Sicario: An Excellent Cartel Thriller

The word "Sicario" comes from the Zealots of Jerusalem, killers who hunted the Romans who invaded their homeland. In Mexico, "Sicario" means "Hitman."

As it turns out, Mexico isn't actually yellow. And through the eyes of Roger Deakins, it is also appropriately colorful yet saddening, eye-catching yet sobering. The visual style of "Sicario" is only one of the things that makes it so unique in a world inundated with war stories. Not that there's anything inherently wrong with war stories, but the fact that a film is able to stand out in a genre with such a sheer inundation of titles is telling. One problem with war films, in general, is that too often, they attempt to capture disillusion with film, a medium that is far better at capturing illusion. Often, they attempt to cast the players in the film as heroes, a construct that is in direct conflict with the idea of disillusion. But trust me: "Sicario" is under no illusions about what it is. It is a smart, solid, sobering thriller that has a lot more on its mind than being a 90-minute-long army commercial.

"Sicario," a 2015 film about the war on the Mexican cartels, follows an FBI agent named Kate Macer as she is assigned to a special task force dedicated to combating the cartels by any means possible. She starts out determined in her mission, wanting to avenge a horrible crime she witnessed that was committed on American soil by the Sonora Cartel, a crime syndicate in Mexico. And so, Kate goes along with her pre-existing notions of what a war entails. She's a by-the-book agent, and so naturally, she's surprised when her compatriots throw out the book in the name of the greater good, whatever that means to you. The longer their legally questionable war rages on, the more and more disillusioned and unsure Kate becomes of a mission she used to be so dedicated to, until the film comes to a close in a daring, sobering, surprising, and powerful way. "Sicario" is by no means a perfect film. The story is at its best at the beginning and end of the film and tends to meander a little bit in the middle act. But nevertheless, there are a number of things that make this film stick out to me from the rest of the pack, and I wanted to discuss those today.

The first thing I wanted to discuss was the visual style of this film. I don't think it's any secret that, generally speaking, war flicks set in the modern day aren't too concerned about how attractive their film is visually, and you know what? That's fine. Those films don't exactly look like something you'd see in the Louvre, and frankly, they don't need to be. They set out to accomplish other things. The only other modern war film I can think of that genuinely surprised me in the area of its visuals was "Guy Ritchie's The Covenant." However, to say that "Sicario" was beautifully shot would be an understatement. This film is gorgeous, courtesy of the master himself, Roger Deakins. In fact, the film was actually nominated for Best Cinematography at the Oscars in 2016. The framing and lighting in the film were nothing short of sublime, particularly the latter. Natural lighting seemed to be the go-to for Deakins, and it added to the richness and realism of the film. The atmosphere was arresting, engrossing, and sucked me into a world where rules are ignored in the name of the greater good. The establishing shots in this film were excellently packed to the brim with character: no clinical, boring visuals allowed. Everything looked so lived-in, so real. Light was used to signify good intentions, and darkness and shadow to signify evil and violence. "Sicario" is the best-looking war film I've ever seen, and frankly, it isn't really close.

The next thing I love about this film is its no-holds-barred storytelling. "Sicario" isn't here to recruit people to the military. It's here to make a statement about the futility of violence, and its storytelling really puts the exclamation point on that statement. And best of all, although the violence portrayed is certainly revolting and shocking, it never feels exploitative. "Sicario" treats its subject matter with the utmost respect while also delivering a gut-punch-level dose of some harsh realities we who live in more peaceful areas of the world like to turn our backs on and hope that if we pretend that they don't exist for long enough, maybe they won't. The characters in this film are very nuanced and, for the most part, very well-written and well-acted, seamlessly assisting the narrative choices writer Taylor Sheridan and director Denis Villeneuve make. This film isn't looking to capture you with breathtaking action. It approaches its violent and dark subject matter with a desire to portray it honestly with the end goal of honoring those who have to make a very real and very difficult living in this area of the world. This film doesn't end with a big, explosive, eye-popping, and loud bang. Instead, it ends quietly, punching in the film's points about a never-ending war in our own backyard that we would prefer to ignore.

The last thing that makes this film stand out to me is its soundtrack. I will never forget the pounding, foreboding, relentless chords of "The Beast," the track that plays as the task force approaches Juarez, Mexico. It adds an appropriate air of menace to the film while also putting the music in most horror films to shame at the same time. To contrast this track, a lot of the other music in the film is more somber, quiet, and contemplative, creating this incredible divide between the calm and the storm that this film so well represents. All in all, even though the film contained some pacing here and there that left a little bit to be desired, when the film does do something well, it does it so well that the weaker parts of the film almost don't matter. By the time the credits rolled, I was speechless. "Sicario" is an excellent, excellent movie, despite its flaws, and it's a film I give an emphatic thumbs-up to.

Sicario - 8/10

Jeremiah 5:6