Featured Audience Ratings

• Chris W

  
  Not Oliver Stone's first film, but definitely the first to really show the direction his career would be taking (politically charged, hauntingly dramatic, very strong sense of vision and message). And, this was released the same year as his landmark Platoon, so 1986 was one great… More
  Not Oliver Stone's first film, but definitely the first to really show the direction his career would be taking (politically charged, hauntingly dramatic, very strong sense of vision and message). And, this was released the same year as his landmark Platoon, so 1986 was one great year for him. Another thing about this movie that would become a Stone trademark is that it's based on actual events, with the script co-written by Stone and the subject of the film, in this case journalist Richard Boyle and his exploits in civil war torn El Salvador in the 1980s. Boyle was basically a washed up sleazy gonzo journalist who, ever the opportunist, decided to go to El Salvador (well, return as it were) to make a quick buck getting photos of the tumultuous uprising going on. Along for the ride is his friend the American DJ Dr. Rock, who, like many from the U.S. was initially ignorant of what was going on. As the things they see and experience get more harrowing and brutal though, Boyle becomes enlightened and rather than just be there to cash in on thigns, becomes a crusader who regains his lost soul and humanity. The film is really gritty and sometimes ugly, but it fits the subject matter perfectly. There's some great cinematography here, and the location shooting really helps, too. The great about this film is that Boyle is not really all that likeable of a guy. He's sleazy, opportunistic, and hedonistic, but he's still a fascinating guy, so that's what makes the film watchable. Plus, he does grow and change and earn the audience's care. James Woods really shines here as Boyle, and his Oscar nomination was much deserved. This is the second film I've watched recently with James Belushi in a dramatic role, and this one really cements my belief that he's a talent that has unfortunately fallen by the wayside. He's great as Dr. Rock, and seeing him and Woods together is quite reminiscent of a less zonkeed out Hunter S. Thompson sort of tale. I'll admit that I really wasn't too familair with Boyle, or the situation in El Salvador. Sure, I've heard of it, but prior ot seeing this I couldn't really tell you anything about it. Basically the U.S. supplied military aid to the country to help root out the spread of communism, but the tactics used by the anti-communists were so brutal and vile that they pretty much reflected the actions of those they were trying to defeat. It's bitterly ironic, and some very compelling material, especially when you have these two down and out gringos swept up in the middle of things. Stone can be a very challenging filmmaker with some tough films. This is one of those, but it also is rather accessbile. It does help to have a strong stomach though, and to be able to handle a lead that isn't usually all that likeable. If you can do that, then this will be a good film to give a watch.

• Randy T

  
  Off-beat actor meets eccentric director meets gritty material.

• Jim H

  
  This is how a political drama is done, and it should be no surprise that Oliver Stone is the one to do it. I find it fitting that I watch this immediately after Hunt for Justice (how a political drama is not done). Stone understands that the political facts of El Salvador are less… More
  This is how a political drama is done, and it should be no surprise that Oliver Stone is the one to do it. I find it fitting that I watch this immediately after Hunt for Justice (how a political drama is not done). Stone understands that the political facts of El Salvador are less interesting than the human drama that inevitably creates and is affected by state-induced strife. Consequently, we get troubled, but ultimately engaging, characters like Boyle and Doc. And the film's main action has less to do with questions of Communism and Reagan-era, CIA-sponsored Latin American civil wars and more to concern with whether Boyle and Maria are going to live or die, escape or become ensconced in the conflict, love and live together or break up. This contrasts Hunt for Justice, in which there was no such suspense and no such high-stakes concern for the characters' lives. Of course, there is the requisite amount of Stone's political commentary, and much of it is given in Woods's characteristic rapid-fire delivery. Not to mention: if you watch the deleted scenes, you'll get to hear complex political analysis while the characters are getting blow jobs. Who says politics can't be fun? The film does have flaws. As in JFK, NBK, and Born on the Fourth of July, Stone likes to pound his audience in the head with politically created human suffering. Sometimes it's effective; occasionally, in Salvador, it's overkill (no pun intended (of course, by saying that, I'm drawing attention to the fact that there's a pun (doesn't that imply a pun is intended?))). Also, I thought Boyle's relationship with Maria could have been front-loaded. We see him with an Italian wife at the beginning and various other women before we meet Maria. Even given the confession scene, what's to prevent us from thinking she's just another notch in Boyle's belt?

