Salvador
![Watch film Salvador — Salvador (1986) Original Trailer [HD]](https://www.acmodasi.in/amdb/images/posters/0/u/salvador-1986-fhbLx.jpg)
Short description
Salvador is a 1986 war drama set during the civil war in El Salvador in 1980. Richard Boyle, an American journalist whose marriage and career have collapsed, travels south with his friend Doctor Rock, a carefree adventurer, hoping to find easy work and a story worth selling. What he finds instead is a country consumed by violence, where guerrilla forces and the military government are locked in a brutal conflict. Boyle becomes involved with Maria, a local woman with children, and tries to get her and himself out safely while the fighting closes in around them. The story draws on the experiences of co-writer Rick Boyle.
Oliver Stone directed the film, the third of 22 features he has directed in chronological order, following Platoon and preceding Wall Street. James Woods plays Richard Boyle, with Jim Belushi as Doctor Rock, Michael Murphy as Ambassador Thomas Kelly, John Savage as John Cassady, Elpidia Carrillo as Maria and Tony Plana as Major Maximilliano Casanova. Stone also co-wrote the screenplay and produced alongside Bob Morones and Brad H. Aronson. The film runs 123 minutes and was made for about 5 million dollars, taking roughly 2 million at the worldwide box office.
Its reputation has held up better with viewers than its initial theatrical returns suggest: on IMDb it holds 7.3 out of 10 from around 25,000 votes, and on TMDB 7 out of 10 from 427 votes. A critics' rating of 7.7 out of 10 from 31 reviews places professional assessments slightly above the audience scores.
What's left behind the scenes
- A consultant working on the film was killed in El Salvador during filming.
- After discovering a blank cartridge in the gun that could have harmed his health, James Woods refused to continue filming, causing another scandal between the actors and the crew.
- According to James Woods, as he was leaving a screening of the film at a cinema, a Salvadoran refugee approached him and tearfully thanked him for telling the story of her family's murder in the film.
- Director Oliver Stone faced certain difficulties in financing the film. He had to mortgage his own home, but then British producer John Daly promised financial support for the film. The film's budget was just under $5 million.
- The confession scene featuring James Woods' character was improvised from beginning to end. Woods believed that this scene was the reason he was nominated for an Oscar.
- Originally, Oliver Stone wanted to cast Marlon Brando (1924-2004) in the lead role, but also considered offering it to Paul Newman (1925-2008) and Lee Marvin (1924-1987). Newman liked the idea, but was busy with other projects. Marvin also liked the script, but felt he was too old for the role, and he didn't want to travel constantly, moving from place to place as the film required, due to health problems (a year after the film's release, Marvin died of a heart attack).
- The screenplay is based on the true story of Richard Boyle, a journalist and friend of director Oliver Stone.
- Towards the end of the film, a cavalry charge is shown. According to James Belushi, to pay for the scene with the horses, director Oliver Stone contributed $25,000 of his own money.
- During filming, there were no individual trailers near the set where the actors could rest, nor were there makeup artists and costume designers. According to Belushi, he sometimes had to film in his own clothes.
- The murder of Kathy is based on a real case in El Salvador, where four American nuns were raped and killed.
- The scene where Richard Boyle pulls the last film cassette from his shoe was invented by James Woods. Director Oliver Stone was angry with him because they only had one take, and it was supposed to be the last scene of all filmed, but the scene was not cut from the film, and he later even admitted that he liked it.
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