[6]
Nick Nolte and Joanna Cassidy star as journalists in Nicaragua in the late 1970s when the Sandinista Liberation Front overthrew the brutal Somoza dictatorship. They cover both sides of the civil war, interviewing and photographing both the sitting president and the leader of the rebellion. But when the government’s bloodshed and brutality become too much for them, they cast aside their ethical impartiality and secretly help the Sandinistas. This leads to a conflict with their boss, played by Gene Hackman, who also serves as the third point in a subdued love triangle. It also leads to a life-threatening third act, when Somoza’s crumbling army kills one of the three leads and sets its sights on the remaining two.
Under Fire is co-written by Ron Shelton (Bull Durham, Tin Cup) and directed by Roger Spottiswoode (Tomorrow Never Dies, Air America), which is a bit of an unusual pedigree since the film is neither a Shelton comedy nor a Spottiswood actioner. Even the romance is heavily muted, stripping the film of any genre trappings whatsoever. As a straight-forward, deliberately un-stylized drama, Under Fire is the kind of movie Hollywood doesn’t make anymore. If you’re willing to invest in the story’s unfolding politics, the film gets more absorbing as it goes, with occasional moments of suspense or surprise. The characters aren’t terribly three-dimensional, but the film does posit some interesting questions that are still relevant today. Should journalists be neutral when covering the news? And to what extent should America involve itself in other countries’ problems?
Jean-Louise Trintignant plays the most interesting supporting character, a duplicitous French spy who plays both sides of the war just like the American journalists do. Ed Harris is memorable as an old friend of Nolte’s who turns out to be a cold-hearted American mercenary who executes insurgents for the government. Jerry Goldsmith gives the film needed momentum with a score featuring solo guitar, Andean flutes, and synthesizers.
Oscar Nomination: Best Score (Jerry Goldsmith)