Under Fire

"Under Fire" is a war movie, but the real tension doesn't come until the third act. Right in the middle of a lull, BAM! a major character is killed. Which is actually more sad than suspenseful, even though it happens in an action scene. I just thought that was unusual. Most of the gunfire up until that point is just used to set the atmosphere (and the movie does a great job of that), and lay out thee conditions of the environment . . . which are less than ideal,to say the least. Ultimately, this is a movie that rests on its three central characters (and the solid casting choices thereof). They do a great job conveying the cynicism of news people who deal in this bloodshed for a living. 6/10

Leftists as far as the eye can see collaborate on a clichèd thriller with cartoon usa bad guys, syrupy-sweet rebels, little reality in sight. Not much more than a sandanista recruitment film.

It's 1979. In Chad, war photographer Russell Price (Nick Nolte) meets American mercenary Oates (Ed Harris). Next he goes to Nicaragua which has been under various dictatorships for 50 years. Along with fellow reporters Alex Grazier (Gene Hackman) and Claire (Joanna Cassidy), he tries to capture the civil war to overthrow President Anastasio "Tacho" Somoza. They form a love triangle in the war zone. Russell and Claire are befriended by the rebels FSLN and brought back to their camp. They need Russell to take a picture of their dead leader Rafael to trick the world with a proof of life. All three lead as well as Ed Harris are near perfect. I love the war reporter club scene and the irreverent comradery. The murky world and the easy brutality are well presented. The locations are terrific and realistic. It's well made with great acting.

This is Nick Nolte at his best in a first rate romantic thriller. Set in Nicaragua but filmed in Mexico, Under Fire captures the look and feel of revolutionary Central America, easily drawing the viewer into the horror of life under the Somosa puppet regime. If you liked "Under Fire" check-out "Salvador" or "Romero" for the same gritty realism -- these are 3-movies that cause one to think and to question.

A sophisticated film with more than one level, while its sympathies obviously tend to lie with the Sandinistas, it also has the message that in war there are no moral absolutes, and raises some interesting dilemmas. Its portrayal of violence is brutally convincing without being gratuitously gory. One possible flaw in Nolte's character is that it's hard to believe that a man apparently given to fairly regular reckless behaviour would have lasted so long hanging around in war zones.

If you want a documentary about the Sandinista's, go watch a documentary. If you want a thrilling love-story set around a fast-paced, intelligent script about people who want to do the best they can under difficult circumstances, then this is the film for you. Good acting, superb music, a good use of locations and atmospheres. This must be one of Nolte's best performances. Of course Rafael did not exist, but this is a movie, not a portrayal of real facts. The story works perfectly in this movie, and that is what's important. If you're looking for a flick that entertains, touches you without being too sentimental, and you like some action, then Under Fire is certainly worth seeing.