In Tijuana, two cartels battle for power using local policemen Manolo and Javier as pawns. On the other side of the border, a dealer working for one of the top distributors gets caught by policemen Montel and Ray. He agrees to name his boss, Carlos Ayala, in a deal. Ayala's wife, Helena, knew nothing about his less than legitimate line of business and is devastated at the prospect of losing her luxurious lifestyle. Robert Wakefield is named as the new drugs Tsar in Washington, unaware that his own daughter, Caroline, is sliding into an addiction to cocaine.
Traffic looks in depth at the various partnerships and relationships affected by the cocaine market.
The progressive revelation of truth brings clarity to the characters and the decisions they make. This article is reproduced from The Damaris Trust website - used with permission. As Traffic endeavours to show, as long as the demand continues, the supply will never run out. Steven Soderbergh does not hold back in giving expression to the lows of getting high. He used different coloured filters to delineate the three story strands and to create an instant feeling for circumstances - Mexico looks grainy, hot and yellow whilst the Wakefields' existence is seen in cold, steely blue.