quite jarring. It reminds me that everything is being recorded by a camera guy, and detracts from the 'reality' of the feature. That is my only gripe though, everything is beautifully done.
I think they used handheld as the director mentioned he wanted a documentary type feel to the movie. Altho, handheld camera can accentuate realisticism by its rawness which gives feelings of a footage/actual video recorded as the thing happened in realife. But yeah, it didnt suit the movie very well
I first watched this movie because I saw it was filmed in San Diego and it’s become one of my favorite movies.
I'm surprised the opinion on traffic has become divided, I think it holds up very well. It's too bad that there aren't many hyperlink movies now, the arrival of prestige TV seems to have crushed the genre. Now, Traffic would be a 10 part HBO series.
I love this film
I was always tickled by the casting of Tomas Arana as the corrupt Mexican official Del Toro butts up against. Considering his long history of starring in Italian cult movies and cop thrillers, it made me wonder if it was an intentional reference.
Ended up in the wormhole that is his filmography after you mentioned this - that man is a chameleon of a character actor!
@@WildFlicks Man's a beloved icon in Italy, but he's barely known in the US outside of cult cinema circles. It's crazy to me that he had this entire second career in US movies and TV, he pops up in all sorts of random places and it's always a treat to see him because he's such a great presence.
If you're interested in seeing more of his Italian filmography, check out ALMOST HUMAN from 1974. His performance in that is absolutely bonkers, he's somehow both terrifying yet incredibly charismatic because of it. He plays "fidgety, sweaty psychopath" better than any actor I've ever seen, he feels genuinely dangerous and unpredictable.
Bravo!
Great video thanks! I picked up Criterion Collection’s Traffic and it’s amazing. Thank you. Have you seen The Game? It’s worth a video. What an incredible video.
The Game is fantastic, yes. Very underrated film from Fincher.
@@WildFlicks Have you seen Biutiful with Javier Bardem? Go check it out and let us know what you think.
This is one of my favorite movies...It is not a comedy by any means...It is raw and direct and
to the point...It is a long movie but in a good way...There are many reasons to watch this
film .....................................................................................................................................................
Traffic is a movie i watched because of benicio del toro because i saw him in the usual suspects and really i really liked that funny English speaking accent of his in usual suspects that's why i saw this and also that he won best supporting actor in this! in starting i was like why is the director showing all these different scenes i found it slow in the starting and after 2nd half i say it was dark reality but i guess that's the director's way of showing and i respect it , the interest came and it got better in the second half ,i really enjoyed those freindly little conversation between monty and ray(gacha) 😂 but it was made intelligently i should say very well directed this kind of drugs included movies are always interesting to you especially if you're seeing this after Narcos for example that doll scene,also liked how steven soderbergh showed Helena as she says she's never been on her own and by the end she was on her own independent , the rest of cast including mr. Douglas especially were terrific and off course mr. Del Toro anyone who hasn't seen his acting in SICARIO²⁰¹⁵ please do see
I felt like you had at least 25 minutes of really interesting commentary not used there. Could you do The Limey?
Is it toothless though? Yes a bit. He quits an obviously pointless and demoralising job. But drugs are bad m'kay in this film so it misses alot.
I would have liked to see how people really get people hooked on drugs which is not rich white boys tempting rich white girls.
But that would not get made.
I wathed the miniseries. It was quite good. But it was same old heroin ridiculous tropes rolled out. But it did the right thing and he said "oh actually maybe we should look at our own society and not try to police the whole world instead." So it wins on being a pretty good and nuanced set of characters with the exception of the daughter.
I was reminded of The One With Kate Winslet in Africa or something.
Traffic hasn't become polarizing its still very well liked
I'm no film expert, but my favorite part was the golden filtering used for the Mexico scenes. The effect on me was not "a gross country that isn't the U.S." but instead I felt the bright sun, heat and humidity along with history... especially when Wakefield's helicopter lands in front of the Mexico City Cathedral in the Distrito Federal
If there's one Hollywood movie I know that doesn't use that shitty yellow filter for Mexico, it's Sicario.
Masterpiece. We love Denis 🇨🇦