How Sicario Fools its Audience
Let's discuss some of the screenwriting elements in 'Sicario' (Denis Villeneuve, 2015). The storytelling is unconventional, especially the perspective in which the story is told - Who is the main character here? Who is in the right and who is in the wrong? What are your thoughts? If you enjoy this video please like and subscribe to show your support, this is a new channel so it would help a lot! Thanks for watching.
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Don't forget, the original screenplay made it clear Alejandro is the main protagonist, including his voiceover, but Del Toro and Villeneuve agreed to strip 90% of his dialogue to make Alejandro more enigmatic. I get the feeling if Taylor Sheridan's original script had been untouched, this movie wouldn't have been the masterpiece it became.
Could NOT agree more. Taylor is spotty. He's written (and produced) some amazing content and definitely has a knack for storytelling and filmmaking, but he's also spread himself too thin. He seems to be going quantity over quality these days (granted this was 2015 though). But Villeneuve's insight and direction in this film were superb. I remember seeing the X-Ray trivia on Prime Video that mentioned what you said about Villeneuve and Del Toro cutting out most of his lines. It made it almost an entirely different film. It's crazy to imagine it the way it was originally written. Toro did such an amazing job that I can't help but think the original would have been far inferior. The way they ended up doing it seems like the ONLY way it would have worked. Also Villeneuve and Deakins CRUSHED the cinematography in this film. So many memorable shots. My favorite I think is at dusk when they're heading to the tunnel and their silhouettes slowly recede below the horizon until we just see desert and nightfall. Gorgeous.
@@jinks908 Yup. The scene of the shadows disappearing beneath the sunset was the ultimate symbolism of the descent into darkness that was the remainder of the film.
I disagree, seeing what happened to his other projects, Taylor's original script would have been awesome to see. I found sicario very boring, like a linear story pretending to be a whodunit, it felt out of place and like something was missing all the time. i hated it
@@jinks908Too true. I think Josh Brolin spoke for all of us, when he saw Sicario for the first time, not really expecting much, he simply said "Holy Shit".
Kate is the audience
Definitely a low key horror movie. The fact that it's everything seen in the movie happens in real life, it makes it all the more terrifying
i like the part when Benecio smokes that fool and his whole family at the dinner table. savage af
It be like that the Cartel world has no regards to women and children they could kill the father who was affiliated and still come after your family just because. @@Peyote1312
@@Peyote1312 Kids Are So annoying Atleast He Do the right thing
@BlyGuy Thank you for that comment! I thought I was the only one with that opinion. After I've watched Sicario, I told everyone that from now on I will categorize "horror movies" as "entertainment", because THAT movie depicts the real horror.
@@Peyote1312”not in front of my boys” Del Toro said bet😂😂😂
One detail that I also love about Sicario is Kate's shirt. In the beginning it's light blue, but as the film goes along it gets paler and paler until the end when it's a washed-out dull white. This mirrors her gradual loss of moral certainty. Brilliantly subtle.
I never noticed that! Thank you for adding this to my knowledge
Came here to say this, incredible movie.
or it's just a coincidence
Too much bleach in her washing powder....Fact 😂
@@kustomkure Garbage take from a film amateur.
The musical score is INCREDIBLE. I remember watching this in the cinema and the world that was presented on the screen sounded like it was about to break open and swallow its inhabitants. I own the soundtrack on compact disc. It's a masterpiece.
The composer died. R.I.P 🙏 But he did elevated all the movies that he composed for.
@@amberturdcoloringbook1733 I remember reading that. Is Sicario - Day of the Soldado dedicated to him?
He wanted it to have an effect like Jaws did.
The trip to Ciudad Juárez (the beast) is simply a masterpiece. The music is spot on in the entire movie.
@@jeffcarlin5866 I don't know. I will have to re-watch it and see.
When I was watching it, it felt like I was being managed like a CIA asset where you only get told the lies that make you do/think what you are expected to do/think. That was the point of telling the story this way. I loved it.
This is spot on. Kate's character served as the 'fish out of water' protagonist that the audience essentially sees the film through. This is why Sicario 2 didn't work - the perspective is from Brolin/Del Toro's characters, and they lose any and all mystery or aura around them.
It's so good. Like Jaws. The sequel was a Gremlins 2 treatment but less entertaining.
Exactly!
The villain is the stupid girl
Know what the hest part is? None of its lies at all. Maybe not a whole truth but nowhere near a lie
Denis Villeneuve is an exceptional filmmaker. Dune, Prisoners, Sicario and Arrival are amongst my favourite movies from the last decade.
Yes and did you see/enjoy Enemy?
@JustinTaylormade I've never seen Enemy, but, I've read the premise, and I have looked out for it on the streaming services, and, it'd be a fascinating movie to watch, and I think I'd enjoy it because most of Villeneuve's movies are exceptional.
Truer words have rarely been spoken
Blade Runner 2049 is his magnum opus
@jmz2144 Blade Runner is in my top 10 favourite films, but, I was underwhelmed with Blade Runner 2049. I think I need to watch it again, and, I'm hoping i will appreciate it more second time around.
