George Jung, Who was Portrayed by Johnny Depp in Blow Dies at 78

It’s actually kind of difficult to know how to feel when hearing of the passing of George Jung, who was also known as “Boston George” and on top of that, as the man that Johnny Depp portrayed in the movie Blow. The movie detailed how Jung started out smuggling marijuana and moved up to smuggling cocaine while making a fortune doing so. The difficulty lies in thinking that after being arrested, Jung did his time and on top of that it’s fair t wonder if apart from smuggling the stuff if he ever did anything else that was so uniquely horrible that would justify his vilification. Some would say absolutely and might even condemn Johnny Depp for having spent any time with him in the past to ‘pick his brain’ since those that break the law are, to many people, simply vile individuals that don’t believe the laws apply to them. Others might tell those folks to lighten up and take into account that there are varying degrees of criminal activity that are all just as likely to get a person locked up but aren’t nearly as equal in terms of the violence that comes with the act. The understanding of the law as exhibited by so many is often muddled beyond belief as people argue for one bit of understanding or another, but one thing above all is that Jung was working with the Medellin cartel, one of the most admittedly vicious and notorious groups in the drug trade, and assumptions were always bound to be made when this group is involved. Anyone that has watched the movie, Blow, will no doubt think they know a thing or two about Jung, but it would be wise to read up a little more about the man and who he was rather than take the representation given in a movie as gospel.

There’s no doubt that Depp did his absolute best to portray the infamous smuggler, but one has to wonder if glorifying a man like Jung is a wise idea or if forgiving him and simply letting the guy slip into history was the best option. People would debate about this without question since quite a few people are bound to have an opinion considering that drugs are involved. But upon really thinking about it one can’t help but realize that Jung did in fact do his time and it’s likely that he lost everything in the process, even his own daughter, who reportedly did not forgive him for the many years he was absent from her life. It’s not my wish to speak ill of the deceased, but the fact that someone can’t forgive someone after so long tends to mean that what they did was heinous enough in the eyes of the individual that forgiveness is simply too difficult to entertain as an option. Admittedly it’s tough to know how to feel about the supposed glorification of a known drug smuggler, but then one has to remember that in our society there are many individuals that have chosen to live on the wrong side of the law and have been glorified in some way for it through stories that are both written and placed on TV or in movies. Quite honestly it’s a lucrative practice to showcase the morally bankrupt individuals that are found around the world because it’s seen as great entertainment and in some cases inspiration for other stories. Accepting or condemning these stories is up to the individual since the moment a filmmaker is bound to such a project there’s usually a very good chance that it will be made and pushed to the public. As I’ve said more than once, every tale has enough validity to be told, it’s up to the individual to pay attention or leave it alone.

That personal philosophy does extend to every possible tale that can be dragged from the many individuals that inhabit this world, from the best to the worst. George definitely rests somewhere along that spectrum, as he’s not the worst criminal that was ever incarcerated, but his moral compass apparently took a jog in the wrong direction a few times according to many people. The idea that he would become famous for his exploits isn’t difficult to imagine, but that he would pay for his crimes also came with no surprise since one way or another most criminals do get caught, and depending on how they react when caught, they either find their way to a jail cell or to an early grave. Jung managed to live a pretty long and, for the most part, successful life even after his incarceration and ended up dying from liver and kidney failure at the age of 78. That’s kind of impressive for anyone that was in business with one of the most notorious cartels in history. Rest in peace George.