The Last King of Scotland

By Stuart Brown

The Last King of Scotland is a 2006 drama about Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in the 1970’s. We follow Scottish doctor Nicholas Garrigan as he travels to Uganda to help in a rural hospital, soon after finishing his degree. He soon has the opportunity to meet the newly appointed president Idi Amin, and after treating him for a sprained wrist he gets his attention by shooting a injured cow to put the creature out of its misery. Admin at first seem intimidating towards Nicholas, but after discovering he is Scottish they immediately get on very well. 

He quickly takes a job as the presidents physician, where he becomes close friends with Amin and one of his closest advisors. While Nicholas sits in ignorant bliss, happy with his position and the presidents fondness of him, it becomes clearer and clearer of the presidents erratic behaviour and his understandable fear of assassination rapidly turns into kidnappings against every and anyone who speaks against the new presidents regime.  Even when Nicholas tries to leave to country, Admin simply says “you cannot.” Twisting his words to make himself happy, Nicholas realises he’s in well over his head and Admin is hiding very dark secrets from him.

After very stupidly getting drunk and sleeping with one of Amin’s wives, she tells Nicholas to get out of the country. Though he seems to have gotten away with it, this is when the film becomes very exciting. After Nicholas returns to his home to find out his passport has been taken, he seeks help from Stone, the British Foreign Office representative, who reveals what Amin’s been doing, killing off competition, and not even covering it up. Stone tasks Nicholas with killing Amin, to earn his passage home.

Nicholas promises to abort his and kay’s (Amin’s wife)’s baby, but being made to stay at Amin’s press conference, he finds that she tried to have it done in a back alley in the nearest villiage. She was caught, killed, and had her limbs chopped off, and her arms stitched where her legs should be and vise versa. Amin claims it was to make an example of traitors. 

A hijacked aircraft is then flown into Entebbe by pro-Palestinian hijackers with hostages seeking refuge from agents of international law. Amin brings Nicholas to the scene to help them, where Nicholas’ plot revealed to poison Amin in the form of medication, and he is beaten, tortured and left to hang on hooks by his skin. A fellow doctor cleans up Nicholas, and gets in on route to the plane where the hostages are being lead to be released. He is killed by Amin’s men for saving Nicholas.

“48 hours later, Isreali forces stormed Entebbe and liberated all but one of the hostages. International public opinion turned against Amin for good. When he was finally over thrown in 1979 jubilant crowds poured onto the streets. His regime had killed over 300,00 Ugandans. Amin died in exile in Saudi Arabia on the 16^th of August 2003.”

Though the direction by Kevin McDonald is fantastic, and what also stood out was the unique sound design. Being fast paced, silent, and eerie in all the right places, this has a great, beneficial effect for the film. The other incredible aspect of the film is the acting. Forest Whitaker steals every scene he’s in. Changing emotion so quickly and unprovoked really brings home the insane mentality of Idi Amin. Though Whitaker really is the star James Mcavoy should not be forgotten, as he plays every element of his character perfectly. The Last King of Scotland (entitled because Amin famously declared himself king) is a very exciting, engaging film about jealousy, control, fear, and desperation. Very highly recommended, though I do not feel it will help in the making of our particular subject film.