Kate's other role in the film was really to be a moral compass, she was there to constantly remind viewers that lot of what the "good" guys were doing was actually morally wrong. She also showed the flaws on how hard it is to achieve anything productive when you faithfully play by all the rules against an adversary who breaks them constantly. But more to the point because she sets the moral scale for the viewers when Alejandro finally does get his revenge on Alarcon, the viewers aren't left cheering or any sort of real catharsis. We literally see Alejandro gun down Alarcon's wife and kids in cold blood right in front of the man and wait just a few seconds long enough for Alarcon to feel the pain and horror of such a sudden violent loss as he had made Alejandro feel in the past, before Alejandro finally shoots him and settles the score. I did appreciate the unflinching brutality of the act of revenge in the film, its painted in a far more grim and numb light then what we often get from revenge stories where the act is portrayed as triumph worthy of applause. The fact that when he had finally achieve his goal, Alejandro just seemed indifferent to it, almost as if the mental and emotional price he had to pay to make to that point was so high he had nothing else to give when it was done. Sicario is an overlooked and sadly misunderstood gem, but I am glad that I'm not the only 1 out there who appreciates it.
1000000%
I have a few questions and statement to challenge this idea of morally wrong. Please note, I am not calling you wrong or anything derogatory, simply challenging the notion that the US was in the wrong in this movie, for some fun back and forth. In this movie, it starts by showing a drug house with dead bodies hiding in the walls. These people are suppling drugs to the local community for profit, which destroys families, these Cartel members were so evil, they were comfortable with dead bodies rotting in the walls only meters from them. Moving further into the movie, we're shown suicide bombers entering a supermarket and killing innocent people. At this time, is it now not the government's role to step in and protect the innocent? The Cartel have shown to kill, sell drugs and smuggle desperate innocent people for money, they're shown continuously playing by zero rules. At this point, is it not morally wrong to keep the gloves on, potentially killing our soldiers, when taking the gloves off and showing no mercy to those who showed the innocent none is the right thing to do & more importantly the solum duty of those who claim to protect us. Shuffling forward again, when we see Alejandro confront Alaron, I would comfortably claim (without further information provided to the viewer to state otherwise) in that scene there was only two innocent people, being the children. The wife has benefited from the Cartels evils, without so much challenging the leader to stop (that we know of), this scene hits hard due to Alejandro taking the children's lives, however sad reality we live in, leaving them alive would've bred two men with a simple goal of revenge by any means. To fight evil, one must be willing to cross lines and tarnish themselves for the benefit of the those they protect, if you're not willing to do that, you need to step aside for those with the courage to do it. If not, countless more innocents will die at the hands of leaders who do not take the enemy seriously.
I thought hte point is t hat even a well meaning agent is still basically a blind stormtrooper and the cops are literally teh same as the criminals t hey just start with the resources/power
Actually, you are wrong about this, what she complains about in the movie is stuff she should already know. Like when they are in Mexico waiting to cross and she gets upset they move on the cartel members. The agents do not just open fire, they wait until they are moved upon before firing. This is morally correct, but Kate is whining like a soccer mom in the SUV when she, as an FBI agent, should be understanding about whats going on. Kate if a whiny character that the film could have been better without.
Yes.
Kate's use as "the audience" is brilliant in a unique way, and I don't think I've ever seen a movie do it this way.
It's not really that uncommon. Memento is another good movie that the main character is also the audience.
It's actually very common.
the most common actually
Most pornos use this method
One small correction: Kate knows what cartel do. She saw bodies in the beginning of the film, and the explosion. She knows what evil she is fighting, but does not know or understand the goals and methods of Matt and Alejandro
Seeing the beast's destruction is not the same thing as facing the beast. Cate sees the monster's destruction, but not really the monster itself. Not seeing the monster directly makes it more terrifying.
great nuance!@@tyrrollins
I see what you're saying, but its more the fact that she has seen them and knows its there but hasn't ever truly experienced it. It's like watching the news and seeing that crimes have been committed and then having an opinion on the horrors of the real world.
Kate is the woke society; critiquing those who actually protect society from the monsters and keeps the world operating
@@KK-pm7ud”Woke” doesn’t mean what you think it means…
the rug really tied the room together
And this guy peed on it.
Donny, please.
Fuckin' A
Lotta ins, lotta outs, lotta what have yous.
8 year olds dude
One of my favorite movies ever, from the story, to the cast, to the incredible realism. It's a masterpiece!
Realism??? It's incredibly stylized and far from realistic. There are an incredible number of reasons why every given scene couldn;t happen in real life and each scene is filled with inaccuracies.
Realism 😂😂😂😂😂😂
@@WeWasKingz3rdReich where every movie has CGI and over the top action scenes, Sicario has realistic scenes. If you want to argue semantics about what could or couldn’t happen fine, but the movie was great and part of that is because how it’s shot and directed.
Having worked the border, its more real than most people would care to know about.
I agree!
An important theme throughout the film is that people are being used to push selfish or personal gains. Kate is LITERALLY being used by the narrative framing to tell Alejandro's story, just like Kate is being used to legalize the raids their doing in Juarez
Kate wasn’t being used to legalize raids in Juarez, she was the liaison that allowed the CIA to conduct operations on U.S. soil. They cannot legally do so without a U.S. liaison.
Alejandro is also being used. The state has realised playing by the book will never solve the drug problem, so a dirty war, never officially condoned, outside of the law, is being waged against the cartels. Alejandro thinks he's serving his own interest, his quest for revenge, but is being used to do what the law never could.
Great movie and great performances. When Benicio Del Toro read the script, he demanded LESS dialogue for his character. Because he wanted to be a mysterious, brooding presence in the background of the earlier scenes.
dnd ranger
Yeah, he knows the principle of less is more. He's done this before. Way of the Gun he wanted much less dialogue, and of course Usual Suspects he wanted to play it the way it is in the film, where his character is almost incomprehensible. Everyone thought it was a crazy idea at the time, but after release admitted that whenever he was on screen, he stole it. Clever bloke that Benicio.
