Ask the average citizen what he knows about Colombia, and the first thing he remembers will be: there is a mafia in this country. In the public consciousness of people around the world, a stereotype has taken root, in which Colombia and the mafia are inextricably linked. Of course, in reality this is far from the case, but the influence of organized crime on the political, economic, and social life of the state is still great.
Historical excursion
The Colombian mafia is one of the largest producers and exporters of cocaine, a criminal business and is developing quite successfully in the 21st century, despite the efforts of the Colombian authorities. Colombian drug lords earn huge fortunes, which allows them to be considered the most powerful and dangerous people. The Colombian mafia began its existence as an organization in the mid-60s of the last century, in the 70s the drug market began to expand rapidly, which allowed drug dealers to form a number of drug cartels. Among them, the Medellin and Kali cartels are considered the most powerful. Filmmakers from different countries have repeatedly addressed the topic of activities of the criminal world specializing in the production and distribution of cocaine, highlighting in their works the features of the illegal business or its "leaders."
We say “Colombian mafia”, we mean “Pablo Escobar”
The Colombian drug lord and, oddly enough, the politician Pablo Emilio Escobar Gaviria earned a fabulous fortune in the drug business. Back in 1989, Forbes magazine estimated its revenue at $ 3 billion. He went down in history as one of the most famous and cruel criminals of the past century, and not only in Colombia, but throughout the world. Despite the fact that he killed policemen, judges, prosecutors, journalists, personally executed his victims, shot down civilian aircraft, Escobar was extremely popular among the poor and especially young people. The image of the cruel drug lord was reflected in the cinema. The list of films about the Colombian mafia presented in this publication is, to one degree or another, related to his personality.
Documentary tapes
Pablo Escobar is devoted not only to feature films. About the Colombian mafia filmed a great many documentary projects. Among them, the most interesting are rightfully considered:
- “Pablo Escobar - The Cocaine King” (1998) - original painting by Steven Dupler;
- “The Hunt for Pablo Escobar” (2007) from the National Geographic channel;
- The Hippos of Pablo Escobar (2010), directed by Antonio von Hildebrand;
- "Who killed Pablo Escobar?" (2013), directed by George Levin.
Artistic films about the Colombian mafia are fairly realistic in the events that took place. In the list, the film “Cocaine” takes the first position, since it is the first Hollywood attempt to create a “big movie” about “fast money”.
Cocaine (2001)
For Hollywood, the cocaine theme is pretty slippery. Ted Demme, starting production of the tape according to the book of Bruce Porter, immediately covered himself with political correctness. The story is based on the life story of the largest drug dealer George Young, so the picture is essentially autobiographical. The main character is a frankly negative character, a notorious villain. But the lead actor Johnny Depp in a duet with Penelope Cruz is played with such inspiration that their heroes can not help but sympathize.
In separate episodes, the film is shocking by the simplicity of demonstrating the most difficult moral aspects of the actions of key actors and their power of influence on others. The director developed the idea of his masterpiece for six years, he repeatedly met with the real George Young, consulted on a number of questions about the structure of the Colombian mafia. Photos provided by Young served as an additional source of inspiration. By the way, this project was the last in the filmography of the director. In 2002, he suddenly died at the age of 38. The official cause of death is a heart attack, but it was rumored that cocaine was to blame.
Lost Paradise (2014)
The list of paintings will be continued by the Italian director Andrea Di Stefano’s drama Lost Paradise, which directly features the Colombian mafia. The film was shot using facts about the life of Pablo Escobar. A directorial debut can attract the attention of a viewer audience for at least two reasons. The first - the main roles in the project are played by Benicio Del Toro and Josh Hutcherson, the second - their characters are very entertaining, and the story is curious. Of course, the biography of Pablo Escobar is known to many, but Andrea Di Stefano offers to look at him from the inside, even the local side. The filmmaker turns international history with a lot of aggravating circumstances into an aimed psychological drama, but retains the defining moments of the events of the last year of Escobar's life. Benicio Del Toro's skill doubles what is happening on the screen. Events are far from popular prints, the Colombian mafia is depicted realistically, the narrative is dynamic, the tension does not subside until the very end. The existing flaws do not spoil the viewing experience, the viewer manages to feel the atmosphere, experience the excitement for the main character and ask the question: is there a paradise on Earth?
