Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #8773 in DVD
• Released on: 2001-09-10
• Rating: Suitable for 18 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
• Formats: Anamorphic, Dubbed, PAL, Special Edition, Widescreen
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: Danish, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish
• Dubbed in: Italian
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 117 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Salvador recounts the conflict between the peasant revolution and the US-backed death squads in El Salvador in the early 1980s as seen through the eyes of American journalist Richard Boyle. Telling unpalatable truths condensed into intense fiction, Oliver Stone's film is typically confrontational, the real Boyle writing the source material for Stone's savage screenplay. The journalist is brought to life by James Woods in a brilliant hyper-kinetic performance: his powerful commitment to the truth balances his self-destructive, drink, drugs and danger-fuelled personality. Providing excellent support is James Belushi as partner in debauchery Dr Rock, while Stone delivers the most spectacular $4 million movie imaginable by conning the El Salvadorian military into lending tanks, planes and helicopters for a film which brands many of their leaders as war criminals. Genuinely radical cinema, Salvador blisters with moral fury, setting it beside The Killing Fields (1984) as a modern classic.

On the DVD: Without spoiling the plot, the original trailer is so compelling it makes you want to watch the film again even if you've just seen it. The are four deleted/extended scenes which add a little more political background--unfortunately the legendary orgy/severed-ears seen is not among them. Parts, though not the whole of this scene, appear in the exceptionally good 62-minute retrospective documentary which covers the extraordinary making of the film and the horrors of the political background in depth (a technical advisor was shot dead on a tennis court). Oliver Stone delivers the best commentary tracks around and this is no exception as he presents a masterclass in gonzo-guerrilla filmmaking. There is also a gallery of 46 behind-the-scenes stills. Given the circumstances, Robert Richardson's cinematography is miraculously accomplished and, excepting some grain, transfers to DVD, anamorphically enhanced at 1.77:1, very well. The original low-budget sound has made the transition to three-channel Dolby Digital with style, George Delerue's machine-gun score having real urgency and the action being appropriately chaotic. --Gary S Dalkin

DVD Description
DVD Special Features:

Audio Commentary with Oliver Stone
Original Theatrical Trailer
Documentary "Into The Valley Of Death"
Deleted and Extended Scenes
"On The Set" Photo Gallery
Collectable Booklet
Languages in Dolby Digital 5.1: English
Languages in Mono: Italian
Subtitles: Swedish, Finnish, Norwegian, Danish

Synopsis
Oliver Stone's first overtly political film, SALVADOR is a passionate protest against the savagery unleashed by fascist thugs in El Salvador during the early 1980s with the complicity of the U.S. government. It stars James Woods as combat photojournalist Richard Boyle, an erratic, cynical character with a taste for all things chemical. Hearing rumors of war, he and Dr. Rock (Jim Belushi), another free spirit, head for El Salvador by car. After viewing a right-wing officer's collection of severed ears and photographing a corpse-strewn garbage dump with ace photographer John Cassady (John Savage), Boyle realizes that the situation is much worse than advertised in the American press. He recognizes familiar faces among the ubiquitous U.S. military brass and CIA personnel from his stint in Vietnam, but they're predictably reluctant to discuss the reasons for their presence, especially with the outrageous Boyle. As the journalist becomes involved with a Salvadoran native named Maria (Elpedia Carrillo) and observes the selfless dedication of his humanitarian worker friend Cathy (Cindy Gibb), compassion and outrage slowly begin to replace his cynicism. When Boyle swears to the dying Cassady that he'll get his crucial photos out of the country, he realizes that he must also try to get Maria out before she too becomes a statistic. Woods gives a brilliantly incendiary seriocomic performance in this wild, lacerating, and bitterly observant film.

Customer Reviews

The oliver stone you overlooked
WHAT A MASTERPIECE! An unrelenting rollercoater of a ride that tightens your attention with every scene.

After a remarkable and aggresisve opening score that hints at what is ahead, there follows an easy and uncomplicated start introducing the anti hero, the washed up amoral photo journalist Richard Boyle (James Woods) casually making one final throw of his career dice: a trip with Doctor Rock (James Belushi) to El Salvador to cover growing civil unrest. Within minutes the ride accelerates; through Wood's camera lens, all the characters of a civil war unfold (the secret police/the innocent/the soldiers/the church/the death squads/the culture of both sides). The genius of Stone here is that he perfectly combines the micro (the effect on individual emotions and daily lives) with the bigger issues (the method of decision making and impact of US foreign policy). There are a few big twists along the way and they are shocking and yes, depressing. John Savage gives a great performance as the fearless war photographer John Cassady. The approach to the climax is gripping - as civil war intesifies, Stone focuses the lens further into Woods: his changing emotions, his move from an observer to a participating victim, his frantic attempts to help those around him. The pace just gets faster with every minute.

Overall, a film that sharpely portrays individual brutality and abuse of power. Clearly there is a political message that Stone is pressing - the impact of US foreign policy militarily supporting a corrupt government against the wishes of a democratic majority (topical!). Is it historically accurate? Is it propaganda? What we do know is that the movie had an advisor who was killed in El Salvador during production. Perhaps it should be taken at face value - a brilliant piece of film making.

My favourite scene: "HEFE, IMPORTANTO!!"

The template for all future Oliver Stone films
With Salvador, regarded as Oliver Stone's debut proper (ignoring The Hand), Stone set the framework for his entire career thus far (with the possible exception of World Trade Center, which I have not yet seen).

Salvador is raw, urgent, politically bold (especially when it was made in the Reagan era of Rambo and Top Gun), visually stylish and forcefully well written. James Woods delivers a career-best performance which is even more impressive considering that he's made films such as Once Upon a Time in America and Casino (and that one with Sylvester Stallone that was a crock of crap).

This is a great film that fully deserves its place in the Oliver Stone repertoire, so add it to your collection now... NOW! For some excellent background reading, try Noam Chomsky's Deterring Democracy.

Simply just a stunning film
When you watch the opening scene of Salvador it seems like a road movie, similar to the likes of Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas. Then they turn a corner. From then on we are taking on a bumpy ride, a masterpiece of filmmaking.

Salvador tells the true story of Richard Boyle, a photographer and journalist played magnificently and charismatically by the highly underrated James Wood. The character is dislikeable but is complimented by his drug-fuelled sidekick played by Jim Belushi.

With such a controversial and gritty subject matter it needed a Director to give it some edge. Oliver Stone does this superbly, he delves into an upsetting storyline, which many people try not to think about, it’s a very controversial film, which Oliver Stone is recognised for. It shows the atrocities of war and is handled without any sympathy for the viewer, dead bodies are everywhere and a strong political statement is made, showing what a mess was being made in El Salvador at the time and how the public were not made aware of this subject matter.

It is a very powerful movie and nothing tries to deter that, there are very controversial scenes and it is not for the weak hearted but this is what helps it in being such a powerful movie. It isn’t discussed as much as some of Oliver’s other work, but it is by no means not as good. I would consider it way up there with platoon and JFK, if not better. Stunning and an absolute must see.