Salvador (1986)

Director:

Oliver Stone

Writers:

Oliver Stone (written by) and
Rick Boyle

Release Date:

23 April 1986 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | Thriller | War

Tagline:

Based on a true story.

Plot:

A journalist, down on his luck in the US, drives to El Salvador to chronicle the events of the 1980 military dictatorship...

Plot Keywords:

El Salvador | Reference To Donald Duck | Photographer | Place Name In Title | Nun Raped

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 3 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

James Woods	...	Richard Boyle
James Belushi	...	Doctor Rock
Michael Murphy	...	Ambassador Thomas Kelly
John Savage	...	John Cassady
Elpidia Carrillo	...	María (as Elpedia Carrillo)
Tony Plana	...	Major Maximiliano 'Max' Casanova
Colby Chester	...	Jack Morgan - State Department Analyst
Cynthia Gibb	...	Cathy Moore (as Cindy Gibb)
Will MacMillan	...	Colonel Bentley Hyde Sr.
Valerie Wildman	...	Pauline Axelrod
José Carlos Ruiz	...	Archbishop Romero
Jorge Luke	...	Colonel Julio Figueroa
Juan Fernández	...	Army Lieutenant
Salvador Sánchez	...	Human Rights Leader
Rosario Zúñiga	...	Human Rights Assistant
Martín Fuentes	...	Carlos
Gary Farr	...	Peter
Gilles Millinaire	...	French Reporter (as Gilles Milinaire)
Ramón Menéndez	...	Gomez
John Doe	...	Roberto
Leticia Valenzuela	...	Rebel Woman
Roberto Sosa	...	Rebel Youth (as Roberto Sosa Jr.)
Daria Okugawa	...	Dog Attendant
Sue Ann McKean	...	Cop in San Francisco
Joshua Gallegos	...	Immigration Officer on Bus
María Rubell	...	Boyle's Wife
Ty Granderson Jones	...	San Francisco Landlord (as Tyrone Jones)
Sean Stone	...	Boyle's Baby
Danna Hansen	...	Sister Stan
Sigridur Gudmunds	...	Sister Burkit
Erika Carlsson	...	Sister Wagner (as Erica Carlson)
Kara Glover	...	Kelly Assistant
Julie Conn	...	WAC at Party
María del Carmen Sánchez	...	Maria's Grandmother (as Ma. del Carmen Sanchez)
Art Bonilla	...	Romero Assassin (as Arturo Bonilla)
Gerardo Zepeda	...	Death Squad Member #1 (as 'Chiquilín' Zepeda)
Nicolás Jasso	...	Death Squad Member #2
José Chávez	...	Jail Guard (as Jose Chavez Trowe)
Héctor Téllez	...	Mayor at Nun's Burial
Jorge Reynoso	...	Jefe at Customs Shed
Jorge Pol	...	Customs Officer #2
César Sobrevals	...	Customs Officer #3
Bruno Rubeo	...	Customs Officer #4
Bob Morones	...	Customs Officer #5
Juliana Urquisa	...	Wilma
Queta Carrasco	...	Bruja
María de los Ángeles Urquiza	...	Mamá Moncha at Panamá Club (as Ma. de los Angeles Urquiza)
Tomás Leal	...	Rapist #1
René Pereyra	...	Rapist #2
Arturo Rodríguez Doring	...	Young Killed Student
Jair De Rubin	...	Maria's Son (as Yair De Rubin)
Claudia Hernández	...	Maria's Daughter
Humberto Elizondo	...	Roadblock Thug #1
Mário Arévalo	...	Roadblock Thug #2
Gerardo Quiroz	...	Carlos' Friend #1
Israel León	...	Carlos' Friend #2
Mauricio Martínez	...	Executed Lieutenant
Xochitl del Rosario	...	Messenger on Horse
Agustín Bernal	...	Bodyguard to Major Max
John MacDevitt	...	GI in Salvador
Bill Hoag	...	Immigration Officer #2
Waldeir DeSouza	...	US Customs Guard
Ángel Vargas	...	Tic Tac Monster in Cafe
Miguel Ehrenberg	...	Captain Marti
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jimmy Carter	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Nancy Davis	...	Herself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Robert Gallo	...	Voice (uncredited)
Ronald Reagan	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)

Directed by
Oliver Stone

Writing credits
Oliver Stone		written by and
Rick Boyle		(as Richard Boyle)

Produced by
Brad H. Aronson	....	associate producer
John Daly	....	executive producer
Derek Gibson	....	executive producer
Gerald Green	....	producer
Bob Morones	....	associate producer
Oliver Stone	....	producer

