The 2015 thriller Sicario, directed by Denis Villeneuve, gained widespread attention for its intense narrative and stunning cinematography. The film delves into the war on drugs along the U.S.-Mexico border and follows an FBI agent, played by Emily Blunt, as she is drawn into a shadowy world of violence and moral ambiguity. Beyond the story itself, Sicario’s atmosphere owes much to its dramatic and realistic settings, which heighten the film’s tension. The desert landscapes, border cities, and remote towns where the film was shot played a significant role in creating the gritty, unnerving tone of the movie.
This article takes an in-depth look at the filming locations of Sicario, exploring how each site was chosen to enhance the visual storytelling. We’ll explore the different places across the U.S. and Mexico that were instrumental in shaping the film’s overall aesthetic and mood.
Overview of Sicario’s Plot and Visual Themes
Before diving into the specific locations where Sicario was filmed, it’s helpful to understand the themes and narrative that influenced the choice of these places. The movie is largely set in the border regions between the United States and Mexico, a geographical area that plays a crucial role in the film’s storyline. The harsh and unforgiving landscapes of the Southwest U.S., combined with the dangerous urban environments of Mexican border towns, reflect the volatile world of drug cartels and law enforcement.
Taylor Sheridan, the screenwriter, has emphasized that Sicario is a story about the moral complexities of fighting the drug war, and the locations chosen for the film reinforce this idea. The arid deserts, desolate towns, and chaotic border crossings provide a tangible sense of isolation, lawlessness, and despair. Each location is steeped in the contrast between vast, empty spaces and moments of explosive violence, mirroring the characters’ internal struggles.
The Cinematography of Roger Deakins
Roger Deakins, the renowned cinematographer behind Sicario, played a key role in shaping the visual feel of the movie. His work on the film earned widespread acclaim, particularly for his ability to capture the tension of the U.S.-Mexico border region. Deakins’ use of natural light, long takes, and expansive wide shots emphasized the stark, open spaces of the desert, making the landscapes feel like characters in their own right.
When Deakins and Villeneuve scouted for locations, they were looking for areas that could evoke a sense of dread and uncertainty. Much of the movie’s power comes from its visual contrasts: sun-soaked desert scenes juxtaposed with the dark, labyrinthine streets of Juárez, Mexico. With this in mind, let’s take a closer look at some of the key filming locations that contributed to the movie’s atmosphere.
See also: Who Are The Actors In The Film Sicario?
Primary Filming Locations for Sicario
Albuquerque, New Mexico
One of the main filming locations for Sicario was Albuquerque, New Mexico, which served as a stand-in for various places depicted in the movie. Albuquerque is known for its diverse landscape, which includes deserts, mountains, and urban areas. These features made it an ideal location for many of the film’s scenes.
Desert Sequences: Albuquerque and its surrounding areas provided the perfect backdrop for the film’s tense desert scenes. The arid, barren landscape around Albuquerque was used to depict the U.S.-Mexico border region, capturing the stark and hostile environment that plays such an integral role in the story.
Urban Settings: Several scenes that were meant to represent various Mexican cities, including Juárez, were also filmed in Albuquerque. This included both the exterior shots of the cities and interior scenes involving buildings and homes. The filmmakers used various parts of Albuquerque’s urban area to portray the gritty, chaotic atmosphere of a border town dominated by cartel violence.
El Paso, Texas
El Paso, Texas, located on the U.S.-Mexico border, was another significant filming location for Sicario. El Paso’s proximity to Ciudad Juárez, one of the most dangerous cities in Mexico at the time, gave the filmmakers access to real-life locations that added a layer of authenticity to the movie.
Border Crossings: One of the most iconic scenes in Sicario is the convoy sequence, where federal agents and a group of soldiers drive through the bustling U.S.-Mexico border checkpoint. The tension builds as the team moves through traffic, aware of the potential for violence. These scenes were filmed in El Paso and near the actual border crossing into Mexico. The real-life location adds to the sense of danger, as the area around the border has a long history of cartel-related violence.
