James Woods gives his "fullest, most humane, most emotional performance"(New York Magazine) to date in this "gritty, harrowing and bold thriller"(Gannett Newspapers). It's 1980. Young men, women and children are being brutally killed in a bloody civil war in El Salvador. It'sa horrific setting...but a perfect one for Richard Boyle, a sleazy war photojournalist whose careerneeds a jumpstart. Armed with his camera, Boyle joins the front lines in an attempt to capture atrocious-but-valuable images of 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 thatwill change him forever: his soul. *1986 Actor (James Woods); Original Screenplay

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James Woods stars as James Boyle, a freelance journalist who had formerly been a reporter in Vietnam. His life in California is spinning out of control. He has no money, his wife has left him, and he craves the excitement of being where the action is. He and his disk jockey friend, Doctor Rock, played by James Belushi, drive down to El Salvador, drinking and drugging and spinning bad jokes all the way. At first it all seems like fun.

Then reality hits. And the two friends are plunged into the violence. There's one scene after another that made me cringe in horror. And yet, James Woods is quite a con man and keeps getting himself and his friend out of scrapes by his fast talking and former connections. He falls in love with a local woman, tells it like it is to the American Ambassador, and keeps getting into trouble. There's lots of action and lots of people getting killed. And yet, it's mainly about the personalities of the two lead characters. This adds a light touch to the horror that surrounds them.

It's a fast paced film without one dull moment. I couldn't stop watching and wondering what would happen next. The DVD extras feature a long documentary about the making of the film. That was interesting background and added to my enjoyment although by then I was dozing off. During the actual film, however, falling asleep would have been impossible.

Highly recommended.

29 of 30 found the following review helpful:

One of the 10 Best Films of the 1980sJan 07, 2004
By ixta_coyotl
This is without question the best film that Oliver Stone has ever or will ever create. Same goes for James Woods and James Belushi's performances. Stone does a marvelous job of introducing the viewer to the cultural and political changes as they drive south with Woods and Belushi in an old Mustang convertible. From that harrowing first moment that they have "arrived" in El Salvador, the film never lets up its intensity. Woods deserved a best actor Oscar for this role. A brave, poignant, and important film that manages to scare the hell out of you, entertain you, AND make you think. Welcome to El Salvador. Bravo!

Regarding the Special Edition DVD, the extra features are EXCELLENT! The "making of" of documentary was fascinating (if a tad vulgar). Also, you will appreciate Woods' performance all the more when you see how prudish he is in real life, and how much he despised the real life Richard Boyle (not to mention Oliver Stone). A great value for these extra features.

18 of 19 found the following review helpful:

Gritty, Alive And Powerful.Jul 06, 2001
By Michael Kropotkin "Kropotkin"
"Salvador" is a gritty, unrestrained trip into the chaos that is civil war, not just in the country it portrays, but civil war in any culture. It is Oliver Stone's first major movie and it vibrates with the passion and vibrant drive seen in his later works. This movie is so powerful and effective precisely because it feels REAL. There are scenes that almost have a documentary feeling to them. The camera work by Robert Richardson is gritty and rich at the same time while the screenplay by Stone and the real Richard Boyle is filled with wild moments, powerful scenes and hilarious comic touches. The performances are grade-A. James Woods is wicked but with a touching heart in this performance, it's probably his best. Jim Belushi is brilliantly funny. But "Salvador" aside from being a great entertainment, is also an important film document of the realities of war, of what happened in El Salvador and of the realities of what happened there. Like Stone's Vietnam movies, "Salvador" opens the eyes and ears and mind to what really was going on. It is an effective movie about events that happen in little corners of the world.

13 of 14 found the following review helpful:

Great Woods, Essential StoneJun 23, 2000

No, this is not a masterpiece, but it makes for highlyengrossing viewing. Viewers must be reminded that this film is not aHollywood production, but an independent film. Stone wrote, got the funding and shot this gutsy film as an independent. As an "indie" film, Salvador is among the very best that I've seen.

The "Abbot & Costello go to war" plot is a bit offensive, but ultimately effective: when the film was released, and today still, most Americans didn't know what was really going on in El Salvador, and this film manages to encapsulate the events leading up to the war by placing two naive Americans as witnesses. And yes, all of the events depicted in the film really happened, and they all happened before the war in El Salvador actually started in 1981.

I am from El Salvador, and I know that most Salvadorans hate the film for the relentless violence that it depicts. To be fair to Stone, the film depicts real events that took place within a period of 12 months (1980-81) the most violent period in the history of that country (20,000 were killed that year, mostly by death squads). To be fair to Salvadorans, the films misses on the cultural nuances: Salvadoran women do not parade naked in the beach and no, death squads were not killers only because they were people with pathological/physical problems, but because of their political and ideological views, unfortunately. Perhaps this is the question to ponder: why was the US even involved in this war and why did they supported people with such twisted ideologies?

I also know that the left often complained about the portrayal of the leftist guerrillas in the film. But I happen to know that even in this aspect Stone deserves credit. Stone obtained copies of the underground films and videos shot by guerrillas and used them as source of reference in creating the war scenes; so the images of the guerrillas are actually accurate. In fact, the video shown in the title credits is the actual footage of a massacre by the police on unarmed civilians standing on the steps of the Metropolitan Cathedral in El Salvador.

Stone is a great filmmaker who has made some great american films, and Salvador is essential viewing for those who admire the work of this director. This film also contains the finest work that James Woods has ever done. In fact, Salvador is carried by his character's viewpoint. Woods is in every scene, and he carries the film with crazed, nervous, relentless energy.

8 of 8 found the following review helpful:

The horror of Civil WarOct 08, 2005
By Carlos Osorio
Watching this film of how El Salvador was torn apart from 1980-1992 is something not only Salvadoreans remember, but many people from different countries. Showing that in this particular Civil War there was really no good or bad side. A conflict of misunderstanding. For my parents and many Salvadoreans that migrated here to the United States, definitely the true meaning of trying to find a better life.

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