Even though the Burmese authorities have issued a strict ban on the recently released Rambo movie, thousands of copies of the film on DVD are spreading around Rangoon as people risk jail by watching the blacklisted action film.

“People were excited and tried to find ways of getting a hold of a copy of the movie ever since the government banned it,” said a young Rangoon resident who has seen Rambo. “The movie is spreading very quickly and it will continue spreading among people who haven’t watched it yet.”

Ever since the fourth in the series of the Rambo action films was released in late January, video rental shops and internet cafés have been inundated with quiet requests for the movie. Many store owners are protecting themselves by putting signs in their windows reading: “We do not have the Rambo movie.”

After secretly watching Rambo, public opinion in Burma has been divided. Many people believe the film does not highlight enough the suffering in Burma; others are confused whether the plot was fictional or based on a true story.

http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=10256