They shoulda done the same for creeper in tax collector. He goes from cholo back to white guy in a second
benicio should have been the mandalorian instead of pedro pascal. wrong mexican, i say.
@@VoornoekBenicio is Puertorican and Pedro is Chilean. Not everything that speaks spanish is mexican my friend
RIP Johan Johansson, his score for this film is absolutely incredible. Great essay!
He died?????? When???
@@knowtheplan472 February 2018 unfortunately... According to toxicologists it was a mix of cocaine and flu medication. Incredibly talented person, such a shame.
He was originally going to do the score for Blade Runner 2049 in 2017 but Hans Zimmer wound up getting the job. I loved Zimmer's work but will always wonder what Johansson's version would sound like.
@RCAvhstape Actually, he worked on it, but I believe he couldn't nail what Denis wanted, so they parted ways. Denis has an interview before his passing explaining the switch and that he'd love to work with Johan again. Truly sad situation.
Best quote ever. "ahhh your asking me how a watch works." For now let's just keep an eye on the time. 🥶
The end scene with Alejandro is the coldest thing I’ve ever seen in an action movie. And I love the teaser they give you about what he went through when he’s on the jet to Juarez with Kate and Matt and he’s asleep, then out of nowhere he jumps up from a bad dream and goes to stab someone but nobody is there. The minute I saw that I knew he was a straight killer.
Nah, it's a superhero movie from the perspective of schmucks nominally aligned with the Punisher.
I was shocked af. One of the reasons it became my favorite movie. They truly didn't fuck around. "Time to meet God"
@@teslashark You're a clown.
@@teslasharkGfy you little coward.
@@teslasharkwhat’s got you so upset? You just clicked on a video to leave 3 negative comments about a movie you don’t like? I don’t like a lot of movies, I don’t watch videos about them. Get help.
This is a criminally underappreciated video essay.
Well said.
Hey essay!
No it isn't, plenty of people appreciate the video in the comments and thousands of people took the time to watch it.
@@JulioBoodge for a video of this nature I feel like it received a fair amount of appreciation.
better start arresting folks
It's a piece of art that I enjoy watching over and over again, it's tense, it's scary, it's confusing, it's violent, it's unforgiven, like los carteles.
Sicario: One of the great scripts and castings that I’ve seen. The sense of authenticity is utterly breathtaking. Thanks for paying homage to a truly intelligent script.
I like the second one too. Most casual frag in any movie ever.
stumbled across this video, and I had never seen Sicario, even though i remembered wanting to see it. After watching the first 30s of the video, I stopped, watched the film, & came back to finish & very glad I didn't spoil anything for myself by watching this prior. Excellent film & very good breakdown.
Same!
haha same. I just finished watching it
The narrative twist addressed here is just one of it's handles. The shocking violence, made so credible, is another distraction from the focus, the protagonist and intelligence hiding in the depths, driving the plan. Your analysis is very good. Clever storytelling, very clever. The sequel was just as good. Thank you
Clever girl
The violence does not distract from the intelligence. You're just saying words.
I think Sicario is one of the best movies I've ever seen. I kept being uncertain but when Alehandro does the taxi driver at the end I figured it out. Absolutely stunning.
In the grand scheme of all movies Hollywood has clunked out over the past decade Sicario is one of the very few films that was really good like movies used to be back in the 80s and 90s
You need to check out every other film that Taylor Sheridan has written. I think you’ll really love them… Especially wind river.
@@DPMusicStudio Tom Morrisey wrote the book on which the film "Wind River" is based, not the director Sheridan (though I agree his film adaptation is good). The book was also well written. Not to be that dude, but it's a pet peeve of mine when a film is based on a book and no one gives credit to the original. In this case, the film was a pretty decent adaptation of the source material, too. So, when you give praise to the scriptwriter, maybe also give a nod to Morrisey.
@@andrewneedham3281 I didn't know that it was based on a book, so instead of writing a wall of text about your personal pet peeves and lecturing me about it, maybe next time just tell your therapist and leave a short comment that says: "Heads up... this is actually based on a book! So while Sheridan made a great screenplay, the story was written by Bob Smith" or whatever." 🙄
@@DPMusicStudio A paragraph isn't a "wall of text," my dude, nor was I trying to "lecture" you, but apologies nonetheless. Guess I expected more from a channel that purports itself to be artsy, such as properly providing credit to those who are due it.
Don't forget Kate's inspiration was revenge too. Her team took a big hit at the very beginning of the movie during their so called "raid". The backyard explosion was a booby trapped tunnel door. Intertwined and motivated to seek the source. You've picked one of the best movies ever made to show the results of a great screen play. A new mold was cut with this movie in the arena of realness. Jack Reacher series also does a great effort in the area of realness. Real men skilled and aware of their real task in life are the scariest beings on earth. Why? They can emotionally shut down to focus on their focused obligation without the side affect of fear or intimidation. You won't ever change them. You can only kill them, be killed by them or get out of their way altogether.
I absolutely love this film The way they keep the audience and Kate in the dark so overtly adds a great sense of authenticity.
Taylor Sheridan script, Villeneuve as a director, Deakins as a DOP + A list casting. Hard to assemble a better cocktail for making one of the best modern western.
I completely forgot that Deakins made this with Villeneuve. Deakins is also exceptional.
This is why the second one is just an action movie. Sort of the difference between Alien and Aliens.
