Where to begin? I watched this on its theatrical run and a few times over the years. 'Salvador' doesn't stand up well to history. Indeed, Oliver Stone's characterization of El Salvador's Civil War is on the wrong side of history. This, given the complete failure of Marxist regimes all over planet as well as the suffering inflicted on citizens in Venezuela, Nicaragua and Cuba. So, it would seem that human rights abuses by the Right were justified as a remedy to the spread of Marxist/Leninist/Socialism.
Stone and Boyle don't even make an effort to portray the situation in a fair manner. The Right in "Salavador" are all brutal thugs who rape and torture women, children and even nuns. The Left are organic, high-minded indigenous heroes who live off the land in the mountains. Of course, they scounge for their own primitive firearms and never ever receive help from Nicaragua and Cuba Marxist regimes. Again, in hindsight, we know this is all BS.
The film itself is filled with silly and sometimes ridiculous premises. Boyle, our protagonist is a down on his luck photo journalist but a good guy at heart. He drives from San Francisco to El Salvador with his fat slob buddy in tow. Why in the world was this character even in the film? James Beluschi is not funny in the least, he's basically just an annoyance that does nothing for the film. He smokes weed openly in one of the world's most dangerous environments,....and we're meant to sympathize? Absurd. Boyle's tacked on romance with a local woman further complicates things. I realize we're meant to sympathize with him, but he's so stupid, constantly drunk, stoned, disheveled, etc.
The various characters involved in the story are overly simplistic, either they sympathize with the rebels or you support the murderous, evil right wing para military fascists. There are no shades of gray.
The ethos of this film is basically that of a sophomore Poly Sci major at Cal Berkeley, based on feel good egalitarianism and complete ignorance of the dire real world consequences at hand. Its truly ironic that the rightwing asshole American military advisor, that we're meant to despise was completely right and justified. Allowing another Marxist Soviet style dictatorship in El Salvador simply could not be allowed in 1981.
This film is laughable in 2018, but it gets an extra star for X's frontman John Doe's cameo and Cynthia Gibb, who is adorable.
Stone and Boyle don't even make an effort to portray the situation in a fair manner. The Right in "Salavador" are all brutal thugs who rape and torture women, children and even nuns. The Left are organic, high-minded indigenous heroes who live off the land in the mountains. Of course, they scounge for their own primitive firearms and never ever receive help from Nicaragua and Cuba Marxist regimes. Again, in hindsight, we know this is all BS.
The film itself is filled with silly and sometimes ridiculous premises. Boyle, our protagonist is a down on his luck photo journalist but a good guy at heart. He drives from San Francisco to El Salvador with his fat slob buddy in tow. Why in the world was this character even in the film? James Beluschi is not funny in the least, he's basically just an annoyance that does nothing for the film. He smokes weed openly in one of the world's most dangerous environments,....and we're meant to sympathize? Absurd. Boyle's tacked on romance with a local woman further complicates things. I realize we're meant to sympathize with him, but he's so stupid, constantly drunk, stoned, disheveled, etc.
The various characters involved in the story are overly simplistic, either they sympathize with the rebels or you support the murderous, evil right wing para military fascists. There are no shades of gray.
The ethos of this film is basically that of a sophomore Poly Sci major at Cal Berkeley, based on feel good egalitarianism and complete ignorance of the dire real world consequences at hand. Its truly ironic that the rightwing asshole American military advisor, that we're meant to despise was completely right and justified. Allowing another Marxist Soviet style dictatorship in El Salvador simply could not be allowed in 1981.
This film is laughable in 2018, but it gets an extra star for X's frontman John Doe's cameo and Cynthia Gibb, who is adorable.