Original Music by
Georges Delerue

Cinematography by
Robert Richardson

Film Editing by
Claire Simpson

Casting by
Bob Morones		(as Bob 'Blackie' Morones)

Production Design by
Bruno Rubeo

Costume Design by
Kathryn Morrison		(as Kathryn Greko Morrison)

Makeup Department
Bertha Chiu	....	hair stylist: Mexico
Humberto Escamilla	....	hair stylist: Mexico
Elvira Oropeza	....	makeup artist: Mexico
Gordon J. Smith	....	prosthetic makeup artist
Gionilda Stolee	....	prosthetics assistant

Production Management
Brad H. Aronson	....	executive in charge of production
Anuar Badin	....	supervising production manager: Mexico
Michael Bennett	....	post-production supervisor
Mary M. Ensign	....	production supervisor: San Francisco
Carlos Gutiérrez	....	assistant production manager: Mexico
Alejandra Hernández	....	production manager: Mexico

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Miguel Lima	....	second assistant director: Mexico
Ramón Menéndez	....	first assistant director
José Luis Ortega	....	first assistant director: Mexico

Art Department
Ron Downing	....	property master
Ricardo Gil	....	property master: Mexico
Melo Hinojosa	....	art director: Mexico
Luis Jiménez Méndez	....	camera painter: Mexico
Adalberto López	....	key set dresser: Mexico
Francisco López	....	stand-by on-set dresser: Mexico
Milo	....	set dresser: USA (as Milo Needles)
Adolfo Navarro	....	assistant property master: Mexico

Sound Department
Neil Brody	....	sound re-recording mixer
Jonathan D. Evans	....	sound recordist
Michael Fishman	....	sound assistant
Ted Goodspeed	....	foley artist
Jorge Gómez	....	sound assistant: Mexico
F. Hudson Miller	....	sound effects editor
Bob Minkler	....	sound re-recording mixer
Bill Mumford	....	sound re-recording mixer
R.J. Palmer	....	sound effects editor
Philip Perkins	....	sound recordist: San Francisco
John Post	....	foley artist
Steve Rice	....	dialogue editor
Frank Smathers	....	dialogue editor (as Frank T. Smathers)
Jesús Sánchez	....	sound assistant: Mexico
Manuel Topete	....	sound operator: Mexico
David Lewis Yewdall	....	sound designer
David Lewis Yewdall	....	supervising sound editor
Stephen Balliet	....	boom operator: San Francisco (uncredited)
Allen Hurd	....	sound recordist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Daniel Cordero	....	second special effects assistant: Mexico
Yves De Bono	....	special effects supervisor
Alfonso Pacheco	....	first special effects assistant: Mexico
Marcelino Pacheco	....	special effects: Mexico

Stunts
Bill Catching	....	stunt coordinator
Raúl Martínez	....	stunt coordinator: Mexico

Camera and Electrical Department
Fernando Calvillo	....	gaffer: Mexico
Flavio Castillero	....	videoman: Mexico
Gary Farr	....	still photographer (as Gary Anthony Farr)
Humberto Galindo	....	generator operator: Mexico
Salvador Gutiérrez	....	chief electrician: Mexico
Chris Lombardi	....	assistant camera (as Christopher Lombardi)
Guillermo Moysen	....	assistant camera: Mexico
Manuel Paredes	....	assistant camera: Mexico
Antonio Ramírez 'Puma'	....	dolly grip: Mexico (as Antonio Ramírez)
Tom Richmond	....	camera operator (as Thomas Julian Richmond)
León Sánchez del Ángel	....	assistant camera: Mexico
León Sánchez Ruiz	....	director of photography: Mexico
León Sánchez	....	assistant camera: Mexico (as León Sánchez del Ángel)
Pedro Vázquez	....	assistant camera: Mexico
Salvador Vázquez	....	key grip: Mexico
Tom Richmond	....	director of photography: second unit (uncredited)

Casting Department
Claudia Becker	....	additional casting: Mexico
Chucho Guerrero	....	extras casting: Mexico

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Monica Araiz	....	wardrobe: Mexico
Federico Castillo	....	wardrobe master: Mexico
María de Jesús Luna	....	seamstress: Mexico
Jaime Ortiz	....	assistant wardrobe: Mexico

Editorial Department
David Brenner	....	assistant film editor
Tom Finan	....	associate editor (as Tom Finnan)
Lisa Leeman	....	first assistant editor
Julie Monroe	....	assistant editor
Edgar Pavon	....	assistant editor: Mexico
Carlos Puente	....	associate editor
Julie Rogers	....	apprentice editor
John David Allen	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Joan Biel	....	music editor
Budd Carr	....	music supervisor
Georges Delerue	....	musical director (uncredited)
Roger Monk	....	scoring recordist (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Miguel Angel Gomez	....	transportation chief
Miguel Ángel Gómez	....	transportation captain: Mexico

