White Man's Burden | 
| Director: Desmond Nakano
Actors: John Travolta, Harry Belafonte, Kelly Lynch, Margaret Avery, Tom Bower
Studio: Hbo Home Video
Category: DVD
List Price: $9.98
Buy Used: $2.93
You Save: $7.05 (71%)
New (2) Used (20) from $2.93
Rating:  29 reviews
Sales Rank: 16122
Format: Ac-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dvd, Hifi Sound, Letterboxed, Widescreen, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), Spanish (Original Language), English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), French (Subtitled)
Rating: R (Restricted)
Region: 0
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
DVD Layers: 1
DVD Sides: 1
Picture Format: Letterbox
Number Of Discs: 1
Running Time: 89 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.3 x 0.6
ISBN: 0783115008
UPC: 026359128929
EAN: 9780783115009
ASIN: 0783115008
Theatrical Release Date: December 1, 1995
Release Date: May 11, 1999
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
| |
| Similar Items:
|
| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
From the producer of "Pulp Fiction" --set in a time where color roles have been reversed John Travolta is Louis Pinnock--a poor man struggling to keep his wife and children fed and clothed. But when he loses his job Pinnock snaps and decides to fight back the only way he knows how. With nothing left to lose Pinnock decides to take the system by taking on the factory owner. But the fight he will have to finish may cost him more than job was ever worth . WHITE MAN's BURDEN will change the way you see the world forever.Running Time: 89 min.System Requirements:Starring: John Travolta Harry Belafonte Tom Bower Margaret Avery and Kelly Lynch. Directed By: Desmond Nakano. Running Time: 89 Min. Color. This film is presented in "Standard" format. Copyright 2000 Warner Home Video.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA Rating: R UPC: 026359128929
Amazon.com
The premise is interesting, but the execution fails to live up to any of its potential. White Man's Burden imagines an America where black people are the ruling class and whites are underprivileged minorities. John Travolta stars as a factory worker who is fired after making a delivery to the house of the factory owner (Harry Belafonte) and accidentally peeping the man's naked wife through a window. Now jobless and unable to support his family, his wife (Kelly Lynch) leaves him. In desperation he kidnaps Belafonte. The best part of the film is seeing African American actors filling the smaller, background roles that usually go to white actors (such as police officers and wealthy suburbanites), but the movie fails in its poorly thought-out ideas. Transposing the characters' skin color out of the thinly veiled metaphor, John Travolta's portrayal of the poor black man as violent and uneducated (but family oriented), combined with Belafonte's rich white man as just and compassionate (and also family oriented), borders on being truly offensive. The fact that it's helmed by an Asian American director, Desmond Nakano, only makes you wonder why Asian Americans are conspicuously absent (as are Hispanics) and where the heck they would fit into this world, anyway. --Andy Spletzer
|
| Customer Reviews: Read 24 more reviews...
 Great concept, so-so delivery May 9, 2009
T-Man (Virginia Beach, VA)
Speaking as a white person, I was quite taken by many aspects of "White Man's Burden", a film about an alternate, contemporary America (as far as 1995 is concerned) where White and Black people have switched roles in society.
I do not think the director was trying to make this film to "show Whites how it feels" nor to "show Blacks their own faults". I think he was simply making this film to say, "What would it look like?"
With that question asked, it is clear that the director put much more thought into the background, themes, and imagery, rather than the actual plot. I have to admit, as a white person I was quite struck to see the typical background roles of peaceful joggers, drivers (in nice cars), and wealthy suburbanites filled by Blacks rather than the usual Whites. It was the first time where I actually asked myself how it made Black people feel, usually seeing White people in those roles.
The boy who plays John Travolta's son cannot find anyone who looks like him on TV (unless they are being reported as a suspect in a crime, or fill the roles on sit-coms as lazy wise-crackers). When the boy wants a toy for his birthday, he chooses the more expensive black action figure, rather than the white one (a reference to the real-life doll test in which black children wanted the white doll, and felt the black doll was ugly and "bad"), which speaks to racial self-esteem.
Another reversal of roles is found in the inner city, which in this movie, is inhabited by whites, some who exhibit the stereotypes of "white trash" or white leather-and-chain-clad punks. It's crime-ridden, many are homeless, and a lot of them either have low self-esteem and they feel very angry about the way they feel they are treated by the black aristocracy. The black police assume guilt and even mistake Travolta's character for a similar looking white suspect, and beat him severely for it. At a charity event fashion show, young little white kids are paraded in front of a crowd of wealthy blacks, as they are thanked for their charity to "inner city communities". That part of the movie definitely struck a cord in me, as it seemed almost degrading to have to receive charity like that, knowing that there were white folks who couldn't take care of those kids, and then parade them around like, "look at these poor children".
As far as the plot, acting, and characters go, well, eek. Harry Belafonte definitely was not the charismatic guy I knew in every day public life. Throughout the whole film, he seemed to almost have a smile on his face, even as John Travolta was car-jacking and kidnapping him. His line delivery has no emotion. John Travolta was basically doing Black Face, just without any black make up. Travolta plays an angry, violent man in this film (once he gets fired and things go bad for him), reinforcing stereotypes about black men. Perhaps, the director was trying to show what being in the underclass does to you, but that is definitely something that could make this film controversial (if it ever did get popular enough). I found it quite unrealistic that Belafonte, in this movie, being a racist, all of a sudden develops some compassion for white people when he is kidnapped by Travolta, offering his family money at the end of the movie. A bit of a leap there for the director.
All in all, I think this film can actually do some good for talking about race and race relations in America.
 Main source of racism missed in "White Man's Burden" December 9, 2007
Robert A. Spriggs (Oakland, Calif.)
