Just saw ‘The Last King of Scotland‘. When I had first heard of the title, I didn’t know what it was actually about. Then two things attracted me to this movie, firstly it was about Idi Amin, the notorious Ugandan dictator, and secondly Forest Whitaker played Idi Amin’s role.
The movie is a dark, grim movie which starts out with a mixture of suspense and humour (mainly due to Amin’s charm), but then as the movie progresses we see Amin’s dark side. Forest Whitaker has delivered an excellent performance, every bit worthy of his Oscar award. The suspense during any scene where Amin’s advisor gets the guts to suggest something to Amin is palpable. The way Whitaker pauses before replying is, for a lack of a better word, too scary. We think he’s about to burst out and shoot the poor chap to Kingdom Come, but then he gives a huge smile and the tension dissipates. James McAvoy plays a Scottish doctor and personal physician to Idi Amin. At the beginning, he comes out as arrogant, cocky and carefree. Again as the movie progresses, he realizes the mess he has gotten himself into. His character was as dark as Whitaker’s. A short role by Gillian Anderson was another pleasant surprise.
The film has been rated mature, and two scenes in particular are really gruesome. I won’t reveal them here, but be prepared to watch the horrors perpetrated by Amin’s regime. I guess showing the violence was the only was for people to realize the extent of his cruel dictatorship. This site has some of his videos.
All in all, a very good movie. It will get you interested in Idi Amin and his eccentric ways and, like Blood Diamond, it will give you a glimpse of the continent of Africa.
TIA.
Comments