Narco (2015)
In 2015, Netflix studio launched the series about the Colombian mafia Narco. The first and second season of the show are devoted to the criminal life of Pablo Escobar. The viewer will be shown how he first ran away from the police in slippers and with marijuana in a backpack, and years later carried cocaine containers. One of the most interesting and exciting lines of the project is the pursuit of a daring drug dealer. The praise of critics was awarded to the lead actor Wagner Moura, who has never slipped to the most banal clichés inherent in the image of the drug lord. The creators provide the public with two parallels: an OBN investigation with a hunt for Escobar and the point of view of Pablo himself with progressive ambitions, ruthlessness and power. The series is great in drawing, it has the highest IMDb rating: 8.80.
And in the American TV series “Beauties” (2004-2011), the key character Vincent Chase (Adrian Grenier), in the story an actor trying to realize himself in Hollywood, plays a major role in the movie “Medellin”, which is also based on the life story of Escobar .
Undercover Scam (2016)
The real events underlying the scenario of “Undercover Scams” have long received the status of “legend”. Strong movie is dedicated to the Colombian mafia, does not fall into drama and is completely devoid of inappropriate humor. The creators could not do without some moralizing, because the central characters - "scouts" Mazur and his fake bride - are rubbed into confidence in Roberto Alcaino, Escobar's confidant. The work of the leading actors in the film is commendable. Brian Cranston - an actor with a capital letter, invariably demonstrates all the facets of his huge talent. It is no less interesting to watch performers of the second plan. John Leguizamo is convincing in the image of an adrenaline-dependent special agent, Benjamin Bratt is brilliant in the role of a sleek aristocrat drug dealer, Amy Ryan is a real “iron lady”, and Joseph Gilgan is a natural seasoned bandyugan. This magnificent acting ensemble gives the story the necessary charm, appeal and volume. In a movie with a timing of 127 minutes there is not a single passing hero. Additional bonuses add to the tape rare cameos of significant characters, for example, a trick with Escobar.
Made in America (2017)
In the work of director Doug Lyman, much is simplified and exaggerated. The plot links together the CIA, drug lords, pseudo-rebels, the president’s team, middle-level officials, and Latin American dictators. There are many characters in the film, but it’s impossible to get confused. Great actors and expertly written scripts made all the characters vivid and memorable. Tom Cruise appears in the foreground, the tape was hardly successful without an artist of his caliber, since his character is not a positive hero at all, he is not easy to sympathize with. However, Cruise, though soloing, does not pull the blanket over himself.
"Made in America" is not a thriller in its usual sense, but the picture is very dynamic and dramatic, no less exciting in conversational scenes than in action episodes. The main character of Baria deals with personalities from whom one should expect anything, even if they smile and pat on the shoulder in a friendly manner. They are the Colombian mafia.
Escobar (2017)
The Bulgarian-Spanish biographical drama Fernando Leon De Aranoa “Escobar” is also a biopic about the legendary Colombian drug lord. The script is based on the book “I Love Pablo, I Hate Escobar”, which is the Spanish-language memoirs of Virginia Vallejo herself. But the director did not shoot a criminal romantic movie, but a criminal biopic, in which the love line takes a secondary position in comparison with the hero’s confrontation with the American and local authorities. Instead of a detailed analysis of complex mental processes and the attraction between a journalist and a drug dealer, the director uses Vallejo as an off-screen narrator to help the audience understand the complicated story of Escobar.
Criticism
Many critics argue that in terms of art, the painting is a variation on the theme “Faces with a Scar”. But the color of Colombia, a demonstration of political intrigue and reliance on facts make the film worthy of attention as an independent work of art, instructive for those who hope to rule through intimidation and intimidation. It is worth noting the powerful game of the leading role actor - Javier Bardem, unsurpassed in the image of a passionate, cunning and treacherous criminal. The actor eclipsed Penelope Cruz, about her in the cinema we can only say that she looks like a superstar from a glossy cover.