• xGary X

  
  Has-been gonzo journalist James Woods sees the civil unrest in El Salvador as a opportunity to make some money but when his Salvadoran girlfriend and her family become embroiled in the violence his attitudes soon change. Salvador is a damning criticism of the US' continued and… More
  Has-been gonzo journalist James Woods sees the civil unrest in El Salvador as a opportunity to make some money but when his Salvadoran girlfriend and her family become embroiled in the violence his attitudes soon change. Salvador is a damning criticism of the US' continued and shameful interference in the affairs of foreign countries. The Reagan era saw the US giving aid to any despot or monster for the sole reason of the fact they were not part of the communist "threat", and funded the military junta in El Salvador despite their atrocious human rights record. The core of the film is Woods' tirade against the US' "military adviser": "Yes I'm left wing but that doesn't make me a communist! When will you people learn to tell the difference?" Showing many of the horrific events of the conflict with honesty and passion, Woods is perfect for the part and is ably supported by John Savage as a photo journalist looking for the "perfect shot" and James Belushi as his debauched companion. The only real flaw is that amidst Stone's heartfelt preaching he forgets the human element, the plot barrelling along with little thought for pacing or emotional connection with the characters. It's a thought provoking and well made film however, and probably Stone's best work.

• Ken S

  
  My favorite Oliver Stone film. Powerhouse performances from Woods and Belushi.

• Gordon A

  
  Oliver Stone's best movie with James Woods on fire !

• Jeffrey M

  
  Excellent early directorial effort by Oliver Stone, one that doesn't shy away from the complexities of geopolitics and our unfortunate and often contradictory foreign policy, sure to please all political junkies. This is James Woods at his best, frustrating yet unrelenting. It… More
  Excellent early directorial effort by Oliver Stone, one that doesn't shy away from the complexities of geopolitics and our unfortunate and often contradictory foreign policy, sure to please all political junkies. This is James Woods at his best, frustrating yet unrelenting. It was appropriately dramatic, but refused to settle for cliche story-lines and resolutions, with a particularly powerful and poignant ending. I wouldn't call it Stone's best work (Platoon, JFK), but it's certainly one of his greats. 4/5 Stars

• Alec B

  
  Its definitely one of the better films about American journalists embedded in a foreign country. The politics are understandably angry and James Woods' scrappy performance is just great.

• Hal M

  
  Worth a look. I consider it one of Oliver Stone's better pictures, and a career highlight for lead James Woods. Yet hardly anybody saw it at the theatres--it was a total bomb.

• Brian R

  
  I found Oliver Stone's "Salvador" complex, trying to decide which is the best story to tell. With Boyle as a photographer, snapping photos of the ongoing war in El Salvador, his commitment of trying to smuggle out his gf out of the country, his disjointed relationship… More
  I found Oliver Stone's "Salvador" complex, trying to decide which is the best story to tell. With Boyle as a photographer, snapping photos of the ongoing war in El Salvador, his commitment of trying to smuggle out his gf out of the country, his disjointed relationship with Dr Rock (James Belushi) and John Cassady (John Savage), and Boyle's firm stance upon Major Max's involvement in the death squad execution. I think if Stone annd the real Richard Boyle (who also co-wrote the screenplay) found a simple synopsis in the plot the film could have been more intriguing for me. I disliked the disjointed Boyle acting as a petty con-artist since it's feels kinda distracting, the movie's lack of not following the seriousness of the U.S. involvement in El Savador instead focusing more on a love story. James Woods is really good and at first I thought the best scene was when he's talking to a politician about the killing of those who leave the boarder without a sedgeula?, but in fact it's the famous scene where he goes to confession trying to bargain with a priest about his gf and his ill feelings with Catholicism. Stone's style is pure guerrilla filmmaking, each scene you get a real sense of the madness and frustrations that was happening during that turbulant time. I'm guessing Stone and his cinematographer Robert Richardson must have watched "The Battle Of Algiers" before filming or maybe not. A lot of people feel this is one of Stone's best but I don't think it is. "Salvador" is too confusing and misses the real point. First it's about the war/political atrocities and then the film shifts concentrating more on the relationship between Boyle and his gf from El Salvador. Again, why couldn't Stone and the real Richard Boyle just make up their minds?????

• Leo L

  
  Fantastic movie!

• Christopher B

  
  Oliver Stone has said that anyone who lists this as one their favourite of his movies is doing so to be different, which is crazy since this is really one of his finest achievements. Back in the time when comedy and brutal drama were not mixed at all, this is a perfect melding of the… More
  Oliver Stone has said that anyone who lists this as one their favourite of his movies is doing so to be different, which is crazy since this is really one of his finest achievements. Back in the time when comedy and brutal drama were not mixed at all, this is a perfect melding of the two. Woods and Belushi have never been better and probably will never be again (seeming how they are both on TV now) and there are some very big laughs to be had. My good friend Sims recently was shocked that this wasn't on my greatest movies list, but NBK squeezes on before it. Still, this film is definitely a masterpiece and the DVD for it is awesome, make sure to check out the documentary.

Read all 12 featured audience ratings