Salvador

The way the film creeps ever more serious thoughtfulness into its basically frivolous demeanor helps to redeem it as a war movie in the same way that its initially amoral hero's gradual conscientious awakening redeems him as a human being. Thematically kindred to Peter Weir's Year of Living Dangerously.

I thought the opening sequence with it's camera/machine gun equation impactful and interesting. Good movie that deals with some really serious shit. While there is an awkwardness to some of the pacing and editing, the point makes its way across without trouble.

An olio of simply absurd aspects mixed together that defy explanation. It's so tonally incoherent that I could barely pin a concept to it until someone in the accompanying documentary mentioned Hunter S. Thompson. It truly is some kind of oddly wonderful bastardization of Gonzo journalism in fictional form. James Woods is a fantastically eclectic lead, paving the way towards moral oblivion amidst the backdrop of a frightening reality in 1980s El Salvador. Hell, even Jim Belushi is good in this.

This has some whiff of eighties cheesiness about it, and you can tell that there are significant parts that were chopped out in editing, but the sensibility and perspective are essentially good, and it is almost certainly Stone’s best film. To be clear, this isn't a story about a character who “slowly transforms” or develops a conscience (he always had one, in his weaselly and intemperate way) but about a flawed but well-meaning man negotiating the difficulties of an increasingly dire situation.

I think this film works on and off despite having the Hunter S. Thompson problem. Robert Boyle just isn't a very interesting guy. This is a good, but fairly disjointed depiction of the horrors that happened in El Salvador in the early 80's. I just keep wondering why the movie insists on telling me more about Boyle. Despite those doubts, James Woods is great in this film.

This solid war drama, in which Woods chews the scenery a little too much at times, packs a punch.

A frantic alcohol-feuled descent into hell.

I liked all the scenes where James Woods wasn't mugging for the camera.

Its no Natural Born Killers, James Woods gets a bit windbaggy in parts and the whole thing gets a bit up its own ass, but still probably one of Oliver Stone's strongest efforts.

Full of righteous anger. Probably James Woods' greatest role; he's manic and paranoid and all over the place. His character begins as opportunistic riff-raff but slowly transforms into a conscientious objector, especially as events unravel and his sympathy with the people around him grows. I generally hate Oliver Stone but this seems to be some kind of fluke.

pretty clunky

83.000

Angry, passionate political drama slowly sneaks up on you thanks to Stone's masterful balancing act of material that seems tonally at odds - as a Thompsonesque reprobate searching for redemption (a phenomenal Woods) set against an undoubtedly partisan, but gripping, harrowing, depiction of political strife in Salvador. Discordant militaristic score also adds to the uncomfortable atmosphere, leads to a finale which feels surprisingly (and depressingly) relevant to recent world political events.

It's probably the only moment where Oliver Stone really nailed political filmmaking without coming off like a jerk. James Woods is honestly a national treasure. I don't even know why, but I love that guy in anything.

Very gonzo: sixties idealism, and seventies cynicism meets Reaganite central America. A film full of passion and righteous anger but still great to watch - Woods is an absolute blast, such energy!

84.375

I was surprised at how good this was considering it has Jim Belushi in it -- it's kind of like a political 'Fear and Loathing in Los Vegas' -- dark yet also quite funny at times. Great performances, good writing, and tightly paced and directed. Thumbs up!!

Stone lays on the swelling music a bit too thick at times and having most of the Salvadorans speak English was weak. You have to respect the size of his balls though for making this at the height of the Reagan era, leading it to be one of his most overlooked films. Woods & Belushi have great asshole chemistry.

85

Belushi and Woods are hard to like, but excellent.

You gotta get close to get to the truth.

For some movies, the measure of how good they are is how badly one does NOT want to see it again....like "Casualties of War," this exceedingly depressing story is told so well, you won't ever want to see it again.

James Woods and James Belushi as American party animals loose in a Central America that's going to hell. This is really something

Stunning.

Stone goes two for two in 1986, delivering a scathing critique of the US involvement in central America in the 80's. Even Jim Belushi gives a wonderful performance and the some of the events really churn your stomach, as they should.