Salvador (1986)

An American photojournalist gets caught in a political struggle at El Salvador in 1980.

Director:

Oliver Stone

Writers:

Oliver Stone, Richard Boyle

Stars:

James Woods, Jim Belushi, Michael Murphy

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 4 wins & 7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
James Woods	...	Richard Boyle
Jim Belushi	...	Dr. Rock (as James Belushi)
Michael Murphy	...	Ambassador Thomas Kelly
John Savage	...	John Cassady
Elpidia Carrillo	...	María (as Elpedia Carrillo)
Tony Plana	...	Major Max
Colby Chester	...	Jack Morgan
Cynthia Gibb	...	Cathy Moore (as Cindy Gibb)
Will MacMillan	...	Col. Hyde
Valerie Wildman	...	Pauline Axelrod
José Carlos Ruiz	...	Archbishop Romero (as Jose Carlos Ruiz)
Jorge Luke	...	Col. Julio Figueroa
Juan Fernández	...	Army Lieutenant
Salvador Sánchez	...	Human Rights Leader
Rosario Zúñiga	...	HIS Assistant (as Rosario Zuniga)

Storyline

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.

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Plot Keywords:

el salvador | 1980s | photojournalist | 1970s | based on true events | 

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Taglines:

Løgnen... Sandheden... Historien... [Denmark]

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Genres:

Drama | History | Thriller | War

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

UK USA Mexico

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

23 April 1986 (USA)

Also Known As:

Outpost: Salvador

Filming Locations:

Alameda County, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$4,500,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$1,500,000, 31 December 1986

Company Credits

Production Co:

Estudios Churubusco Azteca S.A.,Hemdale

Technical Specs

Runtime:

122 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Director Oliver Stone remarked that Hunter S. Thompson and gonzo-journalism were large influences on the film.

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Goofs

Boyle refers to rebels possessing Belgian FLNs. He probably means FALs.

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Quotes

Richard Boyle: [he and his friend are being searched by troops] Whatever you do,okay, don't get on the ground.

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Alternate Versions

According to the Oliver Stone biography "Stone: The Controversies, Excesses, and Exploits of a Radical Filmmaker" by James Riordan, the film was originally meant to be a two and a half hour release from a 150 page script, and much extra footage was cut due to box office concerns and by the original studio, Orion, who saw that a lot of the footage was too excessive or violent (one such scene described in the book was of an orgy scene with Rick Boyle and Dr. Rock and a bag of ears casually tossed on to a table). Stone regrets this decision as the film ended up, and was criticized for being, choppy in some of its editing. Some of this deleted footage is included on the Special Edition DVD.

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Connections

Referenced in Natural Born Killers: Method in the Madness (2014)

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Soundtracks

Carnaval Grande
Written by Rambo De La Zerda & Yayo Joffre
Performed by Fortaleza

User Reviews

Salvador is one wild ride

In the beginning the viewer thinks he has stumbled upon a road-trip gone wrong movie; this initial impression is strengthened by the presence of James Belushi, in a fantastic comedic/dramatic role. However, Stone ratchets up the tension in this political thriller as events escalate and force the protagonists to make difficult choices and take sides... an incredible film and memorable performances by Belushi and James Woods, who plays the ultimate cynic. a must see film.