Salvador (1986)

Too many fans seem to be blown away

Nice effects though.

everything you have heard about this movie is true.

This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

Compelling civil war drama by Oliver Stone with a great James Woods (as well as a great Jim Belushi). Stone's best films have always been his highly political ones, and this is no exception. Brutal, realistic portrayal of the conflict in El Salvador and America's implications. This is one to re-discover by film fans as it seems to have fallen a bit into obscurity over the years. Highly recommended: 8 stars out of 10.In case you're interested in more underrated masterpieces, here's some of my favorites:imdb.com/list/ls070242495

It's 1980. Richard Boyle (James Woods) is a rundown independent journalist. He is desperate to leave San Francisco to go to El Salvador for the action. His buddy Doctor Rock (James Belushi) bails him out of jail and together they take a drug filled drive down to San Salvador. Major Mzx Casanova (Tony Plana) and his henchman (Juan Fernández) leads the military fanatics. Richard has connections from a previous right-wing article. He tries to reconnect with girlfriend Maria and helpful nun Cathy Moore (Cynthia Gibb). They join reporter John Cassady (John Savage). The new Ronald Reagan government is concerned about communist infiltration. The big networks aren't getting the real story. He gets involved with the guerrillas who want to tell their stories to the outside world and the government wants the pictures he takes. Filmmaker Oliver Stone lays out his political views. It's a cross between gonzo journalism and human rights abuses of central America. It's compelling by itself but it's James Woods' manic performance that puts it over the top. His energetic acting matches the chaotic political thriller.

"Platoon" and "Salvador" were both released in 1986 and both written and directed by the renegade Oliver Stone. The former won the Academy Award for Best Film, while the latter was a commercial failure. Stone found it extremely difficult to get finding for "Salvador" and it was made on a low budget. Clearly, this brave, but uncomfortable, film - an examination of the poverty and carnage of the developing civil war in 1980-81 El Salvador - was just too political and too critical of American foreign policy for Hollywood financiers US audiences.However, James Woods gives an excellent and Oscar-nominated performance as a self- centred and hard living American war photographer based on the real-life Richard Boyle who co-wrote the script. A number of the incidents portrayed - notably the assassination of Archbishop Oscar Romero - actually happened. The anarchic violence is reminiscent of "Missing", while the photographer-at-war theme reminds one of "Under Fire", two other political films about Latin America (it was actually shot in Mexico). The movie is fast-paced, powerful and committed with the Boyle character making something of a polemical speech - justifiably hard-hitting - in a scene set in the US Embassy in San Salvador.I first saw the film on its release in the UK in 1987. I revisited the work after I went to El Salvador in 2014, a trip which included seeing the tomb of Romero and the site of a Government-sponsored massacre. The civil war actually began in 1989, was still running at the time of the making of "Salvador", and did not end until 1992. By then, some 70,000-80,000 had been killed, including around 'disappeared'.

"It's 1980. Young men, women and children are being brutally killed in a bloody civil war in El Salvador. It's a horrific setting… but a perfect one for Richard Boyle, a sleazy war photojournalist whose career needs a jumpstart. Armed with his camera, Boyle joins the front lines in an attempt to capture atrocious-but-valuable images of the pain and horror. But with each picture he takes, he catches a tragic side of humanity that ignites his long-buried compassion. And, he unexpectedly discovers something that will change him forever: his soul," according to the synopsis.The promotional material also mentions well-deserved "Academy Award" nominations for James Woods (as Richard Boyle) and the writing team of director Oliver Stone and Mr. Boyle (this is his story). So, it should be noted that two Stone films - "Salvador" and "Platoon" (both released in 1986) - were competing for annual awards attention that year. Stone arguably deserved to be nominated for "Salvador"; but, since he wasn't, the "Best Director" Oscar for "Platoon" was assured.This film is marvelously done, with its main flaw being a tendency to lean too far into "Cheech & Chong" territory. Perhaps, the "Dr. Rock" (James Belushi) and "John Cassady" (John Savage) characters could have been combined - this would have added incalculable dramatic impact to the final scene between Mr. Woods and Mr. Savage. Robert Richardson's superb cinematography is also on display; Stone, Richardson, and their crew create a tremendous visual picture.******** Salvador (2/28/86) Oliver Stone ~ James Woods, James Belushi, John Savage