Visual Analysis
The media is among the key stakeholders playing a vital role in the war on drugs. For instance, the media facilitates this war by sharing information with the public. However, there are some instances where the role of the media becomes controversial. Among these instances is when media outlets portray drug lords and the drug trade in positive light. As they do this, they undermine the efforts of law enforcement agencies and place communities in grave danger. To gain a deeper understanding of the function that the media serves, an analysis of Drug Lord: the Legend of Shorty was performed. This documentary captures the war on drugs, the efforts of the American and Mexican governments and the strategies that El Chapo used to avoid arrest. The main take-away from the documentary is that the war on drugs marks the intersection of race, class, nationality and the ravaging impacts of substance abuse.
Summary of Narrative
As noted above, Drug Lord: the Legend of Shorty offers insight into the war on drugs. It tracks the journey of two journalists who attempt to find El Chapo. As it offers viewers a look into this journey, the documentary also sheds light on the various elements of the drug trade. For example, it shows how El Chapo and his cartel built a sophisticated distribution network that spanned all major global markets. Additionally, the documentary highlights the damage that El Chapo’s cartel has caused in the US. Chicago is among the cities that are singled out as having been ravaged by substance abuse, gang violence and drug trafficking. Another issue that the documentary highlights is the role that violence plays in drug trafficking. It helps viewers to understand that El Chapo relied heavily on violent tactics to tackle rival gangs, eliminate threats in government and frighten journalists. To substantiate the claims that it presents, the documentary relies on the testimonies of experts and individuals with intimate knowledge regarding the hunt for El Chapo. This documentary is remarkably enlightening and helps to draw connections between the themes addressed in the course and the dynamics of the war on drugs.
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Portrayal of Mexico, Latinos and US-Mexico Relations
Since the scope of this project is limited, the analysis of the documentary was confined to a few minutes that were found to offer the best reflection of the entire documentary. Focus was given to the first 10 minutes. The documentary portrays Mexico and Latinos in stereotypical fashion. It presents Mexico as a lawless nation that is war-ravaged, unstable and the perfect platform for drug trafficking. Additionally, the documentary portrays Latinos and Mexicans as poor and being overly willing to participate in the drug trade. In addition to being insulting, this portrayal poses a serious threat to the Latino community. As Florez et al. (2015) found out, many Latinos in the US are striving to embrace the American culture and have rejected drugs, addiction and trafficking. Therefore, by presenting Latinos as being heavily involved in the drug trade, the documentary reverses gains that this community has made.
The relations between the US and Mexico are another issue that the film explores. Surprisingly, the documentary portrays the relations as positive and collaborative. It indicates that the two nations have a common problem and have joined forces to eliminate it. However, there are some scenes where the documentary underscores the tensions between the two nations. For example, it presents Mexico as the main supplier of the drugs consumed in the US. It is indeed true that the relations between the US and Mexico have become strained as the latter blames the former for not doing enough to tackle drug trafficking (De Cordoba & Donati, 2019). Therefore, the documentary is accurate in its depiction of the US-Mexico relations.
Representation of Themes
The primary subject matter of the documentary is the war on drugs. In exploring this subject, the documentary offers an analysis that is primarily rooted in expert testimony. For example, it presents the views of an official working with the Drug Enforcement Agency to stem the flow of drugs into the US from Mexico. In performing this analysis, the documentary presents the thesis that the war on drugs has failed because of complicity, the violent techniques employed by traffickers and the limited capacity of the law enforcement authorities in the US. This analysis helps to shed light on the factors that have contributed to the failure of the war on drugs.
Use of Visual Strategies
Visual strategies play a crucial role in advancing the themes of the documentary. This documentary expertly employs sophisticated editing techniques, lighting and music. For example, El Chapo image is presented in black and white. This technique is clearly intended to depict him as menacing and dangerous. Additionally, scenes portraying Mexico are in black and white while those capturing places in the US are in full color. It can be argued that the difference in color is meant to highlight the massive differences between the US and Mexico. While drug trafficking and the drug trade affects both countries, Mexico has borne the brunt of these problems. Music is another tool that the documentary uses. Playing in the background are songs that glamorize the drug trade, demonize the United States and glorify the US. By imposing these songs onto the documentary, the creators are clearly trying to offer some background insight and allow audiences to understand the nuances and complex dynamics of the war on drugs and the relations between the US and Mexico.
Representation of Gender, Class, Race and Nation
The scene selected for analysis offers insightful representations of gender, class, race, the US and Mexico. Regarding gender, the documentary suggests that drug trafficking is a male occupation. In the first ten minutes, there are no women shown in the documentary. All the law enforcement agents and drug traffickers are male. By omitting women, the film essentially indicates that drug trafficking and the war on drugs capture the interactions of gender and power. To participate in these affairs, one must either have the tools of violence or power to push for policies. Since women lack the tools and the power, it is not surprising that they are not prominently featured in the documentary. Class and race are also explored in the film. Concerning class, the documentary shows how the poor are most vulnerable to being drawn into drug trafficking. Being a wealthy and powerful man, El Chapo managed to persuade hundreds of desperate and poor people to join his gang. The documentary also shows that racial minorities in the US have been caught in the grip of drug trafficking. For instance, it captures African American men selling drugs on the streets of Chicago. As noted earlier, in its depiction of the US and Mexico, the documentary highlights how the relationship between the two nations have become strained.
In conclusion, El Chapo: the Legend of Shorty is an informative and eye-opening documentary. This documentary examines the US-led war on drugs and the factors that led to its failure. It also highlights the violence that surrounds drug trafficking and the toll that substance abuse has had on communities in the US and Mexico. Additionally, the documentary helps one to understand how power and politics have influence drug trafficking and the war on drugs. For any individual who wishes to understand these issues, the documentary is easy to recommend.
References
De Cordoba, J., & Donati, J. (2019). Mexico’s failure to stem violence strains relationship with U.S. Wall Street Journal. Retrieved November 18, 2019 from https://www.wsj.com/articles/gunbattle-underlines-mexicos-struggle-to-stem-cartel-violence-even-with-u-s-help-11572024172
Florez, K. R., Derose, K. P., Breslau, J., Griffin, B. A., Haas, A. C., Kanouse, D. E., Stucky, B. D., & Williams, M. V. (2015). Acculturation and drug addiction stigma among Latinos and African Americans: An examination of a church-based sample. Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health
