Burn - difficult film

Like other Pontecorvo films, Burn has the feel almost of a documentary at moments, even though set in the 1840s. The narrative is broken and laconic, with an even surlier Marlon Brando than ever taking a stern and unattractive lead. For realism and information about a

period in Caribbean colonial history (the film reflects events of the times) Burn is fascinating and the film does grip, but sometimes feels a bit unearthly and distant from emotion.