The hotbed of crime is society and its way of functioning, who will commit it is a matter of probabilities and circumstances, but let’s not put too much emphasis on our social status, because we are all wandering petty criminals, who hope that the circumstances will not push us to extremes and situations not to reveal us in public.
“The only person I ever feared was a woman named Griselda Blanco.” With this statement, by the well-known drug lord Pablo Escobar, the new Netflix series on the life and work of the infamous “Godmother of Cocaine” begins.
Griselda Blanco was born in 1943 and grew up in a poor neighborhood in the mountain slum of Medellin, Colombia. She grew up in squalid conditions and, according to some accounts, her involvement in criminal activities began in her youth. At the age of 11, he reportedly participated in the kidnapping of a boy and when his wealthy family refused to pay the ransom, he allegedly shot him to death. At the age of 14 she turned to sex work and later married a low-ranking gangster named Dario Trujillo. She had three children with him, but their union ended in divorce, and Blanco allegedly orchestrated her ex-husband’s murder a few years later.
In the early 1970s, Blanco began a relationship with Alberto Bravo, a drug dealer, whom she later married. This relationship led her into the cocaine trade, and operating out of New York, the couple began drug trafficking operations in the United States. Blanco’s ingenuity, particularly the creation of underwear with hidden pockets for drug smuggling, greatly contributed to the growth of their lucrative business.
However, legal problems prompted Blanco to return to Colombia in 1975. Suspecting that her husband was hiding money, a bitter confrontation between them ensued, resulting in the couple’s fight resulting in Bravo’s death, Blanco’s injury and the deaths of six other confidants from both parties. Dubbed the “Black Widow,” Blanco also allegedly orchestrated the murder of her third husband at a later date.
This bloody Bravo incident with Blanco is the starting point for the Netflix series, which essentially begins following Blanco relocates to Miami in the late 1970s. The so-called “Godmother” of cocaine changed the landscape of her drug trade city and became the “Queen of Coke”, living a life similar to that of the “Marked”. Among her regular guests was Pablo Escobar, who was also her protégé.
Sofia Vergara, who plays the infamous Griselda, described Blanco as a complex person who intrigued her and wondered how someone who was a mother – Blanco raised four children – might be a “monster” at the same time. “It required a lot of work, a lot of preparation. I had to explore what it meant to be a woman at that time. A mother, a Colombian woman… who turned into this creature. It was very difficult for me to understand” and continues “That’s why I wanted to play Griselda”, she is a mother, a villain, a lover and a murderer at the same time. More than any other character, he proves how complicated people can be.”
The six hour-long episodes feature a layered exploration, with each cast member giving powerful performances. The dialogue, especially in the first two chapters, reveals the misogyny and sexist comments directed at Griselda as she attempts to enter the world of selling cocaine to prominent drug dealers. However, among her female colleagues, the portrayal of camaraderie and mutual support paints a complete and interesting picture. The protagonist herself encounters sexism and misogyny at every turn and in every attempt to network in the Miami cartel world. Often she herself manages to overcome them by using them as a weapon and taking into account what others do not expect from a woman. The character – at least as portrayed in the series – is one of those people that one admires, but at the same time terrifies.
“She’s a woman in a man’s world, working ten times harder to prove her worth and using her wit and wit to outwit the men around her. The audience supports her in the beginning”, underlines co-director Andres Baiz.
“Griselda” is a six-episode Netflix miniseries and created under the guidance of the creators of the acclaimed crime series “Narcos”, the series offers a multi-faceted portrayal of a notorious drug-trafficking figure. The series format allows for a comprehensive exploration of the heroine’s character, from her humble beginnings to her rise as a formidable force in the drug world and, ultimately, her downfall. The episodic structure allows the narrative to unfold gradually, immersing us in Blanco’s world and the complexities of her personal relationships and businesses.
Cinematically the series uses a mixture of rich landscapes, bleak urban settings and rich interiors to highlight the contradictory aspects of Blanco’s existence. The cinematography effectively conveys the allure and danger of the drug trade, capturing the tension and charge of the criminal underworld, but never straying from the beaten track and trivialities of the respective ventures. Additionally, the use of lighting and camera angles enhance the somber atmosphere, heightening the dramatic impact of key moments in Griselda’s journey.
Art direction plays a key role in bringing the world of “Griselda” to life. From the bustling streets of Medellín to the luxurious mansions of Miami, the series meticulously recreates the environments in which Blanco operated. The attention to detail in the set design and costume choices lends authenticity to the period setting, immersing us in the cultural milieu of the 1970s and 1980s. Additionally, the art direction effectively emphasizes Griselda’s strong personality, portraying her as a product of her environment. and as its shaper. In conclusion the series, without ever taking off, is a loose biography of Griselda Blanco, which is interesting despite its occasional pacing problems.
There is nothing better to escape from reality than drugs, the question is, is it worth escaping from reality while such interesting, amazing and magical things are happening on her body?
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