Traffic [Criterion Collection] [Blu-ray]

Overview

"Described by director Steven Soderbergh as ""Nashville meets The French Connection,"" this multi-character drama explores the effects of international drug trafficking on all fronts: from their source, to the U.S. border, to the federal government, to the private lives of users. Based upon a miniseries originally aired on Britain's Channel 4, Traffic divides its time among three main storylines and almost a dozen locales. The first and primary plot thread, set in Ohio and Washington, D.C., concerns freshly-appointed drug czar Robert Wakefield (Michael Douglas), whose enthusiasm for his new prestige position is quickly offset when he realizes his 16-year-old daughter Caroline (Erika Christensen) is graduating from recreational drug use to habitual abuse -- a secret that his wife, Barbara (Amy Irving), has kept from him. South of the border, Mexican cop Javier Rodriguez (Benicio Del Toro) attempts to wage his own war on drugs, heading off a cocaine shipment in the middle of the desert with his less-than-virtuous partner Manolo Sanchez (Jacob Vargas). Surrounded by corruption, Javier approaches the drug war with an attitude of patience and compromise, which opens him up to investigation from General Arturo Salazar (Tomas Milian), the country's dubious drug-enforcement liaison to the U.S. Meanwhile, San Diego drug kingpin Carlos Alaya (Steven Bauer) is caught in a sting operation spearheaded by DEA agents Montel Gordon (Don Cheadle) and Ray Castro (Luis Guzman), leaving behind his very pregnant and very oblivious wife, Helena (Catharine Zeta-Jones). At the behest of Carlos' lawyer and shady confidante, Arnie Metzger (Dennis Quaid), Helena decides to carry on the family business -- with tragic consequences. Adapted by Rules of Engagement scribe Stephen Gaghan, Traffic marked Soderbergh's second major release in 2000 after the critical and box-office success of Erin Brockovich, as well as his second feature as cinematographer (credited under the pseudonym Peter Andrews). A favorite with various guild and critics' awards, Traffic won four Academy Awards in 2001, including statues for Best Supporting Actor (Del Toro) and Best Adapted Screenplay (Gaghan), and surprise wins for Steven Mirrone's editing and Soderbergh's direction."

Product Details

Release Date:	01/17/2012
UPC:	0715515090810
Original Release:	2000
Rating:	R
Source:	Criterion Collection
Region Code:	A
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround]
Language:	English
Time:	2:27:00
Sales rank:	9,764

Special Features

Restored high-definition digital transfer, supervised and approved by director Steven Soderbergh and supervising sound editor and rerecordng mixer Larry Blake; The audio commentaries, featuring Soderbergh and Writer Stephen Gaghan; Producers Laura Bickford, Edward Zwick, and Marshall Herskovitz and consultants Tim Golden and Craig Chretien; and Composer Cliff Martinez; Twenty-five deleted scenes, with optional commentary by Soderbergh and Gaghan; Three sets of demonstrations: one on film processing and the look of the Mexico sequences; one on film editing, with commentary by Editor Stephen Mirrione; and one one dialogue editing; Additional unused footage of various scenes, from multiple angles; Theatrical trailers and television spots; Gallery of trading cards depicting the U.S. Customs canine squad used to detect narcotics and other illegal substances; An essay by film critic Manohla Dargis

