film

The great Palestinian-American academic and philosopher Edward Said believed Gillo Pontecorvo's Queimada (1969) to be one of the two best political films ever made, alongside Pontecorvo's previous film, The Battle of Algiers (1965). It's hard to argue with Said's assessment: ss deeply relevant now as it was when it was released, Queimada brilliantly explores themes of colonialism, imperialism, and the moral complexities of revolution.

Also known as Burn!, Queimada stars Marlon Brando as William Walker, a British adventurer and agent sent to the fictional Caribbean island of Queimada to support a slave rebellion against Portuguese colonial rulers and bend the situation to suit British interests. He initially helps the enslaved population to overthrow the Portuguese before installing a British puppet regime that continues to exploit the island. Ennio Morricone's score and cinematography brings out the beauty and brutality of the setting for this compelling narrative.