White Man's Burden

R

1995

1 hr. 29 min.

Drama

List

24%

34 Reviews

Tomatometer

36%

5,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

In an alternate universe, successful African-Americans live in gated communities, while impoverished Caucasians populate crime-ridden inner-city ghettos. When African-American mogul Thaddeus Thomas (Harry Belafonte) wrongly accuses Caucasian Louis Pinnock (John Travolta) of being a Peeping Tom, Pinnock loses his job and watches as his family falls apart. In a desperate attempt to repair his life, Pinnock takes Thomas hostage and demands reinstatement at the factory where he once worked.

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Critics Consensus

Despite earnest work from its leads, White Man's Burden's attempt at racial commentary is a well-intentioned misfire.

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Curt D C

Travolta needed a bleepin' job, man!

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/12/24

Full Review

Steve D

Woefully misconceived mess of a film.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

02/18/23

Full Review

Audience Member

A horror movie. Could never really happen. Falsefully attempting to represent what "white" did/does to "black" in reverse colors. Gave me nightmares!

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/13/23

Full Review

camille l

L'idée de White Man's Burden est plutôt bonne. Un nippo-américain qui réalise un film se déroulant dans une réalité alternative où les Afro-Américains et les Blancs sont inversés, dans un Los Angeles des années 90, pourquoi pas. Malheureusement, Desmond Nakano ne se sert que trop peu de son postulat de départ, en livrant une sombre histoire de rapt d'un type de la haute (Harry Belafonte, aussi nul acteur qu'il est bon musicien) par un homme qui n'a plus rien à perdre (John Travolta, bien trop concentré) qui tombe très vite dans l'ennui mortel et qui est bien trop différent des premières scènes, qui semblaient pourtant assez intéressantes. Finalement, White Man's Burden n'apporte rien d'original et se trouve être un immense gâchis, qui ne dure heureusement que 90 minutes.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

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Audience Member

Masterful concept drama despite Travolta's acting.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/16/23

Full Review

Audience Member

This movie has more meaning today in the trump-pence environment where the KKK is one of that administration's allies. White people may think they know what it is like to be oppressed, but we really don't know. This movie gives us a glimpse, though many apparently believe it didn't live up to its promise. Yet few things live up to their promise. I liked Travolta's and Belafonte's chemistry.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/14/23

Full Review

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Desmond Nakano

Director

John Travolta

Louis Pinnock

Harry Belafonte

Thaddeus Thomas

Kelly Lynch

Marsha Pinnock

Margaret Avery

Megan Thomas

Tom Bower

Stanley

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Owen Gleiberman

Entertainment Weekly

Rated: C-

Sep 7, 2011

Full Review

Stephen Holden

New York Times

Were it not for John Travolta's big-hearted portrayal of an unemployed white factory worker driven to commit a desperate act, the movie would be an emotionally frozen exercise in cautious high-mindedness.

Rated: 2/5

May 20, 2003

Full Review

Peter Travers

Rolling Stone

White Man's Burden spirals into tragedy but never into stirring drama. It stays stuck at the level of noble experiment.

May 12, 2001

Full Review

Jas Keimig

The Stranger (Seattle, WA)

While flipping this racial dynamic is meant to demonstrate the ills of racism, White Man's Burden still centers whiteness.

Jan 20, 2022

Full Review

Chuck O'Leary

Fantastica Daily

Rated: 3/5

Oct 9, 2005

Full Review

Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Rated: 2/5

Jun 19, 2005

Full Review

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Synopsis

In an alternate universe, successful African-Americans live in gated communities, while impoverished Caucasians populate crime-ridden inner-city ghettos. When African-American mogul Thaddeus Thomas (Harry Belafonte) wrongly accuses Caucasian Louis Pinnock (John Travolta) of being a Peeping Tom, Pinnock loses his job and watches as his family falls apart. In a desperate attempt to repair his life, Pinnock takes Thomas hostage and demands reinstatement at the factory where he once worked.

Director: Desmond Nakano
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Box Office (Gross USA): $3.6M
Sound Mix: Surround