Under Fire [DVD]

Nick Nolty played an excellent character as a journalist in a war torn country. The cinematography amazing well thought out movie. I’d watch it again. A lot of good actors in a war that hurt more people then we probably knew about. I would recommend it if you’d like to see a bit of history in the making of this film. I don’t wanna give anything away except to recommend watching it. Pretty violent so be warned.

A window into the murders that took place by fascist leader Anastasio Somoza and his order-following henchmen as seen through the fictional eyes of a US photo journalist and his press "associates" (lover, friend and husband of lover). This is a fictional account no doubt of ABC journalist Bill Stewart who was murdered in 1979 by the Contras in Nicaragua.I would give it five stars if it weren't for the fact that the CIA's role in Nicaragua is downplayed magnificently. There is one lone confirmed French "spy" but the CIA is never really mentioned once (I may have missed it if it was). So what was the CIA's role in this conflict? Not only did they supply guns etc to the Contras but they funded their gifts by running drugs into south LA (and later other parts of the US) in what was the worst drug epidemic in US history. That's right, the crack epidemic. Anyone who wants to read about that should pick up  Dark Alliance: The CIA, the Contras, and the Crack Cocaine Explosion  while you still can. You will see that not only was the CIA responsible for millions of deaths, tragedies, trauma, bloodshed etc etc etc, but the Reagan white house was TOTALLY complicit in ALL OF IT. "Just say no" my frickin behind. Let all of you blind, naive Reagan "patriots" ("oh, he was such a great president bla bla bla duh.") read that book and tell me he was a "patriot." Go ahead, I dare ya.I'm getting off point a little ha ha ha. Not really. This is a pretty good movie and Nick Nolte, Gene Hackjob, Joanne Cassidy and Ed Harris (the quintessential merc/psychopath/murderer) turned in great performances. Even though they probably knew they weren't telling the whole story. Hey, it's payday in Holly Wood, right?

Excellent cinematography. Have followed Nick Nolte since "Rich Man, Poor Man". His performance doesn't disappoint. Hackman is his excellent self. Although categorized as fictional the portrayal of political strife and damning results rings true. Worth the watch .

I liked the movie, the scenes photographed, and the music. Nick Nolte had to choose between ethical photo journalism (taking a picture to show a lie or not taking the picture to follow ethical photo journalism) and choosing a side in the war. He choose to chose a side. Another point I noticed in the movie is that photo journalists can seem very insensitive to what is going on around them; they're just concerned on getting a "fantastic" picture that could win them a prize (prestigious and/or monetary prize) and/or enhance their career. They sometimes forget that they are not immune to what is going on around them (they can be shot too, just like anyone else).The French spy Jazy made a good point just before he was shot mentioning the country would become Marxist after the tyrant Somoza was defeated and replaced with a Marxist tyrant (he didn't say it in exactly those words, but that's what he meant). He was right. Nicaragua is not better off now than it was before Somoza was replaced.It is Communist and in a worst state than before. One tryant was replaced with another.

With this movie the picture looks great and sounds fine. The first copy would not work on any of the blueray four players used and the second disk only seemed to work on one of the blueray players tested. Not sure if it's a firmware issue or the disk itself. It's really a shame because they should work no matter the player used. But Dad loves this movie.

