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Salvador

6.8

2,672

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Original title

Salvador

Year

1986

Running time

120 min.

Country

United Kingdom

Director

Oliver Stone

Screenwriter

Oliver Stone, Richard Boyle. Story: Richard Boyle

Cast

Music

Georges Delerue

Cinematography

Robert Richardson

Producer

Co-production United Kingdom-United States-Mexico;

Hemdale, Cinema '84, Estudios Churubusco. Distributor: Hemdale

Genre

Drama. War | El Salvador Civil War. Journalism. Photography. Based on a true story

Synopsis

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.

Rankings Position

#139 Best War Movies/War Film

Awards: 1986: 2 Nominations for Oscar: Best Actor (James Woods), Original Screenplay

1986: Writers Guild of America (WGA): Nominated for Best Original Screenplay

1986: Independent Spirit Awards: Best Actor (James Woods). 6 Nominations

1986: National Society of Film Critics (NSFC): nominated to Best Director.

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Critics' reviews

"The movie has an undercurrent of seriousness, (...) Basically it's a character study — a portrait of a couple of burned-out free-lancers trying to keep their heads above water. (...) the heart of the movie is fascinating. (...) Rating: ★★★ (out of 4)"

Roger Ebert: rogerebert.com
"Woods delivers one of his all-time great performances and Stone demonstrates the sheer ambition, both thematic and filmic, that would become a career theme."

Rolling Stone
"It's alive. It broils, snaps and explodes with energy."

Michael Wilmington: Los Angeles Times
"Most Americans are probably having a hard enough time trying to distinguish the good guys from the bad guys (...) Much to its credit, that's mainly what makes this political thriller so terrifying"

The Washington Post
"Salvador is as raw, difficult, compelling, unreasonable, reckless and vivid as its protagonist."

Variety Staff: Variety
"The polemic may seem obvious and at times laboured, but the action sequences are brilliant, and the film does achieve a brutal, often very moving, power"

Time Out

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Salvador

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