Another addition to the superior group of films about the plight of Africa, THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND is a social drama with the tension of a thriller and is capped with a tour de force performance from Forest Whitaker. This historical biopic puts a fictional protagonist in the center of real life dramas surrounding the rise and fall of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin.
Nicholas Garrigan (James McAvoy, CHRONICLES OF NARNIA) is a recent medical school grad who doesn't want to stay in Scotland and go into boring family practice like his father. So he heads off to Uganda to make a difference as well as have some fun. General Idi Amin (Whitaker, THE CRYING GAME) has just come to power and his pro-poor rhetoric is quickly making him a national hero. Nicholas couldn't imagine the poverty and need that he encounters when he comes to serve at the rural hospital with Dr. Merrit (Adam Kotz) and his wife Sarah (Gillian Anderson, TV's X-FILES).
Then one day, Nicholas is called upon to treat Amin, who was slightly injured in a car crash. The situation escalates in tension and Amin is impressed at how Nicholas handles himself. Later, Amin calls on Nicholas to come to the capital and serve as his private doctor. Seduced by the power and privilege of the offer, Nicholas agrees. As he develops a close relationship with the Ugandan leader, he meets Amin's youngest wife Kay (Kerry Washington, RAY) and Amin's health minister Masanga (Abby Mukiibi Nkaaga), who is skeptical of the white man's growing closeness to Amin. Nigel Stone (Simon McBurney, FRIENDS WITH MONEY), a representative from the British government, keeps a close watch on Nicholas hoping to get information about the government.
At first, Nicholas is smitten by Amin's charming personality and good sense of humor. However, before too long, Nicholas becomes fearful of Amin's erratic, manic and violent behavior. Too close to see what is really going on, Nicholas finds out quite late in the game the amount of tyranny Amin is inflicting on his enemies. We come to learn that its very true that absolute power corrupts absolutely.
Whitaker creates a truly original real life villain. We clearly see why Nicholas and in turn the country were won over by Amin in the beginning. Part of the credit should also be paid to director Kevin Macdonald and writer Jeremy Brock (who based his script on the novel by Giles Foden) for allowing us to see Amin as a multilayered character instead of just a madman who slaughtered more than 300,000 people. Whitaker also perfectly captures a character who has the will and charisma to be a great leader put not the political skills and moral fortitude to do what is right when his hold on power is in jeopardy. He deserved his Oscar win for Best Actor even though it is a supporting role. Ultimately it doesn't matter because it was the best male performance of the year leading or supporting.
However, one must also give praise to McAvoy who is our eyes and ears into this world. We see Amin through him and McAvoy makes us care and understand why one would want to work for the larger than life leader. His character is actually an amalgam of several real life individuals and yet McAvoy makes the character feel unified and believable.
The film reminds us that massive bloodshed has and continues to rule Africa and "white" society doesn't seem to want to do anything about it. THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND stands as a wonderful and powerful portrait of how evil men can seduce good people into participating in atrocities. It's those good people who allow evil men to remain in power… but when it comes to Africa it's the good people who don't listen when the other good people do decide to speak out that is really why the murders continue.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
