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 & 1 nomination.

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
Turam Quibo	...	Juanito (as Joseph P. Persaud)
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:

sugar | british | rebel | portuguese | island | 

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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 Associate (PEA), Les Productions Artistes Associés

Technical Specs

Runtime:

132 min (restored) 108 min (DVD)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film's original title was "Quemada" (the spanish word for "burnt"), as the action took place in a Spanish colony. When the Spanish government officially complained and threatened a boycott of the film (objecting to the script's supposedly anti-Spanish bias), Gillo Pontecorvo agreed to alter the setting to a Portuguese island, and the release title became "Queimada" ("burnt" in Portuguese).

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Goofs

Portugal never had any colonies in the Caribbean. Its only American colony, Brazil, has no coast in the Caribbean.

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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 In the Jungle: The making of Cannibal Holocaust (2003)

User Reviews

"If a man gives you freedom, it is not freedom. Freedom is something you take for yourself."

Marlon Brando's involvement in the making of "Burn" came about directly as the result of his politician idealism and his desire to make films with a comment on the human situation… In 1968 he was deeply concerned in supporting civil rights causes, particularly those to have reference to black and Indian conditions, and, according to his friends, he was greatly disturbed and depressed by the assassination of Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King…

"Burn" begins in 1845 as Sir William Walker (Brando) arrives on the island of Queimada, truly as far as can be judged as a harmless traveler but actually an agent of the British government ordered to incite a revolution that will shatter the Portuguese control on the island and permit the British to put their hand on the valuable sugar-cane total product… Queimada has a population of two hundred thousand, of whom only five thousand are Europeans…The main town is a well-protected port with a fort and a garrison, a governor's palace, a cathedral, a bank, a hotel and a brothel…

The English gentleman recognizes he must play the part of a political Pygmalion… He looks around for a suitable subject to train as a revolutionary and he selects José Dolores (Evaristo Marquez), a large, handsome black dock-worker with an air of confidence… Walker also recruits Teddy Sanchez (Renato Salvatori), an almost-white clerk with political ambitions… Walker persuades José Dolores to steal the bank of the island, and once he does, Walker reveals his name to the government, thereby turning Dolores into a hunted bandit… The ingenious Walker then teaches Dolores and his followers in the use of firearms and gradually absorbs in them ideas and feelings to overthrow the Portuguese government…

The film is quite obviously political in tone, and is a passionate piece of propaganda in the anti-colonial struggle… Brando's interpretation of Sir William Walker is apt to call up memories of his Fletcher Christian… This is another Englishman, whose gentle speech and soft manners disguise with courage and determination…Walker is not a villain but a cold, inflexible pragmatist with a hard work to accomplish…