SALVADOR

US, 1986, 123 minutes, Colour.
James Woods, James Belushi, Michael Murphy, John Savage.
Directed by Oliver Stone.

Salvador is a powerful drama of events in that country during 1980. It was co-written with Richard Boyle, the journalist protagonist of the film (who does not appear in a very flattering light) and Oliver Stone, the director. Stone's previous writing included Midnight Express, Scarface. He was soon to move to Platoon, Wall Street, Talk Radio, Born on the Fourth of July.

The film was made in Mexico, which stands in well for El Salvador. It shows two Americans, ugly Americans, going to experience El Salvador for extremely mixed motives: James Woods, Oscar-nominated and full of vivacity as usual as Richard Boyle, with woman and child in Salvador contrasting with James Belushi as the ugly American who wanted an easy life, drink and sex. The audience enters with them and suddenly experiences the terror, the fascist regime, the rebels. American foreign policy is presented - most critically. The work of the Catholic church and charity organisations is also presented, especially the sermons of Archbishop Romero and his assassination, as well as the murder of several sisters and a lay missionary in 1980.

The film does not come up with easy answers: the rebels seem to be at times as merciless as those they are fighting against; the American authorities do not welcome Boyle and Maria back to California. The film is open in its search for values. There is an emphasis on humanity.

Many of the scenes are quite striking, a great deal of foul language - which fits in with the atmosphere of the film and its message.

1. Successful drama? Its impact? Dramatising of historical events? Its perspective on history? El Salvador, other countries of Central America? The featuring of American foreign policy - and its applications world-wide?

2. The work of Richard Boyle, co-writing, presenting himself? The work of Oliver Stone? The vigour of the film? A warts-and-all portrait?

3. Opening in San Francisco, locations, California? The contrast with Central America? The beauty, the harshness? Communities and villages? Cities? The mountains and the rebel headquarters? Wealth and poverty? The world of American diplomats and media personnel?

4. The prologue and the credits: the photos and the recapitulation of suffering in El Salvador? Editing and pace? Action and stunt work? The musical score?

5. Audience knowledge of El Salvador, of Central America and the crises in the '70s and '80s? Nicaragua and the Sandanistas? Civil war in El Salvador? The response? Response to Americans and their presence, military aid, advice? The military influence of America, economic, religious? The question of communist presence in Central America?

6. The film as a true story: the presentation of the truth, interpretation of the truth, the perspective?

7. The portrait of Richard Boyle: James Woods' vigorous style and presence? Age 42, his experience in Cambodia (leaving after Sidney Shandberg)? His book 10 years earlier? A wanderer around the world? His unreliability? His fondness for Central America? Maria and the boy? His wife and son in San Francisco and their leaving? Desperate for a job, aggressiveness? His instinct for trouble in El Salvador? The phone call to Doc, getting the money, the car, the arrest, getting out, Doc's dog and its being dead? On the way to Guatemala? To El Salvador?

8. James Woods' interpretation of Boyle: vigour, language and behaviour, referring to himself as a weasel, drink and drugs, womanising, conman, his patter, yet his professional skills as a reporter and photographer?

9. Doc as a San Francisco type, burnt-out disc jockey, love for his dog, lack of money, his talking on the trip, hopes for an easy life in Guatemala? Unprepared for what he found?

10. The reality of El Salvador: the road block, the burning body, forced out of the car, threats to life, fear, the officer, the man shot dead in the street for not having his documents, getting to Major Rodriguez?

11. Settling into Salvador? Boyle and Maria, love, sexual relationship? The boy, the family? At home? Knowing the people? Friendship with Kathy, with John? Doc and their drinking? The women, drugs? The ambiguity of their behaviour? Trouble with the military police - especially the clash with the fascist official, his threatening to shoot, Boyle pretending to plead to photograph him?

12. Awareness of the situation in Salvador: going with John to see the mounds of the dead people, the photos, the effect? Trying to make peace with Maria, the promise to go to confession? His Catholic background, going to confession after 33 years, his estimation of himself? Going to communion? Listening to Archbishop Romero's sermon, experiencing his death, running with Maria? The friendship with Kathy, the deaths of the nuns and Kathy, the graves being dug up? Concern about Carlos, pleading with the authorities, Carlos's death? His response, involvement, aggressiveness towards the government? Wanting to get documents for Maria to leave? His presence at the American embassy, offering help to the military adviser? The photos of the rebels, going with John to the headquarters? Into action, the declaration of war? John and the photographs, his daring, the American plane coming in, his being shot? Boyle taking the photos and wanting to publish them?

13. The presentation of the rebels, the justness of their cause? The fight, in the hills? Their killing their enemies brutally? Boyle's return to the city, wanting to leave, getting the documents, going to the border with Doc, the tension at the border, Doc's phone call to the ambassador, the closeness to being killed? Returning to the United States? Maria and her boy? Being held up by the police in California? Maria taken back? The pathos of this ending?

14. Doc and his experience in Salvador, the ugly American, exploiting the people, yet his fear? Deciding to stay?

15. Ambassador White, his representing the U.S. government? A good man, his experience in Cambodia? Social concern? Military advisers, the State Department? Friendship with Kathy? Meeting the press? The socials in the grounds? The protests? Listening to Boyle? His leaving, the rebels and their attack, the question about cutting off military aid and giving it back? His leaving after helping Boyle? The power of the American ambassador?

16. The military adviser, his attack on communists and the Left? The State Department advisers? The incoming military, considered advisers - and refusing to give their names to the press?

17. The press corps, their knowledge of the country or not? The anchorwoman and her glamour, her questions? The clash with Boyle, Doc putting the LSD in her drink? Ability to see what was going on or not? Fatuous comments? The contrast with John and his skills, his photography, his daring? His work and Boyle publishing his photographs?

18. The picture of the military in Salvador? The fascist commander? Shootings in the street? The portrait of General Max (based on reality)? The death squads and their terror? His dinner, the proposal to kill Archbishop Romero and getting the volunteer? On TV campaigning as a family man? His press conference and adroit deflecting of questions? Boyle's attack on him? His blaming the Left, the arrest of the social worker? Rigged elections? The exercise of power? The support of the United States?

19. The presentation of the rebels, the National Guard? Justice in rebellion? Their own behaviour?

20. The presentation of the Catholic Church and people involved in aid programmes? Kathy and her being a volunteer, the lay missionary, the sisters? Their rape and murder and its brutality? Archbishop Romero, his stances, the content of his sermon? His death? General Max and his partners against this kind of Catholicism (while talking with the crucifix behind them)?

21. The presentation of American foreign policy in 1980, the Reagan- Carter debate, Reagan's words, the applause at the embassy for Reagan? The perspective of five years in reassessing 1980?

22. The picture of Central America in the '70s and '80s? The value of independence and self-government? American presence and motives? American empire? Financial aid? Human aid? Intervention or not? The future of countries like El Salvador?