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Benicio Del Toro	Javier Rodriguez
Catherine Zeta-Jones	Helena Ayala
Erika Christensen	Caroline Wakefield
Don Cheadle	Montel Gordon
Jacob Vargas	Manolo Sanchez
Miguel Ferrer	Eduardo Ruiz
Luis Guzman	Ray Castro
Christopher Grace	Seth Abrahms
Tomás Milian	Gen. Arturo Salazar
Clifton Gonzalez Gonzalez	Francisco Flores,Salazar Soldier
Amy Irving	Barbara Wakefield
Dennis Quaid	Arnie Metzger
D.W. Moffett	Jeff Sheridan
Steven Bauer	Carlos Ayala
Albert Finney	Chief of Staff
James Brolin	General Ralph Landry
Enrique Murciano	DEA Agent - Trailer
Peter Riegert	Attorney Michael Adler
Benjamin Bratt	Juan Obregón
Yul Vazquez	Tigrillo
Majandra Delfino	Vanessa
Alec Roberts	David Ayala,DEA Agent - Public Storage
James Pickens Jr.	Prosecutor Ben Williams
Viola Davis	Social Worker
Andrew Chavez	Desert Truck Driver
Michael Saucedo	Desert Truck Driver
José Yenque	Salazar Soldier
Emilio Rivera	Salazar Soldier #2
Russell G. Jones	Mark
Lorene Hetherington	State Capitol Reporter #1
Eric Collins	State Capitol Reporter #2,Actor
Beau Holden	DEA Agent - CalTrans
Peter Stader	DEA Agent - CalTrans
James Lew	DEA Agent - CalTrans
Jeremy Fitzgerald	DEA Agent - CalTrans
Russell Solberg	DEA Agent - CalTrans
Don Snell	DEA Agent - Trailer
Carlos Cervantes	DEA Agent - Trailer
Leticia Bombardier	Ruiz's Secretary
Carl Ciarfalio	Ruiz's Assistant
Steve Lambert	Van Driver
Gilbert Rosales	Van Passenger,Tackled Man #2
Rick Avery	DEA Agent - Public Storage,DEA Agent - Public Storage
Eileen Weisinger	DEA Agent - Public Storage
Keii Johnston	DEA Agent - Public Storage
Mike Watson	DEA Agent - Public Storage
Kurt D. Lott	DEA Agent - Public Storage
Lincoln Simonds	DEA Agent - Public Storage
Steve Tomaski	DEA Agent - Public Storage
Buck McDancer	DEA Agent - Public Storage
John Callery	DEA Agent - Public Storage
Ousaun Elam	DEA Agent - Public Storage
Corey Spears	F*****-up Bowman
Rena Sofer	Helena's Friend
Stacy Travis	Helena's Friend
Jennifer Barker	Helena's Friend
Dean Faulkner	Parking Valet
Daniella Kuhn	Tourist Woman
Brandon Keener	Tourist Man
Bill Weld	Governor Bill Weld
George Blumenthal	Partygoer #1
Stephen Dunham	Lobbyist
Don Nickles	Senator Don Nickles
Margaret Travolta	Economist
Harry Reed	Senator Harry Reid
Jeff Podolsky	Jeff Podolsky
Jewelle Bickford	Partygoer #2,Stan
Barbara Boxer	Senator Barbara Boxer
Orrin Hatch	Senator Orrin Hatch
Chuck Grassley	Senator Charles Grassley
Dave Hager	Partygoer #3
Tucker Smallwood	Partygoer #4
Marisol Padilla Sánchez	Ana Sanchez
Víctor Quintero	Salazar Soldier
Toby Holguin	Salazar Soldier
Elaine Kagan	Judge Reed
John Slattery	ADA Dan Collier
Jim Ortega	Arrested Man in Apartment
Greg Boniface	Tackled Man #1
Rudy M. Camacho	Customs Official
Vonte Sweet	Dealer
Ed Breving	Hotel Deskman
Jack Conley	Agent Hughes
Eddie Vélez	Agent Johnson
Craig N. Chretien	Director of EPIC
Mike Siegel	DEA Representative
Joel Torres	Porfilio Madrigal
Stephen J. Rose	Marty
Kimber Fritz	Rehab Counselor
Harsh Nayyar	Witness #1
Mary Pat Gleason	Witness #2
Vincent Ward	Man on Street
Jsu Garcia	Pablo Obregón
Gregory Estevane	Polygraph Administrator
Alex Procopio	Polygraph Assistant
Rita Gomez	Mrs. Castro
Kaizaad Kotwal	Teacher
Jay Krymis	Waiter #1
Mike Malone	Waiter #2
Rene Pereya	Doctor
Kymberly S. Newberry	Press Secretary
Carroll Schumacher	Ayala Security #1
Michael Showers	Meeting Leader
Salma Hayek	Rosario
Fred Anderson	TV Reporter
Adam Clark	FBI Agent
Chic Daniel	DEA Agent
Sonia Debreczeni	Reporter
Rod Fielder	Newspaper Photographer
Tony Guma	Detective
Valerie Hanna	Witness #3
Dominic Koulianos	Reporter
Megan Lopez	Cocktail Party Attendee
Christie McNew	Restaurant Patron
Ambrit Millhouse	Cincinnati Hooker
Ken Miyamoto	Guy by Swimming Pool
David Pittinger	Cincinnati Police Officer
Christopher Rogers	Businessman
Leo Rogstad	Stand-In
Laurent Schwaar	Art Appraiser
Joey Sotello	DEA Agent
William-Christopher Stephens	Drug Dealer
Clyde Tull	Cafe Patron,Cafe Patron
Jim Cody Williams	FBI Agent
Anthony Hawkins Woods	Junkie
Cliff Martinez	Composer

Technical Credits

Stephen Gaghan

Steven Soderbergh	Director
Stephen Gaghan	Screenwriter
Marshall Herskovitz	Producer
Edward Zwick	Producer
Laura Bickford	Producer
Graham King	Executive Producer
Richard Solomon	Executive Producer
Cameron Jones	Executive Producer
Mike Newell	Executive Producer
Andreas Klein	Executive Producer
Paul Ledford	Sound/Sound Designer

Editorial Reviews

Drug users, dealers, and smugglers mix it up with the law in Steven Soderbergh's highly acclaimed, multi-award-winning Traffic. Based on a British TV miniseries, the film features an ensemble cast that includes Michael Douglas as the newly appointed federal drug czar whose 16-year-old daughter (Erika Christensen) just happens to be snorting, smoking, and mainlining her way through a potpourri of illegal substances. Catherine Zeta-Jones portrays the wife of a drug lord (Steven Bauer) whose world crumbles around her when he's arrested. Oscar winner Benicio Del Toro is riveting in his supporting role as a Mexican policeman who is enlisted to help bring down a Tijuana drug cartel. Also outstanding are Don Cheadle, as a DEA agent, and Dennis Quaid, as Bauer's high-priced lawyer. Traffic moves briskly back and forth between its various stories and locales, both north and south of the Mexican border, with characters and situations that are not so much original as archetypal. There's just enough philosophizing to be provocative and just enough action to get your pulse racing. Even though the film struggles to achieve a comprehensive overview, the result is never less than entertaining and absorbing. Certainly, Traffic is an impressive feat for Soderbergh, who not only directed the film but did all the gritty, handheld cinematography as well, giving each story line a distinctive palette: icy blue for the sequences involving Douglas and his wayward daughter; a sun-blasted brownish hue for the Mexico scenes. He was amply rewarded for his efforts, winning the Best Director Oscar. Traffic is Hollywood filmmaking with a distinctively personal stamp, a film that flirts easily with a host of clichés without succumbing to them.