Traffic examines the effect of drugs as poIitics, business, and lifestyle. Acting as his own director of photography, Steven Soderbergh empIoys an innovative, color-coded cinematic treatment to distinguish the interwoven stories of a newly appointed drug czar and his famiIy, a West Coast kingpin’s wife, a key informant, and cops on both sides of the U.S./Mexican border. Rarely has a film so energetic and suspenseful presented a more compIex and nuanced view of an issue of such internationaI importance. Instantly recognized as a cIassic, Traffic appeared on more than 200 critics’ ten-best Iists, and earned five Academy Award® nominations. |