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
In a racial role reversal parody, White Man's Burden does a fair job of illustrating the overt, socioeconomic disparity racism creates. It fails, however, to explore the roots of self-hatred, which extends beyond any socio-economic considerations. Taking a hypothetic which could have been included in the production: Imagine John Travolta's character walking into a church with his family. After having taken their seats, they notice all of the imagery including angels and saints adorning the stain-glassed windows, are pure African black. Similarly, a wooly-haired dark Jesus is shown on the cross at the church's alter. Later while looking through a Christian publication, only similar uni-racial imagery appears. While at home watching an excerpt of "The Ten Commandments", the family notices the cast is entirely black, with Sidney Poitier playing the role of Moses. The point being, racism starts at the top.
Uni-racial imagery gives implied "divine license" to those who best fit into that category. Those who don't, are subjected to a gradual, insidious erosion of esteem. This could have been a powerful point made in "White Man's Burden" if only those in control of production had the vision or courage to pursue it.
 One of Travolta's better performances October 21, 2006
Mark Steiner (Milwaukee)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This movie is really good in that it deals with prejudice and injustice in a more realistic way. Except that here we find whites as the downtrodden race. The performances are exellent by everybody, and this movie gives Travolta a chance to show his talents for a role with more substance to it - something we don't see him do in all his films. A rare treat, this film.
about the movie White Man's Burden........ June 21, 2006
Ang Poon Kah (Singapore)
0 out of 8 found this review helpful
This DVD film/movie is sold at Singapore videoshops and I manged to grab one copy....hee hee...I have watched it and the story is about a waetern losing his job in a nigerian company that manufacture chocolate. The problem is that a rich man whom is a nigerian complained to his comapng saying that he peeped at his wife which caused him to get fired. He later kidnapped the rich nigerian and asked for money but vould not get it due to them reaching the bank too late. The rich man is with the western and at the end of the film story, the western was shot by police which the police thought that he is a wanted man whom create trouble around the area. He actually shoot at cars and nearby shops to cause alerm to goes off so that someone could save the rich man's life due to him having heart attack. The rich man got well and went over to the western man's wife house and decide to give her sum of money which he claims the western man owe him. His wife rehected the offer and he went off. His kid is waiting for him but didn't get to see him and the story ended. The story tell people about the hard luck life of this western guy whom in the end die for nothing whom has some good heart to alert surrounding people that the rich nigerian man is having heart attack.Recommended to those whom are interested in this genre of DVD film/movie....
Review by:
(Dr)Ang Poon Kah
Rogue University Professor certificate.
PhD (Prof) in political science from Cambridge University and NUS.
PhD (Prof) in Neuroscience from Cambridge University and NUS.
PhD (Prof) in Technology from Cambridge University and NUS.
PhD (Prof) in Security System from Cambridge University and NUS
PhD (Prof) in Computer from Cambridge University and NUS.
PhD (Prof) in film from Cambridge University and NUS.
PhD (Prof) in Business from Cambridge University and NUS.
PhD (Prof) in Electronics Engineering from Cambridge University and NUS.
Bachelor degree in computer studies from Techco University
Imagine entertainment for film/movie the Da Vinci Code.
Zakkers film director
 On The Outside Looking In May 23, 2006
L. Shirley (fountain valley, ca United States)
7 out of 7 found this review helpful
This review refers to "White Man's Burden"(VHS)...
Fresh off his success as a take no prisoners hitman, in "Pulp Fiction", John Travolta steps into the shoes of another man with a gun, Louis Pinnock. Louis is your everyday factory worker, living from pay check to pay check to support his family. He lives in the inner-city, and hopes to someday get just a little ahead, so he can move his family to a quieter, safer place. He's about to have a really bad week!
Volunteering to run an errand, delivering a package to factory owner Thaddius Thomas (Harry Belafonte), Louis has the unfortunate timing to glance Belafonte's wife as she undresses, and worse, Thomas sees him. The next thing we know,circumstances go from bad to worse. Louis is out of a job, a home and his mind. Blaming his boss, he feels he is "owed" what he lost,and becomes a desperate man.He kidnaps Belafonte, from his very upscale home and car at gunpoint.
This film is a real eye-opener. You may think you understand what it is like for inner-city, black families(or any minority group)and feel empathetic, but this is a film that will really make you sit up and take notice.
The roles are reversed.Travolta's character and his family are treated very much like second or third class citizens.Police automatically assume guilt, and take whatever means they want to make an arrest. The inner-city is mostly inhabited by whites, and is portrayed as crime infested neighborhoods. A little white boy is watching TV, as he flips through the channels, almost every program and commercial are black actors. The little boy wants a super hero action toy for his birthday. The super hero is black and more expensive then the white side kick, but the little boy wont settle for less.An elegant fashion show is put on by the very wealthy. It is to benefit the inner-city kids. The kids are showcased at the end... they are all white... the audience dressed to the nines, all black.
The film doesn't completely say everything is either black or white. It shows there is good and bad in every walk of life,has a sprinkling of whites in jobs that yield some power, but gives a good look at what many people must endure as human beings in day-to day life. It's not just about color..it's about the nature of man. How will Belafonte's character react, when he becomes desperate to escape his situation as well? Does it matter what color you are when faced with adversity?
The cast really became the characters they portrayed. Travolta and Belafonte were excellent. A young Andrew Lawrence, Magaret Avery(The Color Purple)and Tom bower add their talents as well.Even the angry gang members, played by stunt guys including Tony Zeller were very believable. A film for times you may want a little more substance then just entertainment.
It is a film that will make you think.It is a film that has something to say. It says it well, but it is probably not one that would stand up to repeated viewings. A rental would be best if you can find this obscure film.....Laurie
|
|
|
