Brando, in what he claims in his autobiography to be his favorite role, plays adventurer William Walker in a yellow wig and a Mutiny on the Bounty British accent. Filmed by Battle of Algiers director Pontecorvo, Burn! is a savvy Vietnam allegory that’s set among the exploited island workers in a fictional Portuguese colony in the Caribbean. Walker is set in by the British government to foment revolution among the natives in order to wrest control of the sugar trade. This print restores 20 minutes that were cut for the original release, but it’s a mixed blessing since this version – which is the complete original Italian release – dubs over Brando’s vocal stylings in Italian. Still, truly revolutionary-minded movies like Burn! are novelties worth seeking out.
This article appears in July 29 • 2005.