Ciudad Juárez Representation: While much of the film was shot in Albuquerque, some external shots of Juárez were filmed in El Paso, with the city’s architecture and landscape standing in for parts of the infamous Mexican border city. The filmmakers used wide shots of El Paso and surrounding areas to depict the sprawling, impoverished neighborhoods of Juárez.
Veracruz, Mexico
Although the majority of Sicario was filmed in the United States, the production also traveled to Veracruz, Mexico, for some key scenes. Veracruz is located on the eastern coast of Mexico and is a major port city. The filmmakers used Veracruz for scenes that needed an authentic Mexican location, especially during the later parts of the film.
Mexican Military Operations: Veracruz provided the backdrop for some of the scenes involving Mexican military personnel and drug cartel operations. The location gave the film an authentic feel, as the filmmakers were able to shoot in real Mexican settings without relying on sets or CGI.
Nogales, Arizona
Nogales, Arizona, a city situated directly on the U.S.-Mexico border, was also used as a filming location for Sicario. Nogales’ position on the frontier made it an ideal location for scenes that required authentic border landscapes.
Border Tunnels and Crossings: One of the climactic scenes in Sicario involves a covert operation in which U.S. forces track cartel members through a network of tunnels used to smuggle drugs and people across the border. The filmmakers shot some of these scenes in Nogales, using the city’s real border infrastructure to depict the gritty, underground world of cartel smuggling.
Desert and Mountain Scenery: The natural landscapes surrounding Nogales, including its rugged mountains and desert expanses, were used to capture the harsh, unforgiving environment that defines the U.S.-Mexico border region. These locations played a key role in setting the tone for the film’s action sequences, particularly in the second half of the movie.
Arizona and New Mexico Border Areas
In addition to the specific cities mentioned above, the filmmakers shot several scenes in various border regions between Arizona and New Mexico. These areas provided the wide-open, desolate landscapes that were needed to evoke the lawlessness and isolation of the border.
The Final Confrontation: The film’s climax, which takes place in a remote, mountainous area, was shot in a rugged location along the Arizona-New Mexico border. This scene required a vast, empty space that could heighten the sense of isolation for the characters involved. The filmmakers chose this remote area to emphasize the lawlessness and danger of the borderlands.
Importance of Authentic Locations in Sicario
One of the reasons why Sicario feels so tense and grounded in reality is the filmmakers’ commitment to using authentic locations. By shooting in real-world locations along the U.S.-Mexico border and in Mexican towns, the film creates a sense of immediacy and urgency. The choice to film in actual border cities, desert landscapes, and remote locations helped enhance the movie’s visual and emotional impact.
Denis Villeneuve and Roger Deakins worked closely together to ensure that the settings played an integral role in shaping the film’s narrative. The cinematography is filled with wide shots that emphasize the vast, open spaces of the desert, as well as more intimate, claustrophobic shots in the city scenes, mirroring the characters’ feelings of entrapment and helplessness.
The film’s locations also serve to blur the line between the U.S. and Mexico, highlighting the fluid and dangerous nature of the border. The harshness of the environment reflects the brutality of the world that the characters are navigating. Whether it’s the sun-baked deserts or the chaotic border crossings, every location in Sicario serves to heighten the film’s central themes of violence, corruption, and moral ambiguity.
Conclusion
The filming locations for Sicario play an essential role in creating the tense, realistic atmosphere that defines the movie. From the deserts of New Mexico and Arizona to the border crossings of El Paso and Nogales, each location was chosen to reflect the themes of isolation, danger, and moral complexity that run through the film. Denis Villeneuve and Roger Deakins’ meticulous approach to location scouting and their use of real-world settings helped to create a film that feels both immediate and timeless, grounded in the harsh realities of the drug war along the U.S.-Mexico border.
The visual landscapes of Sicario serve as more than just backdrops for the action; they are a vital part of the story. By using authentic locations, the filmmakers were able to ground the film in a real-world context, making the narrative even more impactful. Whether it’s the desolate beauty of the desert or the chaotic energy of a border town, the locations in Sicario help to create a world that is as dangerous as it is captivating.
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