"Burn!": A Fictional History of Latin America? Film Review by scribbler
"Burn!": A Fictional History of Latin America?
An analysis of how Gillo Pontecorvo's 1969 film "Burn!" includes themes addressed in the 2001 book "Born in Blood and Fire: A Concise History of Latin America" by John Charles Chasteen.
# 153061
| 861 words
| 0 sources
| 2013
| 
Published
on May 02, 2013
in
Film
(Analysis, Criticism, Etc.)
, Latin-American Studies
(General)
, Literature
(General)
$19.95
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Description:
The paper attempts to demonstrate that while the film "Burn!" fictionalizes the history of Latin America, it does so with keen attention paid to the real-world events that John Charles Chasteen describes in "Born in Blood and Fire: A Concise History of Latin America". The paper highlights both the broad anti-colonial message contained in "Burn!", as well as how it includes the important social, economic, and political issues relevant to Latin America in the 20th century. The paper shows how the film addresses race and the politics of race, the relationship between race, class, gender, and social power, and the fact that the problems that continue to besiege Latin America today can be traced to colonialism.
From the Paper:
"Marlon Brando plays Sir William Walker, a British agent sent to disrupt the island Portuguese colony of Queimada and start a coup. In particular, Walker has been sent to collude with the local African slaves, by establishing an organized but covert rebellion. By supporting the rebels, the British government will then establish a sympathetic political power on Queimada. The British government is deliberately manipulating the local people, and especially the slaves, to achieve their own greedy goals. Far from being interested in the liberation of the slaves from colonial rule, the British government merely wants to shift the base of power on the island from Portuguese control to British control so that Great Britain will control Queimada's rich reserves of sugar cane. Of course, Sir William Walker can only garner the support and trust of the slaves by convincing them that it is in their best interest to start the rebellion with the support of the British; the agent tells the slaves that they are fighting for their freedom and the British are on their side."Viewers who are familiar with Latin American history will see in the fictional Queimada many real world examples of Latin American countries and people manipulated by European powers as well as the United States. After all, the United States during the Reagan administration intervened in a number of Latin American nations as well as nations elsewhere like the Middle East."
Cite this Film Review:
APA Format
"Burn!": A Fictional History of Latin America? (2013, May 02)
Retrieved March 24, 2023, from https://www.academon.com/film-review/burn-a-fictional-history-of-latin-america-153061/
MLA Format
""Burn!": A Fictional History of Latin America?" 02 May 2013.
Web. 24 March. 2023. <https://www.academon.com/film-review/burn-a-fictional-history-of-latin-america-153061/>