Review of Salvador (1986) by Dinesh B — 27 Nov 2011

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?????