MovieChat Forums > Under Fire (1983) Discussion > Wow, this movie rocks!

Wow, this movie rocks!


I'm a photographer myself and must say I think photographers who risk their lives to record what is happening around the world deserves recognition.
This is a good film and I would also recomend Salvador by Stone.

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The '80s had a string of good movies about journalists in war-torn countries risking their lives for the truth. In case you haven't seen them, I also recommend The Killing Fields, The Year of Living Dangerously and Cry Freedom.

This world is a comedy to those that think, a tragedy to those that feel.

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By 2011, almost 30 years later, not many movies like these are being made. I've seen this film several times, and it never gets old.

The actors were terrific, the photography awesome, and the Mexican locations looked authentic.

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Admittedly, a lot has changed in the media since the '80s; in the entire Western civilization, in fact. I think the media are less concerned with the truth than promoting the interests of the economic groups that own them. A few decades ago the media were owned by a larger group of people. Today it's concentrated in fewer groups. There's less investigative journalist, and the media rely more on press releases from things like the Pentagon, the White House and official groups rather than going to the field and investigate on their own.

So movies can no longer reflect such a reality.

This world is a comedy to those that think, a tragedy to those that feel.

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they tried to spin this into a liberal .poor farmers being persecuted *beep* movie. I had to laugh at the stupid acting. They are there on some humanitarian journey to save someone or" get the real story" behind the Communist,socialist overthrow of the government. The liberal scumbag Hollywood crowd thought it was politically correct and romantic to have photographers in danger,. This is phony Hollywood at its worst. Incidentally I just left Nicaragua a couple days ago. and life there is worse economically then it was 20 years ago. Eveyone hates the Sandinista and Ortega. If you don;t believe me take a trip down there. Everybody that can escape to Miami or Costa Rica Do . They are the lucky ones .Hey it's all about the economics. They see people making monies over in Costa Rica. and Miami .The clubs,the music. the nightlife.They don;t want the socialist comrade *beep* doesn;t work.OH by the way in Nicaragua you have to shut down the muscic at 11:00 Pm. no clubing no after hour drinking no dancing. The old Communist ,socialist doctrine.

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Your knowledge of Nicaraguan history, is a bit shaky.

This movie is inspired by real-life events, namely the murder of ABC journalist Bill Stewart, who was covering the rebels' conflict against the dictator Somoza; although Somoza was a US ally, even President Jimmy Carter felt the need to come on TV and condemn his murder:

http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=32505#axzz1o9khDa31

So much for spin.

Also, what do you mean by 20 years ago? If you mean, life was better during Somoza's regime, I think you got the dates wrong; he was overthrown more than 30 years ago. And it's of course sad anyone could claim living in a dictatorship is better than not living in one. But let's assume you really mean 20 years: that's 1992. Well, in 1992, the country was ruled by right-wing President Violeta Chamorro, who won the elections in 1990. The Nicaraguan people, however, mustn't have been very impressed with her because she lost the elections in 1996 to another right-wing president, who in turn lost the elections in 2001 to yet another right-wing president. The Sandinistas may not be perfect, but it doesn't look like the Nicaraguans think very highly of their other options. I wish them luck, though.

This world is a comedy to those that think, a tragedy to those that feel.

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Forget about 20 years ago. I just left Nicaragua .its a low income ,low class destination. there is not much investment going down in Nicaragua. or do you want to spin that too. Liberals ,always have this stupid view of events.It looks like there making the same mistakes over and over.Of course your here to defend the scumbag Sandinista's. Well don;t be talking to loud if you go down there ,you might not like what you hear.Don;t go by this stupid movie. go down there and ask. Anyone can talk about the romantic *beep* about photographers seeking justice and the truth. Thats why there steaming accross the Costa Rican border to get away. Please don;t waste my time. I am not in high school or some debating team. Also I don't need History lessons from you.

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Well, you're the one who brought up the 20 years ago thing. Don't blame me for trying to be rigorous.

I'm not going by this movie. I'm talking about facts. It's a fact there was a dictatorship. It's a fact an American journalist was murdered by Somoza's troops. It's not liberal spin.

As for what's going on in Nicaragua at the moment, I don't know, I don't live there, I just have facts; it's a fact Ortega has been elected again. I'll concede he may be a scumbag, but then why does he keep getting elected? Why did three non-Sandinista governments elected before him change things? Why did people lose confidence in them? Why did they return to Ortega? I think those are questions worth asking and thinking about.

This world is a comedy to those that think, a tragedy to those that feel.

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gene hackman delivers the goods!



A day without sunshine is like, you know, night.

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