Despite having limited knowledge regarding the larger backdrop at hand here, seeing as it was never a focal point throughout all of my years of schooling, Stone frames Salvador perfectly.
The buddy-style dynamic between Woods and Belushi gives the film a much needed lighter tone to combat the violent and at times incredibly disturbing imagery. While disturbing, that imagery in question only helps to drive home the notion that the United States will do anything possible to put a stop to communism, even if it means behaving exactly like those they are condemning.
In addition to the violence is Woods who truly delivers an amazing performance. He is a total scumbag here, but a scumbag who rises above the ultimate scum that are the US officials.
If you couldn’t tell I love when a film doesn’t dance around controversy, but rather swan dives right into it, something we desperately lack in today’s world.