Burn! (1969)

The professional mercenary Sir William Walker instigates a slave revolt on the Caribbean island of Queimada in order to help improve the British sugar trade. Years later he is sent again to... See full summary »

Director:

Gillo Pontecorvo

Writers:

Franco Solinas (story), Giorgio Arlorio (story)

Stars:

Marlon Brando, Evaristo Márquez, Renato Salvatori

3 wins.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Marlon Brando	...	Sir William Walker
Evaristo Márquez	...	José Dolores (as Evaristo Marquez)
Renato Salvatori	...	Teddy Sanchez
Dana Ghia	...	Francesca
Valeria Ferran Wanani	...	Guarina
Giampiero Albertini	...	Henry Thompson
Carlo Palmucci	...	Jack
Norman Hill	...	Shelton
Thomas Lyons
Joseph P. Persaud	...	Juanito
Álvaro Medrano	...	Soldier (as Alvaro Medrano)
Alejandro Obregón	...	Engl. Major (as Alejandro Obregon)
Enrico Cesaretti

Storyline

The professional mercenary Sir William Walker instigates a slave revolt on the Caribbean island of Queimada in order to help improve the British sugar trade. Years later he is sent again to deal with the same rebels that he built up because they have seized too much power that now threatens British sugar interests.

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Plot Keywords:

nudity | sugar | british | rebel | portuguese | 

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Taglines:

The man who sells war. The bloodier the battle - the higher the price. He's going to make a fortune on this one.

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Genres:

Action | Drama

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Certificate:

GP

Details

Country:

Italy France

Language:

Italian Portuguese English

Release Date:

21 October 1970 (USA)

Also Known As:

Burn!

Filming Locations:

Cartagena, Bolívar, Colombia

Company Credits

Production Co:

Produzioni Europee Associati (PEA), Les Productions Artistes Associés

Technical Specs

Runtime:

132 min (restored)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

United Artists rapidly lost faith in this film as the budget spiraled out of control. Much to director Gillo Pontecorvo's horror, it was re-edited by an editor who specialized in putting trailers together.

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Goofs

Looking through his spyglass, Sir William can see Jose Delores up close. Later, when he hands the glass to a British officer the view is much more distant. Spyglasses of that era (1850s) would have had 3X-6x magnification. The extreme close up view would be impossible.

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Quotes

Sir William Walker: Gentlemen, let me ask you a question. Now, my metaphor may seem a trifle impertinent, but I think it's very much to the point. Which do you prefer - or should I say, which do you find more convenient - a wife, or one of these mulatto girls? No, no, please don't misunderstand: I am talking strictly in terms of economics. What is the cost of the product? What is the product yield? The product, in this case, being love - uh, purely physical love, since sentiments obviously play no part in ...
[...]

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Connections

Referenced in Scarface (1983)

User Reviews

A Complex Political Thriller

Albert Oyahon (a previous review) seems to have said it all. This indeed is a deeply complex, gripping and deeply political film. For those who are used to simple moral tales it will seem confusing, uncomfortable even, but for those who relish the complexity of the human condition it is a challenging and thoughtful film. The number of truly outstanding political thrillers can be counted on the fingers of one hand (A Man For All Seasons and Z come to mind) but this ranks amongst the best. With the possible exception of On The Waterfront, it is difficult to think of a film in which Brando gave a better performance. He is outstanding as a complex political manipulator. The film also has qualities that arise only when different cultures (in this case Europe and The Americas) come together. To an intelligent filmgoer I cannot recommend this film too highly.