Cocaine Cowboys is great storytelling, but more than that, it's a masterpiece of unique access to former criminals and some very dangerous people. From start to finish, the pieces are extremely compelling. It grabs you, pulls you in, and insists that you keep watching. And begs the filmmaker to ask, how did Billy Corben pull that off?
For one, the idea that Miami was built on cocaine is extremely intriguing. Second, the firsthand insight of a former drug runner gives it a rare authenticity. But that's not even the best part.
Directed by Billy Corben and released in 2006, Cocaine Cowboys explores how Miami became the cocaine capital of the United States during the 1970s and early 1980s, when drug trafficking, violence, and an unprecedented influx of money transformed the city.
Through firsthand interviews with former drug smugglers, law enforcement officers, journalists, lawyers, and others who witnessed the Miami drug war, Corben pieces together a fascinating account of an era that seems almost too unbelievable to be true.
To listen to a former drug runner tell his story, recount his experiences, and describe the challenges along the way is fascinating. And then to discover that one of the most powerful figures in the cocaine trade coming into Florida and the United States was a woman with the power to cut your balls off...that's sexy. And I think that's why people fell in love.
I have followed Billy Corben's work over the years. He's a fascinating individual and a gifted documentary filmmaker. His ability to gain access to people, uncover extraordinary stories, and bring them to the screen is something worth recognizing.
Cocaine Cowboys, the original documentary, not the subsequent series, will always go down in history as one of the best documentaries ever made.