Yeah I guess it's impossible to flip the perspective again once this third act began. I really enjoyed the second one too
I've skipped the sequel so far but I might have to give it a watch. Just won't expect the same sort of experience as the first.
#2 should never been made tbh...
#2 is a super enjoyable movie. Just like aliens is fantastic.
The difference between the two movies is like playing Half-Life and then playing Half-Life: Opposing Force.
Have watched that film a number of times. Never appreciated the perspective subtleties, until I saw this presentation you put together. Thanks. Enjoyed your work.
Man. Watching this video essay makes me want to watch Sicario I and II again. A video essay, made by this channel, for Sicario II would be excellent. Well done 👍
Saw complaints about Kate being useless and powerelss and im like.... yeh... that was the whole point. Criticisms against emily blunts acting I wont stand for though, she was awesome
@@tmb1065 haha my thoughts exactly
This is an awesome essay and didn’t ever think of it from this perspective. Kinda sad this is over 3 years old and no other essays have been done on this channel.
And we're all just seeing this video in our recommendations now. The algorithm works in mysterious ways
The dude may have died bro. People die all the time. He had a good streak going with lots of views and then…nothing. Just sayin may have passed away.
This is like the 5th Sicario film analysis i've watched and every time they bring up something interesting again. Well done.
I really love the comments and thoughts from everyone here, it's really cool to read more about stuff and engage in the conversation. Keep it up!!! Hope there are more insight on other great movies
Could you please make a video on The Usual Suspects? It’s a great example on how a movie fools it’s viewers.
Another great movie! It’s definitely worth some analyzing. Possibly in a future video!
Agree (“another great movie”) Usual Suspects... one of the first movies utterly hated by film critics. Literally “we hate being fooled”... which I don’t understand: by half suspicion of who this Keyser Soze really was were there, “in narrative” he he. Since then Critics were political ideologues
@@RebeccaCampbell1969 "The Usual Suspects" got a 76 on Metacritic, which is literally an aggregator of scores of professional movie critics. A 76 is a very good score: many of your favorites probably score worse, unless you're into auteur films. So, no, the film was very much liked by critics.
@@filmthoughtproject5699I'd add Se7en to that request.
I was thinking of Scream
Dear Hollywood, Please make a Part 3 to this phenomenal series!
Dear Hollywood, Please ignore Plissken. Sicario2, though good, was already a step down from the original. I know that if more money is to be made, you have no bones about making a cash grab and squeezing every dollar from the wallets of every franchise's fans. Example: Godfather3, among many others. Tell Plissken to buy a homeless person a meal with the money he would have wasted on a Sicario3 disappointment. I do however happen to have a script...
Wow. You must be a blast at parties.
@@plissken2156 lol
@@plissken2156 What? Difficulty with reality, do you?
I'm not sure of the point you're trying to make. Could you please rephrase your question? And this time, don't ask it like Yoda would. Thank you.
I was given the impression, when I first watched the movie, that it was a gem but could never nail down why. You feel fully engrossed in the film and its characters. You are right there with them, not just spectating. This essay explains exactly as to why.
I adore this series to be honest. The first one is sooooo immersive. I feel there, Blunt Brolin and Del Toro are masters.
It’s sad this channel doesn’t have more content.. so well made and insightful.
I've seen Sicario a bunch of times, and it's found it's way into my top ten. It has everything I want in a movie. Great video by FTP.
Top 10 for sure!
The extradition process, and especially the attack. Even the pre-meeting involving the agents was memorable.
Have you seen Reptile with BDT, the movie has some of that Sicario vibe, check it out
An excellent and thoughtful exposition--thank you for taking the time. What you say is given away by the title itself, yet the naive viewer accepts that it is Kate's story. The obvious isn't always so obvious.
Great vid, I have always enjoyed/rated this film but never realised just *why* it delivers so well.
The score "The Beast" reminds me of the score from Jaws. This low, slow, rhythmic bass that does a great job of making you imagine something terrible hidden just out of sight.
The sound track is what gave this movie it’s ominous feel, especially the border crossing.
It's more like the soundtrack to 'The Thing' (Kurt Russel version) - another underrated movie.
@@philipdawes2661Thanks.The music is basically the same.
I'm floored. I could see something but didn't pay attention enough to understand what I was seeing. Really appreciate this film like few others. Thanks for the excellent content that I didn't even know I needed. LOL, and I just noticed this is 3 years old. The Internet and YT are surreal.
This was the best breakdown of this great film by far! I hope you return to breakdown the sequel.
The way you talk is soulfood. Thanks brother. ❤️
One of my fave movies….. great cast and many twists & turns. I traveled once into Juarez for an overnight on way to west coast. I arrived just after sundown and knew of Juarez’ rep. I got lost….scary but the people I had contact with helped me without reservations. A highlight of my trip
Wish you hadn’t given up making videos. This was one of the better film essays I’d ever seen on KZhead
His last video is a breakout video. Tragic
It's one of those films that you can watch over and over again. And that background sound track is everywhere at all times and it puts you on edge; it gives you a feeling of apprehension and dread.
There is something so satisfying about being given the story through the perspective of a side character. Its like having the reader of a book be present in the story themselves. They are there to witness the story, not influence it.
Now, nearly ten years on, this may be one of the most important pieces of American cinema in the last 50 years. This movie, through its story, perfectly encapsulates the transformation that occurred in America in roughly the 20 years following the 9/11 attacks. The American people, like Kate, believed it was their story, but it was actually the story of plausible deniability and extrajudicial action, under the globe-spanning aegis of anti-terrorism, and the subsequent deployment of the tools of that trade deployed against the American people themselves. The fact that this film was made by Denis Villeneuve and shot by Roger Deakins makes it a once in a lifetime syzygy of talent, and sociopolitical zeitgeist. This was a masterful analysis, great video.
