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 photojournalist 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, who was nominated for an Oscar, in a brilliant hyper-kinetic performance: his powerful commitment to the truth balances his self-destructive, drink, drugs and danger-fueled 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.

Cast and crew

James Woods, James Belushi, Michael Murphy, John Savage

Directed by Oliver Stone

Trailer