'Burn!' (1969) - Gillo Pontecorvo.

Pre-eminent film-maker Gillo Pontecorvo's visually stunning 19^th century cinematic masterpiece 'Burn!' aka 'Queimada'(1969) is an emotionally hefty, philosophically dense, vividly realised period war drama with breathtaking scenery, blazing, blood-rousing action, and suitably strident performances from a fascinatingly devilish Marlon Brando as the Machiavellian mercenary Sir William Walker sent to the politically inclement climate of the Caribbean to bloodily overthrow the incumbent Portuguese leadership for the entirely darker, far from altruistic motives of rapacious British sugar cane importers. 

This uniquely exhilarating, soul stirring epic benefits greatly from the commanding masculine presence of strikingly handsome, statuesque Columbian-born actor Evaristo Márquez who is on charismatic form as the increasingly beleaguered rebel leader José Dolores who somewhat precariously soon finds himself the unwilling stooge in a series of disastrous political machinations overseen by gifted orator Sir William acting at the behest of the equally duplicitous British government. It's certainly easy to see why Brando regarded this as one of his finest performances, and maestro Ennio Morricone's triumphant score is a truly magnificent piece of music! Bravura stylist Gillo Pontecorvo has an uncommon genius for orchestrating muscular martial mayhem and boldly confronting the audience with extraordinarily impactful scenes alongside filigree moments of sublime intimacy, once seen, Pontecorvo's incendiary period drama 'Burn!' sears itself forcefully into your consciousness.