Movie Length: 123 minutes
Review:
Based on the true story of a Brazilian rubber tapper who leads his people in protest against government and developers, who want to cut down the poor peoples part of the rainforest for a new road and ranch land. The rich and the powerful will stop at nothing, and frequently resort to murder. -imdb Chico a hero to the indigenous rain forest people of Brazilian and environmentalists around the world, was awarded the UN's Global 500 award in 1987 before he was murdered in 1988.

Based on the true story of a Brazilian rubber tapper who leads his people in protest the government and developers, "The Burning Season" is an affecting film. Real-life Amazon rainforest activist Chico Mendes was murdered in the 1980s for of his work.

Showing the lives of rubber tappers in Brazil, whose trade is handed down through generations, we see their precarious existence threatened by rogue cattle barons and industrial pirates, who burn the rainforest to make build ranches, homes, and industrial businesses. Mendes and his followers counter them with sheer numbers and their very bodies, adopting a campaign of civil disobedience, similar to that of Gandhi and his followers, as shown in the film, "Gandhi."

Raul Julia gives an impassioned performance as the title character, with several moments of breathtaking intensity. He lost thirty or more pounds for the role; a second tragedy of the story is that Julia didn't live long after filming it, evidence of how much to him as an actor and as a man. The viewer can see from the look in Julia's eyes that he is fully involved in his role.