White Man's Burden (film)

White Man's Burden
Theatrical release poster
Directed byDesmond Nakano
Written byDesmond Nakano
Produced byLawrence Bender
Starring
CinematographyWilly Kurant
Edited byNancy Richardson
Music byHoward Shore
Production
companies
Distributed bySavoy Pictures
Release date
  • December 1, 1995 (1995-12-01) (U.S.)
Running time
89 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$7 million
Box office$9 million[1]

White Man's Burden is a 1995 American drama film about racism,[2] set in an alternative America where the social and economic positions of black people and white people are reversed. The film was written and directed by Desmond Nakano. The film revolves around Louis Pinnock (John Travolta), a white factory worker, who kidnaps Thaddeus Thomas (Harry Belafonte), a black factory owner, for firing Pinnock over a perceived slight.[3]

The title is a well-known phrase inspired by the famous poem of the same title by Rudyard Kipling.

  1. ^ "Planet Hollywood". Screen International. August 30, 1996. pp. 14–15.
  2. ^ Weinraub, Bernard (February 6, 1995). "Turning the Tables on Race Relations". The New York Times. p. 11.
  3. ^ Willman, Chris (March 19, 1995). "Turnabout of Foul Play : In 'White Man's Burden', John Travolta and Harry Belafonte tilt racism on its head, in a universe where black culture dominates. Get ready to rock your world". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on August 5, 2021. Retrieved August 5, 2021.