I think people are interested in politics, particularly when they see how they affect their daily lives. I think they're really tired of politicians, but I don't think they're tired of politics, as long as they're connected to something. And I felt that about this subject. Everyone knows someone who's touched by the issue of drugs, so if you can make the dramatic thriller elements more satisfying then you can get away with talking about the other stuff. And people are certainly coming to see it.
Traffic is an independently minded epic made with studio money.
Yet despite the far-reaching narrative and thematic concerns, Soderbergh has created an atmosphere in which characters, rather than the forces that animate them, are the central focus. At the heart of this epic there is a rich emotional intimacy. This derives from Soderbergh's fabled ability to make actors comfortable, and also from his decision to act as his own camera operator. There's a new Panavision camera called the Millennium XL that isn't that heavy and was ideal for us. I just like being in that kind of proximity to the actor.