What Villenueve actually is thinking: Desert people scary
Very interesting. I’ve always loved Sicario but thought it didn’t have much of a story. Seeing it from this perspective makes sense … it just wasn’t HER story. I would argue that maybe she’s the antagonist. His goal is to get revenge and help take the cartel down and she’s the one to potentially stand in his way with her allegiance to the rules.
Maybe but it didn't explain much about the dudes former life. Like was he involved in some way beforehand? Probably, so I don't really care. But I guess a dead cartel is a dead cartel. Also the CIA dude is all about evil it seems like lol
JoshHarrisPhotography, Rules are fine when you're winning. Not when you want to win. ☆
@@fjb4932Anarchy
I disagree, actually. In my opinion, it is Alajandro who is the surprise antagonist. A very common moral in storytelling is that, when it comes to fighting evil in the world, the means is as important as the ends, and that doing evil for good purpose does little to separate one from the very evils that started it all. At the end of the day, where what's-her-nuts is working hard to make a change in the world, dude's just doing what fed boi glowies always do, scummy shit to get their own ends, rather than what they were enacted to do as a public service, by the people, for the people. It may not be the _intended_ message of the movie, but what I got out of it as the moral was: Bad people run the world and they aren't always on most wanted lists.
I have to say I disagree. Sicario doesn't have much story, but this isn't a weakness. Theoretically if the film had focused on Alejandro it would have had a lot of story, but it would have been a fairly silly, cliche story and been as quickly forgotten as hundreds of other crime revenge film. What is clever about Sicario is that it doesn't tell the story of Alejandro, aside from the conclusion the events of that story happen off-screen. Instead Sicario tells the story of a character witnessing that story play out, and places it in the context of the greater fight against the drug gangs. This not only gives us a feeling of hopelessness as Kate struggles to impact the events of the film, it also shows the pointlessness of those events in the context of the greater war. What in a lesser film would have been a triumphant moment of revenge, was instead just another murder that won't change anything. Building a film around a main character with no agency is very difficult, but is necessary in a film telling a story about helplessness in the scale of a problem as big as the cartels. Its a testament to how rare such an achievement is that we end up video essays like this one that can't even understand what Villeneuve actually achieved.
whew, i needed that... i had no idea... i knew something was up but couldn't see it. Thank you!
Great analysis! This is one of my favourite movies. The atmospheric sounds are so fantastic in this movie. There is a sense of dread throughout. Kate is living in a completely different world from the one she knows. She wouldn't let down her moral conviction, so she could never realistically function as a soldier. A lamb among wolves.
Shout out to Screenwriter Taylor Sheridan for an outstanding job on this (and the sequel) The man is a BEAST! That said, I *did* enjoy Soldado, not as much as this. The difference I think is down to being between a great script in the hands of a bona fide genius like Denis, versus a solid (but unremarkable one) like Stefano Sollima. Not a slight to Stefano, but there's only one Denis ... as evidenced by his masterpiece of BR2049 and now Dune. He is currently without peer, except perhaps for Chris Nolan.
Hes 50/50 imo
@@playedout148😂 true. sicario 2 was BS. the constant here is Villeneuve
You liked dune?? Thats surprising
@@bruderschweigen6889 Din e'87 ? No Dune Denis. ? Yes. Not super great, but a serviceable.
Well done video essay my friend, looking forward to more! I gotta go back and watch Sicario now lol!
One of the best film reviews and breakdown ! Thank you for that quote , I found your channel im subscribed now
This is one of my favorite movies ever, and you manage to make it more meaningful in cinema. Very interesting take on the film. kudos!
Amazing breakdown! Loved the movie before, and this made me want to rewatch it. You should do more of these videos!
Please keep making videos! Your content was great, especially for such a small channel.
Great Analysis. I worked on the set and appear briefly in the film, This feeling was always present. Thank you
Thank You for your work Mr. Evans. Nice picture with the Pyramid. Regards.
I think this movie did a great job of saying that real life is not a movie and that there really are no clear cut good guys and bad guys. It's so easy at the start of the movie to start sympathizing with Alejandro and almost cheer him on as he seeks justice for his slain wife and daughter. Then he murders an entire family just so the man who killed his family understands what he's going through. You then realize that you have been justifying Alejandro's actions up until that point, torture and murder. He quite literally has become the same type of person who slaughtered his family. This film and its sequel are cinematic masterpieces imo and Antonio and Josh nailed their rolls. When you stare into the abyss long enough it changes you.
Brilliant video. I never considered this until the second movie came out and Kate wasn’t in it. Looking forward to more of your work. 🥃
Outstanding story analysis! Keep ‘em coming!
i believe one of the things that makes this so good is that ive always thought about it as kind of mad max syndrome where things are merely happening around him case and point furiosa although we never get that pov swap i believe. predominantly through his movies he is merely a bystander that furthers the events going on around him. he did not start them but he will help finish them and move on. this is what i think is so interesting but in this case our "Max" is Alejandro, the movie is named Sicario he IS the Sicario so knowing this you can kind of see it coming that he is the protagonist but the pov choice was interesting, the switch is what i believe got everyone and then proppeled the film into greatness. its alot of show dont tell that i love and i believe your video hit the nail on the head as far as my opinion of the movie and what makes it so good. GREAT VIDEO!!!
