Salvador (1986)

Don't listen to the negative reviews

Captivating movie !

if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

Oliver Stone directed this account of real life photographer Richard Boyle(played by James Woods), who is nearly broke, so decides to go to war-torn El Salvador for the story, taking his friend "Doctor Rock"(played by James Belushi) with him. While there, he forms an uneasy alliance between the guerrilla forces, who want their photographs taken to the U.S. newspapers for publicity, and the government military forces, who want the photographs for identification purposes, though the situation will eventually become too dangerous for him to deal with... James Woods is excellent, bringing to life a rather seedy character, and helping this otherwise seedy film as well.

Even though this is one of Oliver Stone's lesser known films I believe this is one of his best. It is arguably the "Casablanca" of the 1980s, a love story wrapped inside a political film.As Richard Boyle (James Woods) ventures to report on the US-backed military junta in the client state of El Salvador he tries to recapture his love with Maria (Elpidia Carrillo) and help her family with the peril that is going on in the country. His crusade for human rights is the most heroic I've seen in any film particularly when he says he believes in human rights not just for some but for everybody.And the horror of the junta and death squads is evident and potent from the burnt human skeleton to the pile of human corpses in the valley to the slaughter of the innocent nuns. Tony Plana's beginning speech as Major Max sends chills down ones' spine.The film was entirely believable with powerful performances on both sides on the conflict. You really feel like you are on the streets of San Salvador, the training fields of the FMLN, and the immigration department of the United States.Oh, and Stone--you have COURAGE with a capital "C" filming this during the actual El Salvadoran Civil War.

Oliver Stone is a Legend. He has made remarkable films throughout his career and I have been his biggest fan since ages. 'Salvador' is a yet another winner from this legendary storyteller! 'Salvador' takes place in 1980, where a sleazy war photo-journalist Richard Boyle, played by James Woods, goes to cover the bloody civil-war happening in El Salvador. His journey is full of bloodshed. He goes to cover this war, which he begins to hate. He not only loses hope in himself, but also loses his soul. Oliver Stone handles this gritty & gruesome journey with effortless ease. In each & every shot, the director understands the subject & executes each detail superbly. Screenplay by Richard Boyle himself & Stone is in sink with the structure of the film throughout.Performance-Wise: James Woods is Terrific. He is the soul of the film. Jim Belushi is damn good. Michael Murphy is effective. John Savage leaves a mark. Others lend good support. On the whole, A Must Watch!

"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