Traffic - Macht des Kartells

Steven Soderbergh hat das attraktive Thema des Drogenhandels aufgegriffen und in ein erzählerisches Gewand gekleidet, das das unabhängige amerikanische Kino in den letzten Jahren geprägt hat. Allerdings erreicht sein Multi-Stream-Drama bei weitem nicht die Brillanz von z. B. 21 Gramm oder Memento, es ist eher eine vorsichtige und vorhersehbare Ausschmückung des Inhalts, ähnlich wie die dokumentarische Kamera und das Spiel mit den Farben, das ich in diesem Fall nicht besonders gelungen finde. Gelungen fand ich die Darbietungen - vor allem Benicio Del Toro überzeugt einmal mehr zu 100 % mit seinem dämonischen Gesicht eines geläuterten Sünders, und auch Michael Douglas gefiel mir, der die Ernüchterung eines typisch selbstherrlichen amerikanischen Politikers mit Bravour spielte. Das Wertvollste, was ich in Soderberghs Film sehe, sind die Geschichte und ihre Pointe. Wenn man sich den "Krieg" gegen die Drogen ansieht, der von Verzweiflung und Desillusionierung und in der Endphase von kleinen Siegen geprägt ist. Es ist keine fröhliche Erzählung über Helden, die auf spektakuläre Weise Drogenbarone vernichten. Traffic - Macht des Kartells zeigt, dass ein solcher Held zuerst seine eigenen Kinder vernichten müsste. Auch wenn mich der Film nicht mit seinen filmischen Qualitäten begeistert hat, gibt es doch diese Lichtblicke, für die es sich zu sündigen lohnt. (10.07.2005)

I think anyone who has seen Traffic and Gladiator has no doubts about which film should have rightly won the Oscar for Best Picture. Traffic is the most perfect film about the drug problem ever made. Soderbergh excels as a director and cinematographer, and among the actors, Micheal Douglas, who was more deserving of an Oscar than Benicio del Toro. (21.07.2002)

No matter how much my impression is worth four stars, I wasn't that impressed with this Steven Soderbergh film. It contains several interesting scenes, and a range of interesting characters, and speaks about an extremely interesting topic. However, I was bothered by the deliberately shaky digital camera, the use of filters in some cases, and a few motifs in the screenplay also seemed off. Most of all, the scene where a high-ranking government official - practically at the level of a minister in the American hierarchy, closely involved with the activities of secret services - frantically searches for his daughter in drug dens bothered me. If this were to happen in real life, it would discreetly be resolved with the help of relevant officials and "specialists." The scenes in Mexico about the connection between the drug cartel and the highest positions of power in the country are powerful. Overall impression: 75%. In any case, the film has a very decent ensemble cast. (14.06.2006)

Traffic is one of the best drug films ever. It has fantastic technical execution, especially the handheld camera and filters, and fantastic editing, all of this gives it a very impressive authenticity and at the same time, it literally breathes artistry. The screenplay is perfect, as well as the direction and the cast. (26.10.2003)

Steven Soderbergh's best work, I can say that without much hesitation. Side Effects is also very well done, almost excellent, but Traffic offers something a bit extra. It goes hand in hand with Crash, with many storylines that come together at the end and deliver a mega-depressing conclusion. I liked Crash, but some of the side plots didn’t engage me as much as others. Here, however, all the storylines have a solid foundation, spiced up with excellent performances. Each narrative thread captivated me. They all revolve around drugs, which is probably obvious from the title. The camera filters added extra polish to the film (I liked the contrast; the sharp blue filter with Douglas probably signified that he, as the judge, is enforcing the law, while the almost yellowish mist in the moments with Del Toro in Mexico indicated that the law doesn’t really apply there), which simply improved the overall experience of the film. It’s hard to say who performed the best. Benicio, as always, is grandiose; he has a god-given acting talent and is able to fully utilize it, resulting in a performance worth watching. Don’t expect many shootouts; this film is all about perfect dialogues and, of course, a superbly crafted tense atmosphere. The ending is a bit open, but it didn’t bother me (at least it evokes various possible outcomes for all the characters). I give it 86%. (05.08.2018)