Salvador (Special Edition)
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Movie Reviews of Salvador (Special Edition)
Movie Review: At first it seems like fun. Then the horror sets in.
Summary: 5 Stars
James Boyle, the journalist who actually lived this fascinating story, wrote this 1986 screenplay along with Oliver Stone, who also directed it. It takes place in El Salvador during in the early 1980s. War was raging and, depending upon which version you believe, it was either a Civil war against the military government or a potential communist takeover. People are being murdered every day and it's an awful place to be.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.
Movie Review: Magnificent portrait of the truth behind politics
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a story about the rape of a country and it's people by foreign interests. El Salvador. This film is a rare glimpse at the truth in the politics of covert foreign government manipulation. It is an almost text book example of how the government of one country can manipulate and fund the creation and maintenance of a puppet government in another to serve it's interests. All too often it is the innocent civilians of the country that loose this game. It is a gripping depiction of the tens of thousands of people that needlessly lost their lives or lost a member of family. In the light of recent events in this country I think we can all better appreciate the true significance and effect of events like these and we can better understand the frustration of people who are minding their own business only to be intruded upon by malignant forces out for self profit. To be pillaged and violated by a government simply because they do not have the means to defend themselves and so make an easy target. Don't expect a massive Hollywood production (though the excellent cinematography and reality of the imagery did much to capture and describe the true sense of the time. In part due to the fact that it was mostly filmed in El Salvador and done so using the actual troops and their military hardware that still rule the country). However the acting is very good and James woods is excellent at his role. It is a gripping movie and even more so when you consider that it is all based on fact. Even the documentary that associates the movie was extremely interesting to watch. I would thoroughly recommend this movie if you are interested in the truth of behind the scenes politics and the meddling of one country in another's affairs and the devastation this can lead to.Movie Review: Oliver Stone Tells It Like It Was
Summary: 5 Stars
Central America is a region of small countries that specialize in growing bananas, mangos, papayas and other fruit for export to the US market. To protect the interests of companies like United Fruit, the US has often intervened in the affairs of those countries to ensure that Americans can buy cheap fruit.
El Salvador is one of the smallest countries in Central America. Neighboring Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica are giants in comparison. This means that there is little land available for farming by campesinos. In 1980 a war broke out in El Salvador between the army and the landless peasants in a dispute over land. The war continued until 1992, when a peace treaty was signed.
The best introduction to the war in El Salvador is Oliver Stone's film Salvador with James Woods and Jim Belushi. Stone tells it like the nightmare it was, including the brutal murder of innocent peasants by the depraved military and right wing death squads, thanks to the generosity of our Congress and President Ronald Reagan, who funded them with billions of our tax dollars. Tiny El Salvador was one of largest recipients of US foreign aid in the eighties.
I also recommend two recent films on El Salvador: Innocent Voices and Maria's Story, which tell the story of the war on landless peasants living in shacks from their point of view.
Finally, I recommend an excellent book on one "battle" in the US funded war in El Salvador: The Massacre at El Mozote by Mark Danner.
Movie Review: Classic Oliver Stone Production...
Summary: 5 Stars
Just having re-discovered this film on DVD almost 10 years after I saw it for the first time, it was a pleasure to see that after so many years, its quality hasn't degraded in the slightest.James Woods has cornered the market (as far as character actors go) on SLEAZY dirt merchants, but he's also proven himself capable of going toe to toe with some of the best actors in Hollywood. Simply put, if you want James Woods, you'll have to hire James Woods.
Although the table-side speech by Boyle (Woods) is a bit of a soapboxing moment, the rest of the film is at times hilarious and terrifying to watch. If nothing else, Stone accurately captured the utter turmoil of a nation in the throes of a dictatorship.
As for the extras, the commentary by Stone is quite good, but the documentary portion renders it pointless, for the most part. The deleted scenes make it QUITE clear exactly why they were cut from the finished print, but they could have been re-inserted without causing much damage to the storyline.
One of the best films of all time, never mind the 80s. "Platoon" and "Wall Street" may represent the apex of Oliver Stone's resume, but in my book, this one doesn't suffer one bit in comparison.
Movie Review: It deserves 6 stars
Summary: 5 Stars
An awesome, engaging, powerful movie. I loved it. James Woods was absolutely wonderful. There were many other actors who also gave great performances.
I can't comment too much on this film because it seems to make people very angry. My husband watched it as well and he is originally from Ukraine (not "the Ukraine" as some folks say). I think that people need more exposure to other countries and cultures and open their hearts and minds a little (or a lot) and try to understand. I guess that's just wistful thinking. I loved the movie. It was a damn good movie. My husband also enjoyed for the same reason. I've seen it more than once. No matter what "side" you were or are on, there seems to be an element of truth there.
If the story is going to make you angry, then don't watch it! If you can keep an open mind and watch it purely for entertainment value, then watch it and enjoy it!
I might add that I really liked the DVD's extras. After watching the film first time, I watched it again with the director's commentary. I believe that there was also a documentary which I also enjoyed. Good insight into Central America.