We all have seen movies about drugs and crimes. However, all of them seem too easy and fictional to give you goosebumps. The art of storytelling is not how audiences want but what they need. Every single show that has been considered as a classic always has a touch of reality. The chase of Pablo Escobar, a criminal mastermind, with brilliant narration in Netflix’s Narcos is amazing. Steve Murphy, DEA agent sets on a mission to catch him. A quick warning, this show contains content for mature audiences and is rated R.
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About Series:
The series is in narration. Story is told from Steve Murphy’s point of view. Show that was originally a feature film, now has four seasons. However, season one and two are termed Narcos. Season three and four are Narcos: Mexico. Narcos tells the story of Pablo Escobar, a real life criminal. He was drug lord and leader of Medellín Cartel in the 1980s. Escobar solved his problems by motto, “Plata o Plomo” which translates to “Silver or bullet”. This resulted in more than four thousands deaths! Chris Brancato, Carlo Bernard, and Doug Miro directed the show. They did a commendable job in directing the series.
Initially, Pablo was not the center of the script in episode one. However, directors feel that they need to tell his story. It was crucial as many of the audience might not be familiar with his name. Using voice-overs was something that could be an example of Elite Squad. The movie ‘Good-fellas’ inspired Jose Padilla to use violence and luxury. Since information about Escobar and the DEA was a lot, it was important to scrutinize the details. All scenes were shot in Columbia to maintain the authenticity.
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Plot-line
Story of Narcos revolves around Steve Murphy who arrives at Columbia. He is a DEA agent and teams up with Javier Peña to catch Escobar. He works with Columbia authorities led by Colonel Carrillo. Escobar, who does Cocaine smuggling, supplies cocaine and soon decides to enter politics. However, his efforts go down the drain when Javier presents a witness against him. This tarnishes Pablo’s image in Government. However, he still struggles with election against César Gaviria. After Presidential elections, Pablo also faces challenges inside his drug cartel. Pablo Escobar decides to go to Columbia Jail. The government disbands the Carrillo’s search block. A Cali Cartel member, works with Javier. The pictures of Pablo in Jail living a lavish life is released. A prison transfer is initiated. Meanwhile, Cali Cartel kidnaps Murphy. Sandoval, Minister of Justice, visits Pablo in prison. However, Pablo holds him as hostage. Gaviria decides to end the story of Pablo while putting Sandoval in danger. Season one ends with Pablo escaping the prison.
After his escape, a new team is devised. Claudia and Crossby lead the DEA. As a retaliation Pablo orders Limon a mass slaughter of policemen.After this, Colonel Pinzon resigns. The ruthless yet most awaited Colonel Carrillo is back! Meanwhile, Limon convinces a young woman Maritza to go against Escobar. She tips Javier about Escobar’s location. However, with a surprise turn of events, the car in which Carrillo is, gets ambushed. Limon reveals that Pablo planned the death of DEA and Carrillo. Los Pepes, a team of Cali Cartel, that kills Pablo’s men. Javier reveals that he provides information about Pablo’s from his Intel and Los Pepes take action. Pablo sends his family to Germany. But they are detained and kept in National Security as per Attorney General’s orders. Soon, the violence increases and innocent citizens are living life in constant fear. Pablo hides in his father’s isolated farmhouse with Limon. Javier is goes to the USA. After many false chases, police finally catch Escobar. Before he could escape, Murphy shoots him and then another officer kills him saying,” Long Live Columbia”.
Behind The Scenes:
If you are wondering how the Narcos series shows accurate and close-to-real-life details, credit goes to actual Pablo Escobar. He kept detailed visual accounts of his life with videos. Not just that, the actors did an excellent job too. Wagner Moura, actor who plays Pablo Escobar, learns Spanish for his role. He moved six months before shooting to learn the language perfectly. Moura gained 40 lbs to attain his character in the series. He is a famous Brazilian actor, known for Elite Squad. This is the highest grossing film in Brazilian History! Also, Pablo’s death was shot at the place where he actually died.
The music of Narcos, “Tuyo” means “Yours”. Brazilian singer Rodrigo Amante composes this song. According to her, she imagined herself as Pablo’s mother. The song actually is about a mother who loves his son. The end scene is where two men click glass over Pablo’s death. But what you may not know is they are real life ‘Steve Murphy’ and ‘Javier Pena’.
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Details:
When Pablo orders a retaliation. This scene is a perfect blend of tones. While in one shot, Pablo dances with his wife. At same time, his men kill policemen brutally. The scene-switch showcases the ruthless and cold-heart drug lord in a contrasting manner. Also, the dilemma of defining one’s right and wrong is crucial. Javier takes help of Cali Cartel, who are no different than Medellín Cartel. Murphy and Javier leak the video of prison and get in trouble. Colonel Carrillo, who though gives Escobar a hard time, is ruthless. He kills young boys, with zero ounce of sympathy. At the end, when Murphy makes a deal with Cali Cartel to take down Escobar, we see a moral conflict. It basically asks the viewer, what would they do when conventional options seem fruitless? As Javier Peña said in series
Sometimes you gotta do bad things to catch bad people.
A must watch!
The series shows two sides of every individual. Pablo, who is ruthless, is a devoted family man. Carrillo, who is ruthless, but fights for greater good. His death was a big shock to the audience. Murphy’s wife Connie, who is a nurse in Miami, shows us the dark side of drug use. There are in and out of patients and people who were arrested at airports for smuggling drugs. We also see how for money, people risk their life. They consume insane amounts of Cocaine. This series is blend of reality of a drug business, both inside cartel and country.
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