TRADE
Germany/US, 2007, 118 minutes, Colour.
Kevin Kline, Cesar Ramos, Alicja Bachleda-Curus?, Paulina Gaitan, Marco Perez, Linda Emond.
Directed by Marco Kreuzpaintner.
With its subject of sex trafficking, especially from Mexico to the United States, Trade can never be less than harrowing. At times, dramatic, with some melodramatic moments, it offers a personalised story of what is one of the ugliest trades in the world today.
It has been the subject of a number of films from different countries. One of the most challenging is Amos Gitai's Promised Land (trade from Eastern Europe into Israel). And Your Name is Justine is a sobering film about Polish women being tricked into believing that they are going on holidays in Germany only to be trapped. Lucas Moodysson's Lilya 4 Ever had a similar theme for Russia and Finland. The action drama, Taken, showed scams at Paris airport tricking American tourists, imprisoning them, drugging them and auctioning them.
Trade is based on award-winning articles by American Peter Landesman who spent months in Mexico researching this shadow world. The film has been scripted by Jose Rivera who wrote The Motorcycle Diaries and directed by a young German, Marco Kreuzpaintner (Summer Storm). The cast is mainly Mexican, led by two young amateurs (Cesar Ramos and Paulina Gaitan) who are believable as brother and sister, the 13 year old girl abducted in daylight from the neighbourhood street, the brother, a petty thief and con man, desperate to save his sister and finding his life turned round. He encounters an insurance investigator (Kevin Kline) who is still searching for a long lost daughter who was sold into prostitution and, together, they cross the US to find the girl. This leads them to quiet suburban New Jersey and an online auction crime gang.
Location photography in Mexico City, especially the poorer streets and homes, on the US/Mexican border and Juarez where illegals try to cross, give the film a realistic tone.
While the film is based on research, the film-makers have decided to emphasise the narrative drive and urgency of the search as well as the plight of several abducted women, one of whom is Polish and who is held because of threats to her family and son back in Poland, another of whom is a young boy brought in from Thailand.
While this 'trade' is shocking and upsetting, the film tries to show that effort, personal and by the police, can confront the lowlife criminals and customers (many of whom are wealthy and high-life sleazy individuals) and do something about the trade.
1.The theme? The importance of the theme? The treatment? The effect?
2.Mexico City, its atmosphere, the credits and the aerial shots, the overview of Mexico City, the streets, homes, poverty? The contrast with Juarez, the town, the stash house? The Mexican-American? border, the river? Texas? The contrast with New Jersey, suburbia? The musical score?
3.The focus on the United States, Mexico and illegal immigration, the exploitation by Mexicans, by Americans? The Americans and their using the illegal sex trade? The title?
4.The basis in research, realism, the story created from articles? Audiences identifying with characters, emotions, the journey, the search? The experience of the girls? Watching the traffickers and their behaviour, characters, methods? The transformation in Jorge and Ray in their search?
5.The opening in Mexico, Adriana’s party, aged thirteen, Jorge and his gift of the bike, the mother’s reaction and forbidding the bike, the absent father, Jorge and his rebellious attitude towards his mother yet loving her? His devotion to Adriana? His saying he was a tour guide, in the square, using English, the photos of the girls, trying to trap the American tourists, his friends surrounding the tourist, robbing him, firing the water pistol and laughing?
6.Adriana, her getting up early, riding the bike, her mother asleep, the card for Jorge, her being abducted in broad daylight?
7.The streets, the boys and their life, with the girls, going to the place where Adriana was abducted, the boy who had stolen the bike? Jorge and his searching for information, the boss telling him about the Russians, his friends being too frightened to help, seeing the street parade of the prostitutes?
8.Jorge, his character, age, experience, place in the family, seeing the truck, taking his friend’s car, following the truck on the highway, the breakdown in the desert? The house, knowing that his sister had been there? His watching, his seeing Ray, hiding in the boot of the car, revealing himself, the confrontation?
9.The young women on the plane, the chaperone, learning English, the promises? The passports being taken, the rough behaviour, the girl running away and being run over? Mario and Vadim? Their brutality? The house, Veronika and her attitude, meeting Adriana? The threats, the rape? The tearing of the photo, Adriana giving it to Veronika?
10.The Russian and his brutality, the end, Jorge stabbing him – and his child coming out and calling for ‘father’? The freeze-frame at the end of the film?
11.Mario, his brutality, moments of humanity? The driving, the border crossing, his hitting the girls, the harshness, their being rounded up by the police, escaping, return to Mexico, the attempt again, the safe crossing? The brutal American, his leering attitudes? Marion and his brutality towards Veronika? Her escaping when they stopped for a drink, her ringing her family, the sad news of her child’s being taken? Standing on the cliff, threatening Mario, killing herself? Mario’s behaviour in New Jersey, brutalising Adriana, Jorge hitting him – and the appeal to let them go? His letting them go?
12.Ray, age and experience, his work in insurance fraud, the phone calls to his wife? Getting the large amount of money, finding Jorge in the boot, getting him clothes, showered, the meal? Jorge seeing the abducted Thai boy? Ray following, confronting the paedophile? Getting the password, going on-line, discovering the auction? Ray and his own story, his wife, his infidelity, his daughter, the drug addict girlfriend, her selling her daughter, his search for the daughter?
13.The girls, the travel, Adriana and her fear, her being strong? New Jersey, suburbia, the woman and her running of the house, the auction? The police later discovering a house full of victims?
14.Travelling to New Jersey, going to see the detective, the interview with the DA, his concern about broader issues and not wanting to help? Ray’s confronting him?
15.Ray, the story, the auction, on-line, the plan, using the money, Ray and his advising to click ‘enter’ at the last two seconds and win the auction? His experience with the authorities? His going to New Jersey, meeting Laura and Mario, meeting Adriana, her manner of dress, being presented to the buyer? His talking, the demands by Laura that he take Adriana to the room, the demand for blood on the sheets? Laura getting Mario to check, her suspicions of Ray? Mario catching Adriana, their persuading Mario to let them go?
16.Jorge, in the car, hitting Mario, Laura with the gun, the danger, the arrival of the police?
17.Adriana saved, reunited with Jorge, going to the church and seeing her mother? Jorge and his friendship with Ray, their together, Ray as a father figure, wanting Jorge to keep the money, Jorge putting it in Ray’s car? The promise for the future? Ray and his final phone call to his wife? The background of the story of the ill cat, the cat being put down, Jorge and his not understanding pets compared with his extended family? Ray bringing home another cat?
18.The scene in the street, Jorge and Vadim, the stabbing, the freeze frame, the effect on the audience?
19.How well did the film work as drama, the melodramatic touches, the harrowing experience – and an indication that authorities can achieve some kind of breakthrough and arrest offenders?
