简介：Inthe1830's,theislandofQuemadaintheAntillesisaPortuguesecolony-thatis,untilanEnglishagentprovocateurarrivesandinspirestheblackslavestoriseandexpelthecolonialauthorities.However,asisalwaysthewaywithrevolutions,agroupofmiddle-classpowerbrokersseizespoliticalcontrolandthepeople'saspirationsarebetrayed. Tenyearspass,andthesugarindustrynowrequirespeaceandstabilityonQuemada.Thecontinuingguerillacampaignbythedispossessedblacksisharmingprofits.TheverysameEnglishadventurerisoncemoredespatchedtotheisland,thistimetohuntdownanderadicatetherevolutionarieshecreated. MarlonBrandoplaysSirWilliamWalkerinhisbestFletcherChristianEnglishaccentandablondewigwithalifeofitsown.Hisisathoughtfulperformance,puttingacrossthecomplexityoftheman,acharacterwhoisundoubtedlycynicalandunscrupulous,butwhoisalsoanemotionalmanandsomethingofapoliticalphilosopher.Heiscertainlyeffectiveatwhathedoes. ThedirectionofGilloPontecorvoissomewhaterraticattimes.Therearepointswherethenarrativeisconfused,andthegoldrobberywhichdrivestheplotsomehowgotleftonthecutting-roomfloor.JoseDolores'risetopoweristhemostsignificanteventinthestory,butweseenothingofit.Duringthevoodoocarnival,twooftheparticipantsarewearing20th-centurysoccershorts.Thefilm'scentralpivot,thepassageoftenyearsbetweenWalker'stwovisitstotheisland,ishandledverysketchilybymeansofafewincongruousLondonscenesandavoice-overnarration. Buttherearegoodthings,too.WhenSantiago'swidowhaulsherhusband'sbodyaway,themasonryofthefortstandsasasilentmetaphorofcolonialpower-harsh,overbearingandsterile.Brandohassomefinespeeches,musingonthenatureofpoliticallegitimism.Thefirescenesarevisuallyarresting(thoughitwouldhavesufficedtohavetwoorthreeguerillasbeingshotastheyemergedfromtheburningsugarcane:sevenoreightislabouringthepoint),andWalkerispositivelyluminousagainstthetorturedblackshapesofthecharredforest,showinginsymbolicformthatthismanthrivesonthesufferingoftheblacks,andthatdestructionishisnaturalelement.…