7.4 | / 10 |
Users | 4.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
A sleazy, boozing journalist decides to go to Central America and cover the war there, but finds himself in a more dangerous situation than he ever expected.
Starring: James Woods, Jim Belushi, Michael Murphy (I), John Savage, Elpidia CarrilloWar | 100% |
Biography | 46% |
Thriller | Insignificant |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.84:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 2.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 0.5 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Filmmaker Oliver Stone seemed to appear out of nowhere -- a child of Vietnam and gritty '70s cinema -- and, with Salvador in 1986, began carving a path through Hollywood that would earn him an equal-parts enviable and insurmountable reputation as a fearless, ceaselessly controversial provocateur. What would follow was an era in which Stone was frequently labeled one of Hollywood's "It" directors and, simultaneously, one of its bad-boy filmmakers; a visionary and vigilante, using subsequent movies to preach, politicize and to fight the good fight in his corner of the culture wars. How successful he's been in his higher pursuits is entirely up for debate. What isn't up for debate is that Stone capitalized on his views of the world stage and created a series of stunning films, some more hit or miss than others, but almost every one impossible to avoid and even more impossible to ignore. Salvador was an early outing that hinted at what the notorious JFK wunderkind would later become, and remains a film that's almost as relevant and insightful today as it was some forty years ago.
Salvador's 1080p/AVC-encoded transfer features a dated, problematic presentation (circa 2014, possibly earlier) that cries out for a new remaster or, better yet, a full restoration of the film's source elements. Grain is present but has largely been subdued to the point of nearly being wiped away; the product of an overbearing digital clean-up effort that, sadly, inadvertently has resulted in a noticeable loss of fine detail. Textures are too smooth and soupy, edges are prone to haloing, and even close-ups bear the telltale signs of de-graining and artificial sharpening. (Enlarge the accompanying screenshots to immediately begin seeing clear examples of all of it.) The transfer isn't a complete loss. The almost forty-year-old film could certainly look much worse, and it doesn't quite fall to the depths of despair of an upscaled DVD. Almost, frankly, but not quite. There isn't anything in the way of artifacting or banding, although far too many print specks have survived the grain swab and pop up in scene after scene. It all amounts to a disappointment, particularly when the 2020s have brought us such miraculous rejuvenations of classic films. Ah well. Colors are striking enough I suppose, contrast infuses life into the image, black levels are (more often than not) deep and inky, and skintones are warm and lifelike. Here's hoping someone acquires Salvador in the near future and ponies up for a proper restoration; grit, grime, grain and all.
The film's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track is substantially more satisfying than its video presentation, despite the fact that Salvador features the tried-and-true au naturel sound design of a low-budget '80s war drama filmed in a central American locale (in this case Morelos, Mexico). Lightweight effects have a slight tinniness to them; a canned, hollow sound-stage tone that, for better or worse, is par for the course. Otherwise there isn't much to complain about. Dialogue is clear and intelligible, even when violence erupts or chaos and confusion ensue. Conversations have the air of in-the-field documentary audio, but rarely to the film's detriment and often to its advantage, enhancing the realism and seeming spontaneity of key scenes. Low-end output is solid, lending welcome weight to explosions, gunfire and the like, and the rear speakers expand the war into every edge of the soundfield, creating a fairly immersive experience (particularly when Boyle and his companions are outdoors). Environmental ambience and convincing directional effects pair with smooth channel pans and the aforementioned LFE strength to rise above the mid-80s norm and impress.
While the out-of-print 2014 Screen Archives Entertainment exclusive edition release of Salvador offered numerous extras (a director's audio commentary, an hour-long production documentary, a half hour of deleted scenes, and more), the 2023 Sandpiper Blu-ray provides us with a mere theatrical trailer (in SD to boot).
Salvador is an early Oliver Stone outing worth watching, even if the filmmaker is still cutting his teeth and honing his craft. Woods and Belushi are excellent, the story is often quite gripping, and only a wobbly, hurried middle proves detrimental and distracting. Unfortunately, far more distractions await those being introduced to the film via Sandpiper's Blu-ray release. The disappointment of seeing an outdated, mediocre video transfer is exacerbated further by the disc's complete lack of substantial extras (despite previous releases offering a good bit of content), and the only highlight is Salvador's lossless audio. This is probably as best as we're likely to get for some time, but still. Bring on a proper restoration so we can finally see Savlador as it was meant to be seen.
(Still not reliable for this title)
1983
20th Anniversary Edition
2004
2015
1964
1970
Limited Edition to 3000 - SOLD OUT
1993
2005
1964
1982
2011
2007
2008
Collector's Edition
1984
2018
1983
Warner Archive Collection
1939
2011
2008
1980
2006