Review of Salvador (1986) by Jennifer A — 05 Jul 2005

[i]Salvador [/i]marked director Oliver Stone's entrance into "political" film-making which he would become famous for. [i]Salvador [/i]preceded his breakout smash [i]Platoon [/i]which was released later in the year.

Based on true events, [i]Salvador[/i] stars James Woods as veteran photojournalist Richard Boyle. Boyle's problems with drugs and alchohol and his arrogant cocky demeanor has left him struggling for assignments. After his wife leaves him he decides to head for El Salvador, a country in the midst of political turmoil, in hopes of landing freelance assignments. His best buddy Dr. Rock (James Belushi), an out-of-work disc jockey, comes along for the ride. Soon after the two cross the border into El Salvador trouble arises and Boyle learns it may be more trouble than he bargained for.

Co-written by the real life Boyle and Oliver Stone, Salvador is an engrossing movie about a small Latin American country that would become a political hotspot in America. It's a violent, unsettling film featuring one of Wood's finest performances. Belushi is surprisingly good as Boyle's sidekick, as is Elpidia Carrillo as Maria, Boyle's girlfriend who he hopes to bring back to the United States, and John Savage as another photojournalist. It's a stepping-stone film for one of out most influential directors.