Yep, excellent analysis of a beautifully made film. Kate is ideal window through which to view this murky world and accompany the protagonist on his journey, never seeing the entirety, always piecing it together. I watch this film about once a year. Killer piece of entertainment: taut, absolutely credible, amazing performances, thick atmospherics, genius screenplay and DV orchestrating it all. Brilliant.
Well done. It wouldn’t be a Villeneuve film if it wasn't about somebody (or something) other than what you're led to think it is: "Incendies", "Prisoners" and "Enemy" (before "Sicario"), then "Arrival", "Bladerunner 2049"... and now "Dune".
Don’t put dune or blade runner 2049 in the same class as this movie…that’s insulting to sicario
This video deserves more attention than its getting.
I never understood why I found this movie so addicting and engaging. You framed it perfectly - thanks!
This is an excellent analysis. Conveys the message without any spoilers for those who haven't seen the movie, that's very hard to do.
Great job sorting out the perspectives. Of the dozens of films I have seen over the years, Sicario makes the select list of the films I would watch over and over again. A sample from my list includes The Godfather, Apocalypse Now, Jeremiah Johnson, Bullitt, Runaway Train, The Hunt for Red October, etc. No slight intended for works not listed.
Apocalypse Now, yes! Doctor Strangelove I'd put on that list too.
Breaker Morant…
Benicio Del Toro is easily one of the best actors ever to appear on screen, he's like King Midas, everything that he touch turns to gold.
But you should never trust him to make a bet for you.
@@BiscuitMcgriddleson Franky fourfingers?
Franky F@ckin Four-Fingers.
Very well done. One of my favorite movies and I have never thought of it this way.
This was only movie in last 15 years that shows what happens to a woman in a world where hand to hand fighting is still a pliable trade. She gets beat up, she loses…she has a moment where she realizes that her world and expectations are naive and the reality is more darker than imagined.
you're implying that no woman can possibly become proficient in hand-to-hand combat
@@potatokilr7789as an individual, maybe singularly but statistically irrelevant; as a class of people, absolutely not. It's the same kind of clear wisdom that lets people know that _10 year olds are terrible drivers_ and that laws preventing them from getting driving licenses aren't only just good but absolutely necessary, regardless of the fact that if someone searched the globe they could find a 10-year-old who cannot only drive well but maybe better than most adults.
@@Laotzu.GoldbugYour metaphor doesn't make any sense, seeing as there's no codified law saying "women are inherently weaker and always at a disadvantage in CQC against men, the end," and there would never be any reason to write one. So what exactly is the point you're trying to make? Your slavish devotion to "accepting reality" irritates people (I assume) not because people disagree with you but because it's a pointless, inane thing to care about. Congrats, you pointed out something we all already knew and it made a difference to no one.
@@webkid4567 I believe those laws are known, to most people who passed middle school science, as "the laws of physics & biology". Conveniently, they are not subject to human veto, based on the political or ideological whimsy of the moment. Anyone is free to deny reality. No one is free from the consequences of reality.
@@webkid4567I see it as like Women's sports. My ass will absolutely get kicked in soccer by the women in the American team of the international league...but I don't play soccer. THEY, however, were rofl-stomped by a team of 14 year old boys who do. So, which is it. Would you look all of those women dead in the eyes and tell them that they didn't put in more effort in mastering their craft than those boys or that those boys just had a biological advantage to start with?
A brilliant breakdown. And Taylor Sherrdan is a pretty damn good writer. As we have all found out with the behemoth that is Yellowstone and all the spin offs. Thank you for the video.
Tom Morrisey wrote the book on which the film is based, not the director (though I agree his film adaptation is good). The book was also well written.
taylor sheridan is great. sicario, wind river and hell or high water constitutes a trilogy (revenge-redemption).
Wow! So, Kate is the "Samuel L Jackson" in Sicario - and she really did an amazing good job glue-ing the audience until the dinner scene. Now I see it, dang bro. Emily Blunt and Del Toro are actors I've always respected but also this story structural analysis is gold and shows the brilliant minds behind the camera - so bless you for making videos like this!
A beautiful well written,acted,scenery camera shots suspense and the musical score is masterfull,,,watched it in the cinema ...wow,,,
Kate is the only one changed by the end. So, like Michael is The Godfather, Kate is the protagonist. She is broken by her exposure to the “real” world of the drug war.
Alejandro is the one who shows Kate “this is what you must do if you really want what you say you want.”
Kate is the representation of the ignorant masses of the American people.
Yes, exactly. The essay assumed a main character must have agency, and so it went looking for anyone who made a decision, eventually settling on a character who's only decision was made prior to the events of the film (as the essay completely missed the point that the film is about being helpless in the scale of the drug war, and so no-one has agency). It is common for the protagonist to have agency, but it isn't essential, and often giving them agency works against the film, such as in this case where the film is about being unable to fix the problem. Instead, as you point out, Kate is the character we watch change, she is the only one who evolves, and so is obviously the protagonist.
Funny thing is that she's poorly written. Her character is running Raids in drug houses. You don't think she'd be shocked by what cartels and the government does, do you? She'd be well aware 😂
@@playedout148I don’t think he meant the violence cartels are capable of. I think he meant what the “good guys” are willing to do to get the upper hand.
Kate is the antagonist of this film for sure. She fights real change at every turn.
FACTS!! Especially when Matt tells Kate about what the cartels did to Alejandros family but disregards that for SOP
That is incredibly stupid and very superficial understanding of the movie. The whole premise of the movie is that no matter the blood bath things just go back to the same.
Is it really a change? Or just the cycle continuing?