Other crew
Pablo Buelna	....	location manager: Mexico
Mario Cisneros Jr.	....	script supervisor: Mexico
Robert Dawson	....	title designer: main titles
Cristina Espinosa	....	public relations: Mexico
Patricia Green	....	executive secretary
Rosa María Gómez	....	production accountant: Mexico
Elsa Hermoso	....	assistant production accountant: Mexico
Laurie Noll	....	location manager: San Francisco
Sergio Prieto P.	....	production assistant: Mexico
Federico Serrano	....	production unit manager: Mexico
Elizabeth Stone	....	assistant to director
Concepcion Taboada	....	production coordinator: Mexico
Manuel Trejo Morales	....	actor's delegate: Mexico
Eileen Zannino	....	production secretary
Arturo Del Rio	....	production assistant (uncredited)

Thanks
Charles Ryan	....	special thanks
Louis Stone	....	dedicatee (as Dad)

Production Companies

• Hemdale Film

Distributors

• CEL (1986) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Finnkino (1986) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Hemdale Film (1986) (USA) (theatrical)
• Jugendfilm-Verleih (1987) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Rosenbergs Filmbyrå (1986) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Transmundo Films (1986) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Virgin Films (1986) (UK) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (Brazil) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (Brazil) (VHS)
• FS Film Oy (2001) (Finland) (DVD)
• Image Entertainment (1987) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Koch Media (2010) (Germany) (DVD)
• Look Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• MGM Home Entertainment (Europe) (2001) (UK) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2000) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (2002) (Finland) (TV)
• PVB Editions (2004) (France) (DVD)
• PolyGram Video (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• RCV Home Entertainment (2002) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Svensk Filmindustri (SF) (2003) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Transmundo Home Video (THV) (198?) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Transworld Video (????) (Finland) (VHS)
• Vestron Video (1986) (USA) (video)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (1998) (2001) (Finland) (TV)

Other Companies

• Banca del Noroeste  special thanks
• Bart Milander Associates  special thanks
• Big Time Picture Company  post-production services
• M/S Billings Publicity Ltd.  publicist (as M/S Billings Co.)
• Modern Film Effects  opticals
• Patsa Productions S.A.  production services

Also Known As:

Runtime:

122 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Singapore:M18 | Singapore:R21 (DVD rating) | Iceland:16 | Portugal:M/16 | Brazil:16 | South Korea:18 | Philippines:R-18 | Peru:18 | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA | Chile:18 | Finland:K-16 | New Zealand:R16 | Norway:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Alameda County, California, USA

Company:

Hemdale Film

Trivia:

Near the end of the film, there is a massive cavalry charge by the rebels. According to James Belushi (who plays Doctor Rock in this film) director Oliver Stone forfeited his $25,000 paycheck to pay for the scene with the horses.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): In the middle of the film, during Christmas, Cathy Moore says to Richard Boyle "you're 42 years-old." At the end of the film the border officer reports his birth date as being "2-26-43". As the story takes place during 1980-1981, Boyle would be 37 or 38 years-old during that time period.

Quotes:

Major Maximiliano 'Max' Casanova:[in the commercial] As you well know, I stand for nationalism, law and order, and economic prosperity. More importantly, I stand for the church... and a peaceful Salvador!

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 1987 IFP/West Independent Spirit Awards (1987) (TV)

Soundtrack:

El Salvador Ta Venciendo

An emotional entry into an American nightmare

Having seen this movie more than ten times, over the last decade and one half, it as taken on many shades of meaning, but it continues to show how the more things change the more they stay the same. The reporter's sense of gathering news seems to be one of self-sacrifice and a search for truth however, the director shows how the American reporter possesses a quixotic sense of right and wrong that is overwhelmed by self-interest and self-indulgence not unlike the American public. He is unable to report with the clarity of a John Reed. Other points of interest are the visuals of the local life of peasants, who just want to live. They are shown to be no different than the peasants of Chile or Vietnam. Contrasting this life is the ruling elite that manipulates the meaning of the simple needs of the peasants into an ideology that threatens the middle class and the business interests that exploit the resources of this third world country. When the environment becomes so intolerable that the peasants begin to revolt, the forces of the ruling elite call on the American military might to help quell the rebellion. Here we discover the atrocities that become the daily part of life and bring the audience emotions out of its dispassionate viewpoint into one that feels the helplessness of a beaten people.

It seems to me that the director was more into making a movie than selling tickets. For this we are grateful. This movie is as fresh with insight and meaning as it was when it was released. Dr. Zim Robert