Salvador
1986
****½
Director: Oliver Stone
Cast: James Woods, Jim Belushi, Michael Murphy, John Savage, Elpidia Carrillo, Cindy Gibb, Tony Plana, Colby Chester, Will MacMillan, Valerie Wildman, José Carlos Ruiz, Jorge Luke
Richard Boyle, an American photojournalist down on his luck, travels with a friend to El Salvador in 1980. Amid the country’s escalating civil war, he finds himself caught between the left-wing guerrillas and the US-backed military regime. Oliver Stone's angry political drama, partly based on Richard Boyle's experiences, is one of his best works. The film depicts harrowing real-life events in the country and it is extremely critical of US involvement in the region. James Woods gives one of his finest performances as Boyle, who is intermittently charming, manipulative, despicable, and good-hearted.