@@savage7882 as someone who lived in Mexico for many years until it became impossible to live there safely it's clear as day that inaction is what's allowed the "cycle" to continue. Change can be extremely painful but at this point it's a hundred times better then living under cartel rule.
@@rasaecnai lol the point of the movie is that blind rule followers like Kate are the problem that keep evil like the cartel alive because doing anything else breaks protocol
Jóhann Jóhannsson did an amazing job on this and "Arrival" for creating a unsettling score that fits so well with the movies. He died way too young, he had a great carrier ahead of him. I would love loved to see what he would do with Dune, even though what we got was great.
This was an excellent breakdown! I loved the movie but had no idea why the perspective shift til now!
I see where you're coming with the argument, but it is totally possible to have more than one protagonist and to have one that's passive at that. It's a writing convention that says the audience needs to have an active - not a passive - protagonist. However, Kate brings the audience along on a trip into the heart of darkness, in a manner of speaking, into the land of wolves when she is not one. Indeed, Kate never truly "vanquishes" the "monster" or "bad guy" in this story, but her story is quite compelling regardless. If we were just left with Matt and Alejandro fighting the "bad guys", then the story would lose complexity; it would lose what's compelling about a character not well suited to abject cruelty and brutality finding herself in a place awash with both. So...I think this is really a story about both Kate and Alejandro, and it simply puts weight on Kate and not Alejandro.
@@happydogg312 Maybe this is true, Dogg, but it has nothing to do with the argument Peach was making. Whether Kate possesses the mentality of a warrior has nothing to do with her role as the personification of the viewer. While Alejandro may be the main protagonist in terms of story arc, I agree with Peach that Kate plays an integral role to the film, giving her character almost an equal weight to the main protagonist. By being able to follow her story, which is really the viewer's story, we as viewers have a much better connection with the movie and what it's trying to do. The things being done to Kate are thus being done to us, making the impact of the film more visceral and personal. It gives us a deeper connection to what happens on-screen. Without Kate, the movie would have been a straight, by-the-numbers, boring action flick. So yeah, while she's not the "main protagonist," I still feel she's as equally important to the film. Not that any of this exchange takes away from the main point of the video itself: Alejandro is the movie, of course. I just disagree with the video that this "twist" was so well hidden, after the fact. While I do believe the movie was well constructed to hide this tidbit for much of its runtime, you should be clued into the main character by at least the middle of the second act. If you got through the movie and still thought it was about Kate.... On a different note, Benicio Del Toro killed it in that role, like he kills in every role he does. I've appreciated him as an actor since his role as Fenster in "Usual Suspects."
@@andrewneedham3281 asking "who is the protagonist?" is not the same thing as asking "who's story is this?" because they can be two different person. it is as much kate's story as it is alejandro's story. if the audience is seeing the story from kate's perspective, then it is kate's story we are watching, not alejandro's.
-@@joegame4576 I guess you didn't actually read my full comment, as I literally said, "While Alejandro may be the main protagonist in terms of story arc, I agree with Peach that Kate plays an integral role to the film, giving her character almost an equal weight to the main protagonist.... So yeah, while she's not the "main protagonist," I still feel she's as equally important to the film." So, while you're trying to contradict me, you're actually making the same point as me. It probably doesn't help that my response was to a comment that got deleted, which may have confused you as to the point of my own longwinded drivel.
@@andrewneedham3281 while i agree that kate had an important role, that wasn't my point. my point is that it's kate's story because it's being told from kate's point of view. it has nothing to do with her playing an "integral role". the video's point, if i understand correctly, is that audience thinks it's kate's story when it's really alejandro's story and that's the twist which i think you agree with. i think the video incorrectly implies that because alejandro is the protagonist, it is alejandro's story. the entire movie is kate's story regardless of who the protagonist is. to phrase it another way, it is kate's story ABOUT alejandro.
Do one drive(2011). The cinematography, editing, music and directing are some of the best I have ever seen for any movie.
Maybe in a future video! Thanks for the suggestion. Stay tuned!
Man I freakin love Sicario but never really understood why I can just rewatch it over and over. Breakdowns like these point out some of the subtlety that makes it hook you. It's also the antithesis to a decade worth of films that came after it with it's storytelling perspective
Alejandro wears a light jacket over a dark shirt and tie throughout the film. He is a wolf in sheep's clothing. 11:00 By the end, he sheds his guise and shows his true nature.
This movie got me to play Ghost Recon Wildlands.. The final boss, although not in the game for like 99% of the time, his presence is all over the world the game is set in. Underrated movie (series).
Did you enjoy Ghost recon? What would you recommend about it?
@@Derpartment It is an okay game. To be honests it is really shallow and repetitive. The AI isn't good at all, and just relies on the standard typical bullet sponge, aimbots, to create a sense of difficulty. The game is visually pretty, and has a lot character customizations so you can roleplay looking like a tactically badass or a rugged mountain man in a flannel and jeans or dress in everyday clothes to semi blend in, despite the fact that you have 2 guns hanging off your back at any given moment. The cutscenes and exposition briefing tapes are really well produced. But overall beyond that AI behavior is extremely basic, no better than GTA3 or GTA4, where they just mindlessly walk around / drive cars. If any enemies spots you and you start having a shootout then they just keep swarming you like the police / gangs in GTA till you leave the area. Guns generally all feel the same, and behave unrealistically. Though there is a lot of them, and a lot of customizations for them. But they're locked behind just a boring game play loop of just essentially getting a helicopter or car, drive to an area on the map, take out like 5-6 enemies. Then pick up the item. Rinse and repeat like 400 times. Stealth mechanics are the typical just stay in the shadows and walk behind an enemy while they have their back turn. You can shoot enemies straight up without somehow alerting the entire base / garrison as long as you take them out within like 3 seconds.
