The Last King of Scotland (2006) - Review
A Terrifying Journey Into Ugandan Dictatorship, 70s Style.
May 5, 2009
Kevin Macdonald has most recently gained great success with the thriller State of Play (2009). Previously, Macdonald was best known for two chilling documentaries - One Day in September (1999) and Touching the Void (2003). It's perhaps no surprise then to see him tackle the adaptation of Giles Foden's novel, a terrifying, fictionalised account of life inside Ugandan dictator Idi Amin's inner circle during the 1970s.
James McAvoy plays Nicholas, a young Scottish doctor freshly graduated and keen for adventure. Frustrated by the suffocating expectations of his father (also a doctor), he spins a globe, vowing to go wherever his finger lands. Canada doesn't appeal, but a second stab sees him bound for Uganda.
The dour landscape and broody skyline of Scotland gets replaced by the bright, dusty vibrancy of Uganda, where spirits are high. The former president has been overthrown in a military coup and although Nicholas is oblivious to the politics, he is soon caught up in the celebratory mood.
He arrives at a rural clinic, run by a Dr. Merrit and his wife Sarah (Gillian Anderson), both overworked and inundated with patients, in spite of the communities preference for local witch doctors. The husband is gone for long periods, attending patients many miles away.
Nicholas bonds with the locals and surprises Sarah with a display of arrogant magnanimity, announcing his intentions to 'make a difference'. She is weary and overworked, perhaps a little distrustful of Nicholas. Unperturbed, he presses for her affections. He convinces her to attend a rally held by the new dictator, Idi Amin (an astonishing, Oscar-worthy Forest Witaker), where he is mesmerised by the charismatic leader.
Fate intervenes when Nicholas is practically forced at gunpoint to attend the scene of an accident in which Amin has suffered a minor injury. Stunned by Nicholas' audacity (he takes Amin's pistol and shoots an injured cow), Amin bonds with him, pronouncing his passion for Scotland. In an instant, the dictator is friendly and likeable, even trading shirts with the doctor. Very soon, Nicholas is leaving Sarah and the clinic behind, becoming Amin's personal physician.
Nicholas enjoys the trappings of opulent life within the presidential compound, becoming a personal advisor. Amin already has an advisor - his Health Minister - but now Nicholas is around, the Minister begins to fall out of favour. When driving Amin to the airport, Nicholas manages to avoid an assassination attempt, unwittingly cementing his position as the dictators closest aide.
Shadowy Englishmen from the Foreign Office are never far from the periphery. Initially, they hope to make use of Nicholas, given his proximity to Amin. But Nicholas shuns them in favour of his new father-figure, a decision he will come to regret later.
As Amin increases his grip on power, more signs become evident of the brutality employed by the dictators militia. Events force Nicholas to see the madness around him but by then it's too late - any hope of returning to Scotland are gone when he realises Amin will never let him leave. His journey is now one of survival.
The Last King of Scotland doesn't shed much light on the geo-political significance of the times, but it isn't attempting to. This is an intimate account, a blinkered vision of Uganda through the eyes of Nicholas. This means Nicholas is in almost every frame and although Witaker is utterly, horribly compelling as Amin, the movie rests on McAvoy's shoulders. He does a terrific job, displaying youthful arrogance and insecurities believably; a flawed, not always likeable character, but easily identifiable.
As a final note - anyone old enough to remember those events may recall some disturbing details about Amin's dictatorship. His brutal practices aren't really evident in the film until much later - but two scenes in particular (a horribly mutilated cadaver and later, a torture involving hooks) will be potentially very disturbing for some viewers. Be warned!
 |
