Salvador (1986) 7.5
An American photojournalist gets caught in a political struggle at El Salvador in 1980. Director:Oliver Stone |
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Salvador (1986) 7.5
An American photojournalist gets caught in a political struggle at El Salvador in 1980. Director:Oliver Stone |
|
0Share... |
Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
James Woods | ... | ||
James Belushi | ... | ||
Michael Murphy | ... | ||
John Savage | ... | ||
Elpidia Carrillo | ... |
María
(as Elpedia Carrillo)
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Tony Plana | ... | ||
Colby Chester | ... | ||
Cynthia Gibb | ... |
Cathy Moore
(as Cindy Gibb)
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Will MacMillan | ... | ||
Valerie Wildman | ... | ||
José Carlos Ruiz | ... | ||
Jorge Luke | ... |
Colonel Julio Figueroa
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Juan Fernández | ... |
Army Lieutenant
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Salvador Sánchez | ... |
Human Rights Leader
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Rosario Zúñiga | ... |
Human Rights Assistant
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A journalist, down on his luck in the US, drives to El Salvador to chronicle the events of the 1980 military dictatorship, including the assasination of Archbishop Oscar Romero. He forms an uneasy alliance with both guerillas in the countryside who want him to get pictures out to the US press, and the right-wing military, who want him to bring them photographs of the rebels. Meanwhile he has to find a way of protecting his Salvadorean girlfriend and getting her out of the country. Written by Tony Bowden <t.bowden@qub.ac.uk>
The cinematic equivalent of being busted in the chops over and over again until you can only fall, this, along with his TALK RADIO, is Oliver Stone's masterpiece.
It is one of the most driven dramas I have ever witnessed, a work propelled by anger, a burning sense of justice and fiery humanism. It depicts a corrupt, murdering regime with savage focus and makes no dramatic concessions to the incendiary material.
Financed slightly outside the Hollywood system, it boasts a dozen extraordinary performances and a brand of camera-work (by Stone regular Robert Richardson) that expertly marries documentary-style coverage to classic composition.
SALVADOR has so much to say, but it concludes having not said it all because it hasn't the time.
It's quite incredible.