With all of the constant chatter about the drug war here in the United States, particularly around the time of elections, Bernardo Ruiz gives us a far more personal view of it, particularly from south of the border.
There are three stars. Oscar Hagelsieb was a senior Homeland Security officer in El Paso. He spent his career as an undercover agent attempting to stop the ever-increasing violent drug cartels from murdering and “disappearing” Mexican private citizens, as well as those actively involved in the drug trade.
The second major story line involves Sister Consuelo Morales. She is a social worker in Monterrey, Mexico, one of the areas of Mexico that has been hardest hit. She has dedicated her life to helping the families of those that have been murdered or who have disappeared.
The third featured person is Don Henry Ford Jr., a Texas rancher who during the 1980’s served as a marijuana smuggler in order to survive financially. All three come across as good people, struggling to make things better for themselves and those around them. The opinion that all three of them share is that the so-called war on drugs is a joke. A very ineffectual and sad joke.
“Kingdom of Shadows” is sad, sobering, frustrating, and filled with a great sense of hopelessness. What is oddly missing is the lack of edginess. There is an utter lack of excitement about it. It’s all about accepting the horrible situation of the drug wars and people having to deal with the fact that they will never again see their loved ones. The tension in the film is all in the past, even though it’s all still happening.
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