Not really a political thriller as such so much as a somewhat ham fisted film about a propaganda plot involving a journalist. The film's promo said it looked at a historic event in Central America at the time, but like all feature films this one is more or less an examination of a criminal plot the challenges (or breaks) a reporter's ethics.I remember the hype for the film when it was first marketed, including a story about how Nick Nolte checked the rifles for the Mexican Army who were standing in for the Nicaraguans, and allegedly found real ammo instead of blanks. I say allegedly because there are lots of stories bandied about. Some of it is for ego stroking, some of it is just for the sake of making up stories, but a lot of it is to keep the double-dealing veneer that is the Hollywood film industry. The idea being to drive away "honest" people to keep the sociologist and social psychologists in control to crank out forward thinking media. How tiresome.So it is that you have two edgy yet WASPY photo journalists taking on scum bag mercenaries, two-faced politicos, the occasional spy, drug gangs, and guerillas.My issue with these kinds of films (other than my dislike of all movies) is that you don't get any kind of perspective on what happened in Nicaraqua, Panama, or any other troubled area in central and south America. You just get a visual interpretation and emotional vibe that's not based on anything. It's a movie where you're supposed to feel for the journalists, but I really can't say that I sympathized for anyone in this film, but a lot of that is my dislike for movies in the first place.Sidenote here, I was actually looking for another similar film about two guys who drive down to either Central or South America, and are witness to another junta from another group in another country. And I thought it starred Nick Nolte. Well, I was wrong, so the search continues. But this film, in spite of my gripes with it, is technically well put together. My real key issue with this film is that it just strikes me as being wholly implausible, and as such is offered to the movie going audience to see if they recognize anything of that ilk, which is kind of what movies are all about these days.It's not a horrible film, but if you understand the agenda's for all films, then this one should leave a sour taste in your mouth. Still, if you like Col War era politics and military films that don't have a lot of war in them, then check this one out.

This is a very fine film with excellent performances from the three leads. Cassidy should have had a much more high profile career after this film, which combines drama, politics, war, and romance in a realistic manner, all to the strains of Jerry Goldsmith's masterful score. Transfer looks great, but the isolated music and effects track from the Twilight Time Blu ray release is missing.

A great film that deserves much more popularity. The plot partially inspired Oliver Stone's Salvador (made few years after), but I think Under fire is better than that.It's the perfect mix of compelling action, focus on characters and political commitment. Without sounding too politically-oriented, it's a clear, courageous and narrative report of what happened there and then, and it clearly shows the rtights behind rebellion and the wrongs behind US support to dictatorship.All thanks to a remarkable team work of the whole cast (Gene Hackman, Nick NOlte and Joanna Cassidy at their best, and a very unsettling and double faced Ed Harris), of the screenwriters (one of them is Ron Shelton, who specialized in sport movies) and Roger Spottiswoode, ex Sam Peckinpah's editor (and you can tell by the fantastic editing style and the ability to put together intimate situations, political dialogue and documentarian war-scenes). A must have. Blu ray edition is available now: buy that

Under Fire tells the story of how an American TV journalist (Hackman) and two American photographers (Nolte and Cassidy) get caught up in a revolution, initially as impartial witnesses and then who get deeply drawn into it and become part of the revolution when one of the photographers starts to sympathise with the rebels and agrees to take a picture of a dead guerilla leader who is propped up in front of the camera in an attempt to disprove the claim of government forces that they had killed him. The TV journalist is shot at point blank range by government militia, this is witnessed and photographed and the picture is smuggled out the country to implicate the government in murder in the eyes of the American public and to elicit support for the rebels.The acting is uniformally superb, particularly Nolte who has never been better and the reconstruction of a country in revolutionary chaos and confusion is utterly convincing. It grips you from the start and never lets go and in the end you side with the rebels and hope that the revolution succeeds. It is exciting, compelling, thoughtful and also a really great action movie.David Rowland

Not seen for many years, I had forgotten just how good this film is. When he was on form Nolte was a powerful prescence and dominates the film. He is well supported by Joanna Cassidy, who has seldom looked or acted better. Hackman is basically in a support role but delivers another of his scene stealing performences. Talking of Scene Stealers.. Ed Harris..brilliant as a playing both sides mercenary, and Richard Masur as a rather slimy Presidential advisor. Roger Spottiswoode directs with real pace and vigour, and whilst it is 2 hours long it feels like One! Excellent print. Excellent film. (Read other reviewers for the plot if you don't know it!)

This film is a hidden gem very good story pity Gene Hackman was killed off, Nick Nolte was very good and the story was interesting.