The Last King of Scotland

[GATEGOD]

The Last King of Scotland (2006)

In the early 1970s, Nicholas Garrigan, a young semi-idealistic Scottish doctor, comes to Uganda to assist in a rural hospital. Once there, he soon meets up with the new President, Idi Amin, who promises a golden age for the African nation. Garrigan hits it off immediately with the rabid Scotland fan, who soon offers him a senior position in the national health department and becomes one of Amin's closest advisers. However as the years pass, Garrigan cannot help but notice Amin's increasingly erratic behavior that grows beyond a legitimate fear of assassination into a murderous insanity that is driving Uganda into bloody ruin. Realizing his dire situation with the lunatic leader unwilling to let him go home, Garrigan must make some crucial decisions that could mean his death if the despot finds out.

Has anyone seen it? I just got it from blockbuster and am going to watch it! Did ya like it?

 

[Joyce Summers]

Nope, never watched it; it intrigues me though. You'll have to tell me what you thought of it when you've watched it. See which way it swings me, hehe.

 

[definition of insane]

I've seen it...it is...err....brutal in my opinion. Forrest Whittaker did a great job being Idi Amin, considering I actually like Forrest Whittaker and I completely dislike the way Amin chose to run the country that's saying something.

Oh but it's not for the faint-hearted, that's for sure!

 

[GATEGOD]

I finished it earlier today. You're right it is pretty brutal. Forest Whittaker's character gives off a fear that is so present throughout the film everyone is scared of him. Brings alot to the film. I loved Nicholas as well. I'd definitely recommend it to someone.

 

[definition of insane]

The fact of the matter is that's it's a dramatisation of something that really happened. I never really knew that much about Amin and his regime before watching that movie, other than it wasn't a good thing. If you watch the extras it's really interesting that there are still people that sing his praises, despite his brutality which I guess just shows that he ran a country using both fear and charisma.

Maybe the movie does blow it out of proportion. But then, I think Alfred Hitchcock said that drama is just life with the boring bits cut out or something to that extent, so who really knows on this side of life, huh?