So basically a bad game lool @@armybear2
@@Gave-rf1hr Personally I think it overhyped and had a lot of miss opportunities... but if someone like GTA then they will probably like it. Since its basically GTA with Bolivia skin, and slightly better gunplay and stealth mechanic.
@@armybear2good description of the game
A GREAT analysis of this great movie! I wish I had written it. Bravo.
Brilliant analysis of a subtly brilliant plot. Thanks for your time and efforts on a thoroughly entertaining and informative video. Cheers. P.S. You have earnt a sub.
I've seen/heard the argument that Alejandro was not going to kill Kate; that the way he disassembled the gun showed there wasn't a chambered round, and because of how precise the movie is with how it plays out its scenes it proves he wasn't going to kill her, that he was giving her the "moral out" that she could tell herself "I had a gun to my head when I signed that paper" but others have made the argument that if she'd refused he'd have killed her regardless. BUT...the next argument is, if you kill Kate, *who* signs off on what Matt & Alejandro need (unless, her partner). What do you folks think?
I watched this movie again last night and I loved it had you questioning things. I love Benecio's and Josh's characters, I hope there is a third one once Dune wraps up to pick up on the ending of the the last film.
Villeneuve didn't make the much weaker second film. He would be very unlikely to return for a third film.
I’d like to add, on Kate being the moral judge, and her inevitably being removed from the story, and being outright gone in the second film, could be argued to symbolize that Alejandro and the Contractors in their war against the cartel has lost its moral fight, removing the mask of justice and showing the brutalities of both, and that this isn’t a good vs evil story, but that it’s ones interests vs others interests at all costs
Great content on this channel, it’s sad that there’s no new content in 3 years
Great explanation, let's me see the film in a way I haven't before. Thank you!
Loved it, man. Want more.
Interesting perspective. Alejandro’s shooting the cartel boss as simply revenge rather limits the character of Alejandro; while he’s also a beast, having crossed lines, there’s far more to his character. His judgment about others is also interesting. Moreover, the story does have more to do with Kate than being a plot device or a way of creating fear and awe in the audience. She has her own arc, and that arc does not permit her to go further than she does; she’s locked out of that world, and it’s depressing and heartbreaking for her, but it’s also the truth: her morality and unwillingness to cross the lines that Alejandro and Matt have gone far past sort of keeps her from being able to really get in the fight. It’s an ugly, brutal world in which they live - and it exists, and Kate cannot stop it simply because she won’t go there or by moralizing. As much as we might like to say that’s wrong, what they do, we cannot stop it from existing. We cannot scold it out of existence. Those horrors reside and abide. We are impotent to stop it on either side. Some might say as Nicholson does in A Few Good Men, “you want me on that line.” All of that said, a great deal of the causes of oppression & suffering & monster creation caused by the US - and other world powers - gets left out of the film. On this side, the monster does not get his due.
That last line was 🔥
An eloquent explanation. I appreciate your take on the film.
Damn, wish you would have made more of these... Excellent breakdown.
This is a great video analysis. Thanks for posting this. That said, I'd like to disagree with you here. I do believe this is Kate's story, but the story is attempting to illuminate a larger principle - (1) be careful what you ask for and (2) if you're going to do something, do it with conviction. Kate did suffer a loss in the beginning of the film. She lost members of her team during the drug raid when the tool shed blew up. She's also suffered losses by not being able to keep up with the drug trade no matter what her team tried. Even the apparent success by doubling drug related arrests hasn't really changed anything. Act 2: She was given the opportunity to try to turn the tides of the drug war and she took it. The issue is she lacked conviction and she allowed a clouded sense of morality to affect her performance and ability to see the truth. Thus, the story switched and was overtaken by the character with clear conviction - Alejandro. Both Kate and Alejandro got what they wanted - death of the drug cartel leader, but because Kate lacked conviction, she blinked, hesitated, and got checked and beat down all throughout the film. She wanted to win the drug war and make a difference, but she wasn't willing to bend or change to do so. This movie shows parallel story arcs between two characters - Kate and Alejandro, neither one of which know exactly what's going on at every turn, but one character is ready when the opportunity presents itself and the other is hesitant and conflicted. Sicario shows the difference between conviction and cloudiness and how two characters handled adversity in a world of uncertainty. NOTE: The proof that Alejandro never really knew what was happening and wasn't in control was demonstrated in Sicario 2 where he became expendable by doing the same exact thing Kate did in Sicario. He hesistated and fell into a moral dilemma, which put his life in danger in the same way Kate's was in Sicario. Sicario 2 showed that Kate and Alejandro really aren't that different.
That ia a really well written perspective of the film, I like your perspective!
@@felixm.8910 Thank you!
Kate is actually a protagonist and I would go so far as to say a type of villain
Can you go a little bit further and explain why?
I really love the realistic depiction of firearms, tactics and violence, love when they form L shaped ambush on the car in the freeway scene, and this was one of the first films to use video shot thru actual good 3rd gen night vision
It blows my mind how good this movie was and when we went to see it in theaters my wife and I we were the only two people in the entire theater and I think it has been out for maybe two weeks so long enough for it to build up hype and word of mouth but still no one but us doing the theater it was crazy. It was such an amazing movie.
The sub-plot of the Mexican policeman was also exceptional.