Traffic and America
The movie Traffic is a gripping and compelling story about the issues surrounding the current drug war in America and Mexico.It is also an American movie, made in obviously in the land of the free.What makes a movie American besides the location of its production?Well, there is a certain attitude and mood that Traffic portrays.A mood that several other American movies also share.In Traffic some basic notions set in the movie depict this mood.First, the differences in governments between the United States and Mexico.Also, the view of the drug underworld and how it is portrayed.
Traffic shows us the many viewpoints of different people and cultures and their relationship to the drug war.We see this in the two different governments that are shown in the film.While the American government is seen as very powerful and organized, but also a little fake.The Mexican government is shown as extremely unorganized and corrupt. Though neither of the governments are shown to do that much against the war on drugs.The American government was by far depicted as the better player.This is a very American way of making movies.The government was shown not as a perfect or worthy, but just as extremely powerful and the overall force in the world today.The Mexican was shown as dirty and poorer and with a lot less structure.An American movies maker would rarely show the American government as a weaker force than any other.
The movie also shows the effects drugs have on others not quite so high up on the war on drugs.The daughter of the drug czar was a great example on how American this movie really was.The typical teenage girl, with a great future in he life but gets thrown into the drug scene.The whole situation that surrounded was quite American.A wealthy family in an obviously very well mannered school to a whore on the street to get her drugs.This is how Middle America views the drug problem …