Review of Burn! (1969)

Here's an interesting concept for a film : an Italian-French production about a fictional Portuguese colony in the caribbean starring Marlon Brando as an Englishman. Throw in a haunting score by Ennio Morricone and you've got Queimada, also known as Burn! outside Italy. Brando plays a British agent, very loosley based on American William Walker, who along with first time Columbian actor Evaristo Márquez as José Dolores, a resistance fighter, overthrow the Portuguese rule so the Brits can control the island to "put sugar in their tea". Brando disliked working with Pontecorvo, but his excellent performance is not undermined by this and Pontecorvo crafts scenes of visual power. The ending is slightly bizzare, but this is still a compelling tale. A forgotten classic that deserves to be seen.

4/5