Soderbergh's finest hour

Back in 2000, director Steven Soderbergh had the year of his life. Snagging Best Picture Oscar nods for "Traffic" and "Erin Brockovich," Soderbergh earned two Best Director nods in the same year -- an accomplishment not seen since Frank Lloyd back in 1929. Ultimately he won for "Traffic" and we still remember it over that year's big winner, Ridley Scott's "Gladiator." \nPenned by writer Stephen Gaghan (writer/director of 2005's "Syriana") with inspiration gained from the British mini-series "Traffik," "Traffic" carries a heavy message on a topic we're all familiar with: drugs. From the West Coast to the U.S.-Mexican border and way over in Washington D.C., a massive portrait is painted on how drugs can factor into almost anything and, ultimately, do harm to us all. \nWhat makes "Traffic" not only great but important as well? From one angle, it doesn't fantasize or romanticize with the drug culture. This isn't "Blow" or "Scarface," films that make doing drugs more cool than harmful. "Traffic" cuts out that "cool." It's the kind of film, alongside Darren Aronofsky's "Requiem for a Dream," that should be shown in high schools across the country to scare kids from experimenting with illegal substances. \nFrom another angle, the film showcases Soderbergh finally coming into his own. He photographed the entire film himself (under the pseudonym Peter Andrews) and has continued to do so as well as taking the editor role in most of his post-"Traffic" output. The film shows how brilliant the man is behind his camera. \nSo why talk about the DVD now? Well, while a barebones single-disc has been available for years, the Criterion two-disc saw a short shelf-life, becoming more of a rarity when such a film should be easy to find. Fortunately, the two-disc is now readily available again. \nDisc one is solid, housing the movie and three commentary tracks: Soderbergh/Gaghan take one avenue discussing all the cinematic qualities, producers Edward Zwick, Marshall Herskotivz and Laura Bickford discuss how important it was for "Traffic" to be made and the last track has consultants Tim Golden, Craig Chretien and composer Cliff Martinez filling in all the little details. \nDisc two is a testament to technical achievement. Included are 25 deleted scenes (with commentary), demonstrations on film processing to show how the film's unique color compositions were created and lessons on film/dialogue editing. If you've ever wanted to see how a film is crafted, this disc alone will give you what you're looking for beyond the movie -- something that the single-disc release won't give you.