| Director | Roger Spottiswoode |
|---|---|
| Budget | $9.5 million |
| Box office | $5.7 million |
Russell Price is a photojournalist covering a military conflict in Chad, where he runs into Oates, a mercenary he knows. Russell then returns to his hotel, where he attends a "Bon Voyage" party for his friend Alex Grazier, who is giving up covering foreign conflicts to take a lucrative job as a news anchor in New York. It is revealed that Russell is having an affair with Alex's girlfriend, fellow journalist Claire Stryder. Alex's article about the conflict in Chad is paired with Russell's photography to land a cover story in Time magazine.
The journalists then travel to Nicaragua to join the international press corps covering a conflict between the government of President Somoza and rebels led by Rafael, an underground figure who has never been photographed. Russell is arrested for no legitimate reason and spends a night in jail. He and Claire meet Marcel Jazy, a French spy who is closely connected to Somoza, who tips them off that they might find Rafael in León, even though the press corps believes the fighting is shifting to Masaya.
They go to León and cover an intense rooftop gun battle between rebels and government troops. Russell meets rebels led by Pedro who gives him a baseball to take to Dennis Martinez. After more fighting, Russell again meets Oates, who is now fighting for the Nicaraguan government. Afterwards, Oates shoots Pedro in the back, killing him, but Russell does not reveal Oates' location, in order to avoid picking a side in the conflict.
Claire and Russell attend a press conference where President Somoza announces that Rafael has been killed. They then meet rebels who promise to take them to meet Rafael. Led to a remote rebel stronghold, they realize that Rafael is indeed dead, and the rebels ask Russell to fake a living photo of their leader, believing this will sustain the movement long enough to win a victory. Although conflicted, Claire and Russell agree to help the rebels.
The photo is a success, and Alex comes to Nicaragua to get Russell to arrange an interview with Rafael. Alex learns of Russell's affair with his girlfriend, but does not sever his relationship with the photographer. The two go to find Rafael as the war escalates. They are detained and again meet Oates, who this time is with government troops who are conducting a mass execution. Russell learns from Oates that Jazy has been using him to get photographs of rebel leaders, who are then targeted for assassination.
Alex learns that Rafael is dead and Claire and Russell have violated journalistic ethics. Nevertheless, he agrees to not expose them, and will do a fluff piece on Jazy instead. Russell tries to arrange the interview, but fighting has become even more intense as the government is losing the war. Lost on their way back to the hotel, Alex asks government troops for assistance, but they are paranoid and execute him in the street while Russell takes pictures. Russell then escapes from the troops with the help of a local woman who hides him in her home.
Realizing it will end his regime if it is revealed that government troops killed a famous American journalist, President Somoza reports that rebels killed Alex and troops desperately search for Russell to kill him and destroy the pictures. Russell witnesses rebels killing Jazy. Claire is able to get the negatives back to the hotel, then goes to find Russell.
Russell's photographs are broadcast worldwide and Somoza flees to Miami. With the rebels victorious, Claire and Russell are reunited and leave the country. In the final scene, she asks "Do you think we fell in love with too much?", and he replies "I'd do it again."