The Oscar-winning crime drama Traffic, which explores the drug trade from multiple perspectives, just marked the 25th anniversary of its 2000 theatrical release.

To say that there is a lot going on in Traffic would not be an understatement. There are multiple storylines taking place, which isn’t a surprise for anyone familiar with screenwriter Stephen Gaghan’s later work on Syriana. Interestingly, the latter film doesn’t exist without Gaghan’s work here, as he saw clear similarities between drug trafficking and American dependency on foreign oil.

In Mexico, veteran officers Javier Rodríguez (Benicio del Toro) and Manolo Sánchez (Jacob Vargas) intercept a drug transport, only to be pulled into a high-stakes mission by General Arturo Salazar (Tomas Milian) to capture hitman Francisco “Frankie Flowers” Flores (Clifton Collins Jr.). Their operation dismantles the Obregón cartel, but Javier soon uncovers Salazar’s true loyalty to a rival cartel. As betrayal and corruption unfold, Javier navigates a deadly moral landscape, ultimately cooperating with the DEA to expose Salazar. His fight against systemic corruption culminates in a bittersweet victory, symbolized by a new baseball stadium where local children can escape the cycle of crime.

Meanwhile, conservative Ohio judge Robert Wakefield (Michael Douglas) is appointed to head up the President’s Office of National Drug Control Policy as drug czar, facing the impossible task of winning the war on drugs while confronting his teenage daughter Caroline’s (Erika Christensen) spiraling addiction. As Caroline descends into drug-fueled chaos, Robert struggles to reconcile his public responsibilities with his private crisis. Following a harrowing search and confrontation, Robert publicly rejects the notion of a war on drugs, framing it instead as a war on families. In the end, he and his wife Barbara (Amy Irving) join Caroline at a Narcotics Anonymous meeting, prioritizing empathy and understanding over politics, showing that policy and personal life are inseparably intertwined.

In San Diego, DEA agents Montel Gordon (Don Cheadle) and Ray Castro (Luis Guzmán) target Carlos Ayala (Steven Bauer), the Obregón cartel’s U.S. distributor. Their investigation leads to arrests, assassination attempts, and a web of deceit involving Ayala’s pregnant wife Helena (Catherine Zeta-Jones) and corrupt associates. As the trial unfolds, Helena’s desperate actions and the cartels’ ruthless reprisals threaten to derail justice, claiming the life of Agent Castro. Yet meticulous undercover work and strategic surveillance keep the pressure on Ayala, highlighting the perilous, often morally ambiguous fight against organized crime in the borderlands and the United States.

What Traffic does is provide a full picture of the drug web and the illegal trade that comes with it, showing the perspectives of users, enforcers, politicians, and traffickers. Every story connects to the others in its own way. It’s not something that impacts just one person—it affects all of us. That it won Oscars for Best Director (Stephen Soderbergh), Adapted Screenplay (Stephen Gaghan), Editing (Stephen Mirrione), and Supporting Actor (Benicio del Toro) is not surprising. The film’s only loss was Best Picture, where it fell to Gladiator. What is surprising is how most of the characters never actually meet.

Soderbergh handled cinematography himself and chose a different color grade for each storyline. It works because there is so much going on. The initial plan was for a three-hour film, but the final cut wisely runs just under two and a half hours. Behind the scenes, filmmakers consulted the DEA and U.S. Customs. While the agencies didn’t influence the content, they did point out inaccuracies and allowed access to a border checkpoint with Mexico.

I can see why Soderbergh wanted Traffic closer to three hours. There’s so much story—after all, the original British miniseries that inspired the film ran six episodes. Translating that to cinema isn’t easy, which makes Gaghan’s Oscar-winning script all the more impressive. Even with all the story and the film’s message, it still has to entertain audiences. Thankfully, it does. If it didn’t, it would have all been for nothing.

There’s a universe where then-20th Century Fox acquired Traffic, and Harrison Ford would have starred as Judge Wakefield instead of Michael Douglas. Alas, it wasn’t meant to be. Given Ford’s caliber, it’s one of those enduring what-ifs. How would he have approached the role? Played it differently? Could he have earned an Oscar nomination?

After all this time, Traffic still holds up as both a gripping story and a cautionary tale. Its messages about crime, power, and human cost feel as relevant as ever.

DIRECTOR: Steven Soderbergh
SCREENWRITER: Stephen Gaghan
CAST: Steven Bauer, Benjamin Bratt, James Brolin, Don Cheadle, Erika Christensen, Clifton Collins Jr., Benicio del Toro, Michael Douglas, Miguel Ferrer, Albert Finney, Topher Grace, Luis Guzmán, Amy Irving, Tomas Milian, D.W. Moffett, Dennis Quaid, Peter Riegert, Jacob Vargas, Catherine Zeta-Jones

USA Films released Traffic in theaters on December 27, 2000. Grade: 5/5

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