From director Oliver Stone (Platoon, Wall Street, JFK, Natural Born Killers), I found this film, that I otherwise would not have heard of or watched, in the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, I was certainly looking forward to trying it. Based on a true story, American veteran photojournalist Richard Boyle (Oscar nominated James Woods) is down on his luck, he does good work travelling the world to many trouble spots, and has done so for over twenty years, but his addiction to alcohol and drugs, and his colossal arrogance, have made him practically unemployable. Making hardly any money and with no immediate prospects, Boyle and his out-of-work disc jockey buddy Doctor Rock (James Belushi) travel to El Salvador, Central America, where the nation is suffering political turmoil, Boyle hopes there he can make money from freelance work photographing the devastation. It becomes clear to the situation is much more serious than Boyle and Rock were expecting, it is a war zone, they are shocked to witness, while entering the country, government troops executing a student, but they remain where they are so that they can capture and eventually sell off what they are seeing to newspapers. Of course the disaster in El Salvador is becoming an increasing concern to Boyle, he gets entangled with both leftist guerrillas and the right wing military, and eventually he decide he should get out, but he doesn't want to leave the woman he has fell in love with behind, Salvadorean girlfriend María (Predator's Elpidia Carrillo). Also starring Batman Return's Michael Murphy as Ambassador Thomas Kelly, The Deer Hunter's John Savage as John Cassady, Ugly Betty's Tony Plana as Major Maximiliano 'Max' Casanova, Colby Chester as Jack Morgan - State Department Analyst and Short Circuit 2's Cynthia Gibb as Cathy Moore. The performance of Woods is certainly a good draw for this film, but what is more interesting is the approach to portraying the Salvadoran Civil War, he has the lead character stuck in the middle of the brutality of the CIA supported guerrilla war, he does not have a moral compass, but it is believable with all the realistic violence and destruction happening around him, it is a relentless and most watchable biographical war drama. It was nominated the Oscar for Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen for Oliver Stone and Rick Boyle. Very good!

Released in the same year as Platoon, Salvador was somewhat overshadowed. Director Oliver Stone became a household name as a result of his Vietnam Oscar winner but it could be argued that his earlier, lower key film about the U.S. backed civil war in El Salvador is the better film. It's a semi-biographical tale about amoral photo-journalist Richard Boyle who travels to the war torn country with the plan to make money from reporting on the conflict but in the process he unexpectedly becomes politicised and emotionally wrapped up by the atrocities he witnesses. In many ways it's a typical Stone movie where he takes contentious political material and takes a direct uncompromising stance that asks uncomfortable questions about American political morality. It certainly is an early indicator of a film that marks out its director as a maverick of the mainstream. He is assisted very ably here by star James Woods whose charismatic turn as Boyle drives the film dramatically. Woods is always best at playing somewhat sleazy yet sympathetic characters. And here he puts in one of his best performances of that template. Stone's dynamic direction along with Woods edgy energy combines to make Salvador what it is.The subject of U.S. political intervention in Latin America was something of a hot potato back in the 80's; however, its subject remains highly relevant today when you consider the various complications caused by American foreign policy in the intervening 25 years. As a result Salvador has remained quite pertinent politically, while at the same time being an educational depiction of a little discussed civil war. It also works more conventionally as a great thriller too. Overall a pretty compelling and dynamic bit of cinema.

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!

As a Salvadoran myself I have to say it is hard not to be hard with this movie. I get it. It's Hollywood and the actual facts are going to be embellished to attract the audience to a "one wild ride" but it feels so odd to see this in a movie made by a "conscious" Oliver Stone. The acting is bad and I can't believe how anyone will nominate the screenplay as a good one. Why must the character know everyone of the famous martyrs here? (and worst of all, knowing them in a very casual way) Was that the only way for people in the U.S. to feel disgusted by all the things going on here with their support? I don't like the cartoonish characters and the use of only Mexican locations and Mexican actors (as they also did in "Innocent voices").The worst part is to discover Jim Belushi in a movie with the Salvadoran civil war as backgroundThis movie hasn't aged well.