Starring: James Woods, James Belushi, Michael Murphy, John Savage, Elpidia Carrillo Directed By: Oliver Stone Average Rating: Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Audience Rating: R (Restricted) Binding: DVD Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, Special Edition, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC Label: MGM (Video & DVD) Number of Items: 1 Region Code: 1 Release Date: June 05, 2001 Running Time: 123 minutes Theatrical Release Date: April 23, 1986
Description: James Woods gives his "fullest, most humane, most emotional performance"(New York Magazine) to date in this "gritty, harrowing and bold thriller"(Gannett Newspapers). It's 1980. Young men, women and children are being brutally killed in a bloody civil war in El Salvador. It'sa horrific setting...but a perfect one for Richard Boyle, a sleazy war photojournalist whose careerneeds a jumpstart. Armed with his camera, Boyle joins the front lines in an attempt to capture atrocious-but-valuable images of pain and horror. But with each picture he takes, he catches a tragic side of humanity that ignites his long-buried compassion. And he unexpectedly discovers something thatwill change him forever: his soul. *1986 Actor (James Woods); Original Screenplay
Amazon.com essential video: Director Oliver Stone (Platoon, JFK) offers up this brilliant, engrossing true-life account of the violent civil war in El Salvador as told through the perspective of a has-been journalist trying for one last grasp at glory and finding the true horror of war. James Woods is freelance journalist Richard Boyle, who leaves San Francisco broke with his drug-addled, disc-jockey buddy (Jim Belushi) to cover the escalating conflict and hopefully return to his former stature as a war correspondent. What he finds is a nation torn by random violence, shifting ideologies, poverty, and the malevolent influence of the United States. Boyle tries to make sense of the brutality he sees while extracting his girlfriend from the war zone and saving his own life. Featuring John Savage (The Deer Hunter) as an earnest photojournalist, this is a fascinating and riveting depiction of the bloody strife that tore apart a nation and mirrored the disillusionment of the Vietnam era. --Robert Lane
Thumbs down I found it full of stereotypes and did not like it at all. I would not recommend anybody to watch this movie.
Loved it I think it is a good movie, unfortunately wasn't filmed in El Salvador and the accent and words that Salvadorans don't use are in the film, but I really liked the movie...
Not a real story.... to much fiction.... Is a good movie but not a true story, there is too much fiction and exageration of the real facts. If you have not been in the country or a neighboring country you may believe what is shown on this film. There were human right abuses from the Armed Forces and the FMLN. Some of them were shown on the film but in an exagerated way just to make the film more interesting or more dramatic. The film is OK to watch but do not believe everything you see on it, the facts did not happen in that way.
Pretty good Decent film that gives a good sense of the violence perpetuated by the U.S. backed death squads (a.k.a. "freedom fighters") in El Salvador. This is an early Oliver Stone film and I believe it was nominated for a least one academy award. Like in Missing (about Chile), we get the story of a free-lance journalist. It also incorporates some of the major events of the time (i.e. the assassination of Archbishop Romero and the rape and murder of four American nuns).
I don't give it five stars because one does not leave this film with a good undertanding of what was going on. However, as the film sparks the viewer's curosity to find out more, it serves its purpose well.
A must see......... This is hands down one of the rawest flicks that I've seen in years. Its one of those rare IFC gems, that they throw at you from time to time. Anyone with even a remote interest in expanding your thoughts, and openning yourself up to the ways "America's Politically driven warfare'" affects other cultures should see this one. Its right up there with "Munich", "Seriona", & "Animal Farm.".........A must see!
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