Rating: Summary: Great topic!!! done too subtle Review: Anyone who complains about this movie doesn't understand that this sort of racism does exist. It was humorous to see the role reversal. I especially loved the parts where the white boy only wants the Black superhero doll and the Black cops hassle a white man simply because "he fits the description."I just wish this movie had gone to the movie theaters for a wider audience. The role reversal was very subtle, and may not be picked up on immediately if the viewer didn't understand the premise of the movie.
Rating: Summary: This movie tries to make whites understand racism Review: Apart from the fact that there are no Asian or Hispanic characters in it, it tries to make the white audience understand racism by reversing the roles. I say this because alot of white people have trouble understanding racial hegemony because of strong sense of guilt which leads to denial and therefore ignorance. Many whites try to quantify racism as cross burnings and neoNazis, as opposed to the fact that racism is systemic throughout the Western world be it in the police, the education system, the economic structure, the media and popular culture and the bureaucracy. This movie I feel would of had greater impact if it discussed affirmative action by showing a black complaining about reverse discrimination and a white complaining about AA as being nothing but window dressing by having your token white guy here and there.This movie should have shown a white civil rights activist using arguments similar to Malcolm X and Martin Luther King-i.e complaining about how the black Africans colonized Europe and brought white people as slaves to America who as a result were denied there history and forced to accept black culture and be subjected ot an Afrocentric education curriculum. To put it in a nutshell racism is a very subjective experience.
Rating: Summary: I saw this movie in a different way them most reviewers Review: I admit, I love this movie. Combining Harry Belafonte with John Travolta is truely inspired. Both are excellent actors in their own right. And add to the fact that both are impassioned about messages, this makes it the perfect film vehicle for them to work together in. I see this movie as White Vs. Black, as much as upper class Vs. lower class. But the added change of race reversal makes it more fascinating. In this movie there are only two races, Black and White. Blacks are the powerful majority. They own the businesses, they are the actors you see on TV and in the movies, they are the ones that have super hero dolls made after them, they go on charity junkets with the "poor white kids", making themselves feel good by pretending to care and help. Behind closed doors, they talk about how the whites really do things to themselves. The whites in this movie are poor, uneducated, trying to avoid work, feel oppressed, and blame race for all of their problems. The occasional white character in power is a "token white", placed there to meet some kind of quota, not nessicarily because he deserved it. I think that this entire movie is based on role reversal, but it also points out that the problem is not race, as much as it is viewpoint. As long as people see themselves as oppressed, they will be oppressed. The true chains are in the mind, not in the color of the skin. As for the absence of Asian and Hispanic characters, this tells something also. All conversations of race in the US (outside of a few areas like California) talk ONLY about Black and White. There is no Jessie Jackson or Al Sharpton for the Asians and Hispanics. So to many people, these are the "Invisible Minorities". This was shown in this movie, because these other races did not exist at all. Because nobody stands up and screams for their rights, they are excluded from the movie, because of lower impact. This of course may be unintentional, but it seems to make sense to me. Think of the last time you saw a rally, demonstration, or public speaker talking about how Hispanics and Asians are stepped on. Name one Asian or Hispanic civil rights leader that makes headline news. But this movie is fascinating. Dark, compelling, and worth watching over and over again. Also good to show to people of any race, because it is hard to ignore the hidden truth, and also the lie that is an accepted truth. This was the second movie I bought on DVD, and still has a prominant place on my shelf.
Rating: Summary: Racial garbage Review: I just saw this on cable, almost decided to buy it, then decided that I hardly need this racial garbage. People are missing the point of this farce by thinking it such a grand demonstration of role reversal/stereotypes and oooo what a lesson we'll learn! Travolta's married character is fired because he peeped into a window at a naked woman. He got what he deserved but blames what happened to him on another. Seems blacks in the 'real' world do that too. They don't look at their own actions. Whitey made me do the wrong thing. Travolta's character essentially says the same thing. Funny how no one complains that John Travolta's character is MALE.That's gender racism.A woman lead can't be like him in Hollywood. They're too busy being stereotypically portrayed as sexual objects with the mental capacity of a bowl of fruit. "White Man's Burden" reinforces one thing if you want to talk honestly about racism. It only is racism when it's a black/white issue.Role reversal doesn't change that. Asians aren't going to shout "Where are we?" in "White Man's Burden" because they're perfectly content to see their bretheren stereotypically portrayed as Bruce Lee clones. Hispanics don't holler "Where are we?" in "White Man's Burden".They have their own movies like "Stand and Deliver" that adds to films portraying them as bit part gang members cruising in low riders, speaking like the Frito Bandito, or doing West Side Story dance numbers. They're always used to pass for Native Americans too. "We're on screen" at least they sigh. Native Americans aren't crying "Where are we?" in "White Man's Burden". They're perfectly content to play modern day reservation Indians living in squalor or be "Dances With Wolves" extras. I don't hear any Native Americans shout "We want to see real Native actors not Hispanics 'passing' for us. We want to see a Native actor playing Super Indian with a college education living in a New York Penthouse getting rich off his business sense in ventures other than Bingo and shouting greed is good" Gays can't shout "Where are we?" in "White Man's Burden" because they're in movies portrayed as dying of AIDES or as swishy drag queens. They even have their own "Queer as Folk" cable show. That's racism in itself by using that disparaging term for themselves! But if we straights call 'em "queer" then we're insulting them. Instead of trying to laud "White Man's Burden" for supposedly exposing racism in reverse, how about demanding Hollywood make a movie that portrays a world without racial disharmony for once. But how silly of me. Demanding such a movie is like demanding one without exploding car chases,scantily clad dim witted women or the 800th sequel of a serial killer heaving "I Know What You Did Last Summer" before he hacks you in a million pieces. Just wouldn't sell. It's a shame an unoriginal idea such as "White Man's Burden" does sell.
