The Sicario film’s script tells the story of the Mexican War on Drugs, which began in 2015 and is still going on. The paper will begin with the positive aspects of this film. The beginning of the script provides general information about the war in a thesis statement to help the viewer become well-versed in the topic. Although the Mexican War on Drugs has long been known to the general public, a reminder of its specifics is a must for the viewer. In this way, the film brings its entire audience to the same level of responsibility in this area. It provides a good foundation for further informed viewing. In addition, among the positive aspects of the script, it is crucial to mention the provision of graphs and statistics. This action has several advantages. First, the use of factual information in work increases confidence in the film’s authors and convinces the viewer of the truthfulness and accuracy of the narrative. Ultimately, screenwriters do not operate with fuzzy concepts, such as the words “a lot” or “little,” but provide specific figures.
Second, the provision of statistical data structures the presentation of information and makes the conclusions more understandable. For example, if the final finding of the film is that a large number of children or women died in the Mexican war on drugs. In this case, the viewer will see the statistics on which this conclusion is based. As the third advantage that the film’s script has, the extensive representation of the role of women in this war should be noted. Indeed, speaking of such wars, most people think only of men’s problems and are unaware that women suffer just as much as they do, and sometimes even more. Plenty of quantitative and qualitative data is devoted to this topic, helping to convey it to the viewer. The representation of the female problem in the context of the war on drugs can also be an innovative and off-the-beaten-path approach.
Regarding the negatives, this scenario also has them. The first is the abundance of statistical data and the lack of empirical data. In other words, statistics are not enough to evoke a certain emotion in the viewer. The film lacks the real stories of eyewitnesses to this war, expert opinions from interviews and literature. Indeed, a person who has never been in the middle of those events cannot feel their horror unless he is told about it. Secondly, the film lacks a description of how things are today, in 2021. The Mexican War on Drugs is still going on today, and the film concentrates mainly on the events of the past. In addition, one can draw parallels with similar events taking place in other countries. This will help viewers realize that all of this can happen everywhere and make them take the problem more seriously.
For example, there could be a parallel between what is happening in Mexico and what is happening in Afghanistan, where the Taliban terrorist organization has taken over. Although Mexico and Afghanistan are far apart and have very different histories, societies, and religions, the Taliban and the Mexican cartels have two things in common. Both organizations depend on the drug trade and expand their territories and political influence through violence. For instance, before Mexico’s elections in June 2021, drug cartels intimidated and murdered candidates they did not like, financed election campaigns, and bought votes even more openly than before.
To summarize, the Mexican drug war movie has good potential thanks to a good script. It inspires the viewer’s confidence by providing statistics. It offers an innovative look at the problem by discussing the women’s situation during the war. However, it also has certain disadvantages, such as a lack of lively eyewitness accounts and a practical lack of discussion of the current situation. Nevertheless, the script is well written, and the deficiencies are easily remedied.