Traffik

I can only agree with many observers that Traffik is one of the most memorable dramas ever made for television. I saw Traffik when it was on TV, and I have just watched it again. I am particularly moved by the haunting original music of Tim Souster, and especially by the dolorous strains of Dmitri Shostakovich's Chamber Symphony in C minor ( the music over the credits and in parts of the film). The music intensifies the desperation of the characters as they pursue their sad fate. The music is powerfully emotional. This arrangement combines two of the movements from the symphony, but I recommend listening to the symphony per se.

Two German police detectives and a British member of parliament attempt to thwart the activities of international drug smugglers. Television mini-series details the mechanisms of the unstoppable heroin trade from Pakistan to London and the lives it destroys. But acting, script and plot are anything but T.V. quality. Superior to pale imitation "Traffic" (2000). (Rating: A)

I saw this one when first broadcast in the US, then saw the remake with Michael Douglas, then watched the original again last night. I was amazed by the degree to which the quality of the original exceeded that of the remake, with the possibly sole exception of Benicio Del Toro's performance as the Mexican police officer.

In every category, acting, writing, photography, music, editing, the original is superior. It managed to project the same message without being preachy, and the characters had much more depth and scope.

One other observation: when the remake came out, much fanfare and praise was directed at Soderbergh for "his" concept of filming the different locations with different color pallettes: Mexico was yellow, Washington blue. This is a concept he lifted whole cloth from the director of the original, which I had not noticed the first time I saw it, but did notice the second. Pakistan is filmed in ocher hues, Hamburg and London in shades of blue and grey.

When the Hollywood product came out, I felt like I was the only one on earth who had seen "Traffik" the first time around. I sincerely hope that the movie will spark the interest of others to watch the mini-series--it's worth the investment of time, and a great education, not only on the drug and social issues, but on how quality gets diluted to appeal to the lowest common denominator.

If you've not seen this then look out for it. It is available on DVD. It is a channel 4 (uk) production, possibly, in conjunction with German and danish TV. If you've seen the film it is basically the same plot. Several interleaved stories are connected through the drugs trade. The story jumps between the housewife (played by the excellent Lyndsay Duncan) trying to complete a deal on behalf of her husband, who to her surprise is an international drugs dealer (and generally dangerous man).

A minister, who is embedded in his job to the detriment of his family, is investigating the whole state of affairs with international drugs trafficking. He gets a few eye openers to the reality of heroin when his daughter turns out to have a 'problem'. He then visit Pakistan, officially, where he seems to be taught that the abuse (not simply the drug or its casual use) is the problem and also gets to sample some produce (an excellent scene where he simultaneously realises what the attraction is and why it is and why it is such a problem). In Pakistan we get to see the other side. The desperation of farmers who can barely survive turning to opium production and crime lords. The pointless attempts at subsidy resulting in the system getting rich. And a country so drenched in drugs yet only a relative fraction of the abuse we have in the west. Around all this a customs official/interpol agent tries to catch the 'dutch' connection in heroin smuggling. Seeking justice for his murdered partner. This really is a masterpiece. Super, understated performances from all the main actors in a way only European cinema can really do.

A must see. Especially if you have seen the film, they compliment each other abd present some subtly different opinions/attitudes from both sides of the pond.

It is hard to put the devastating beauty of Traffik to words, partly because I am still grasping to comprehend it myself, several hours after my second viewing. First, it must be said that Traffik contains some of the most incomparably and unforgettably haunting scenes I have seen in a film or television production. The acting is excellent, particularly that of Bill Paterson as a British minister grappling with his heroin-addicted daughter and an aid deal to Pakistan that hinges on drug issues. Another plot line describes these drug issues at a ground level in Pakistan, and revolves around a struggling opium poppy farmer and his interaction with a successful heroin smuggler. The third main storyline involves the prosecution of a Hamburg drug importer, and the conflicting efforts of his wife and two German detectives while he is under trial. It is a profound accomplishment that the interaction between these stories feels natural, transcending the forced plot entanglement often found in Hollywood movies. It is an even greater accomplishment that a work spread over three countries and half a dozen main characters can be so focused and enthralling, without having to oversimplify. It is devastating--bleak and brutal but never apathetic. In short, Traffik is a rare work of film that handles challenging subjects with unmatched compassion and clarity.