Rating: Summary: Not real, At all Review: I personally did not like the movie. It seemed as if the movie had no meaning to it. There was really no point in wasting good film. The way that the movie was presented said it all. I mean the way John Trvolta played his part was great and so was Harry Belfonte. But, the betral of the movie was off. Everyday there are people that are fired off for some unexplainatory reason,we all have bad days and good days . But the differenc is that some can not take the pressure and feel that they should have a reasonable explanation as or the reason things like that happen, that is basicly what this movie is about not changing spaces. Not a black man living in richess and a white man living in poverty, wanting to get back at a man with riches. I think that if this movie was about that kind of situation this would need to go a lot harder and more dangerous, than safe. For instance at the begining of the movie you see a man living in a low down neighborhood waking to go and work hard all day for something that would seem as nothing in the real world. But it is enough to pay the bills by time,but not on time. Him trying to make a little of nothing for some extra money by hand delivering a package.During the process while he is passing by a window of the house he looks through the window and sees the owners wife in the nude through the window. Now every body knows if people see someone of the other sex undressed most people look again to see if what they thought they saw was what they really did see. And if they like what they say they are going to continue to look, thats no bigy. But it just so happen that the husband saw and was not pleased so he had the man fired. Like something does not happen everyday. At least all he did was look , their are many more that sleep with there bosses wife/husbands. Some get caught and some do not you just have to know when enough is enough and never get caught. Now i am not saying that it is ok to do that but only if you do not get caught, no not at all i think it is very wrong. But what i am saying is that if you are going to do wrong make sure you do not get caught, i mean that is just comman senses. And then you have the ending of that movie were the home owner is taken from his home and held hostage by the angry employ. And the rest is history there is no real point to the ending and don't even want to try to explain it.But this is what i really think of the movie and that is the way i interpeted this movie.
Rating: Summary: interesting movie Review: I really didnt watch this until a couple of years ago and it was a very interesting movie I thought...full of thought I'd say...with John Travolta and Harry Belefonte giving it all they got was great...really riveting and dramatic. NOTE: if you watch closely at that hotdog stand part..youd recognize Seth Green(Knockaround Guys, The Italian Job, Stone Brook, Tv's Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Tvs Family Guy)..check it out
Rating: Summary: Color reversal same attitude Review: I think what this movie did is not simply reverse the color scheme but generally speaking the attitude.
I think it condemns for the sake of condemning and moves the problem from where it really is.
America is not perfect but it is as perfect as they come to give each individual the possibility to succed regardless of the skin color, this movie, in my opinion is anti white, which is as stupid as being anti black.
Rating: Summary: Reversal is Effective Review: Life is always richer than drama. It's true this movie is simplistic. Watching a movie is an opportunity to approximate an experience not your own. You get to flesh it out as your mind expands on it later. For a white person who wants more on the black experience, here's something simple and direct that shows some of what it is like as an experience. It's also witty: there are little interactions you can watch, like the way the black cop dominates his white partner. And I do believe that the discussion of the relevance of criminal behavior to situation is appropriate. For anyone who likes their drama to leave them knowing a little more, this is a good movie. But it is a little simple.
Rating: Summary: OK but concerned Review: Maybe some will get the worng impression about the movie. That its saying that this is how all black people are ..HMMM?
Rating: Summary: White Man's Burden Review Review: Overall I thought the movie was great. Louis Pinnock (John Travolta) plays the role of a chocolate factory employee who has been working there for many years. He lives in a poor part of the neighborhood and awaits the day when he will get a raise so that he can provide for his family and get out of that area of town. He gets a special assignment to deliver a package on the other side of the town to Thaddeus Thomas (Harry Belafonte). He inncidently see's Mrs. Thomas nude throw an upstairs window and the result is Louis getting fired for being a peeping tom. After being fired, Louis loses his wife and continously looks for a job with no luck. Louis, who after being fired, flips out and goes on a rampage to track down Thaddeus who he blames for getting him fired. Louis takes Thaddeus hostage and attemps to convince him that he owes Louis something for getting him fired and turning his life upside down. The movie is a role reversal type film where a white man lives in a black mans world. All the high paid jobs go to the African Americans and the slums of the neighborhood are of all Caucasian decent. Even the characters on tv are all black, and the children all want to have action figures of black culture. The film is meant to open your mind and expand your beliefs on what type of society black people deal with and have to put up with in their everyday lives. I won't ruin the ending but overall its a movie worth watching. It's deals with racism and how it might be for a white man living in a black world. I, being a white guy, find it hard to grasp the reality of how hard it is for African Americans and this movie helped me to visualize this aspect to a better understanding.
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