Last King of Scotland

I often wonder how madmen become leaders. Surely those around them must see the glint of madness in their eyes on occasion during their rise to power. Is it fear that keeps them quiet? Or perhaps they really do believe that, crazy or not, their man is the right one to lead their country. Idi Amin, leader of Uganda from 1971 until 1979, was exactly such a man. His story is told in The Last King of Scotland.

Okay, what could Scotland possibly have to do with the crazed leader of an African nation? Apparently, in twisted reasoning significant for being so common to Amin, he felt himself the rescuer of Uganda from the British. He saw the British as his enemy and declared that it was he who could save Uganda from their tyranny, much like their tyranny over Scotland. Or something. It was nuts.

But The Last King of Scotland does a whole lot more than reveal the irrational logic of a despot. Through the course of the film, we come to understand how he could ever reach such a lofty position when he was a complete whack job. This is no small feat, and the actors and filmmakers deserve many accolades for letting us into the mind of Idi Amin.

The film opens with a young Scottish doctor, fresh out of medical school and looking for adventure. Played by James McAvoy, Dr. Nicholas Garrigan heads to Africa, where he presumes his skills will be both more needed and more appreciated than were he to stay at home and join his father’s hum-drum practice. So lay the foibles of youth. It doesn’t take the adventurous doctor long to make the acquaintance of the very popular and extremely charismatic new leader of Uganda. And thus we have our fictional entry into the very real world of the historically reviled but undeniably fascinating Idi Amin.

Forest Whitaker takes on the daunting task of bringing Amin to life and doing so in a land where many people still remember with heartbreak, anger and fear the chaos he wrought upon their country. His Academy Award winning performance is truly remarkable. His gestures, body posturing, flashes of greatness overwhelmed by paranoia and aggression – it’s all there. As the fictional Garrigan becomes increasingly entrenched in the regime we see the charm and powerful presence of Amin, the very presence that helped mask his madness and win the support of his people.

Through Garrigan’s idealistic, youthful and terribly naive eyes we experience a microcosm of what was experienced by a nation. The initial euphoria of the coup that led to Amin’s rise to power and the jubilant celebrations that followed. The larger than life Amin giving desperate people what they thought they wanted in flashy ceremonies and flamboyant speeches. We see Garrigan getting caught in the man’s spell, even as his co-worker strongly advises caution. It isn’t until it’s far too late to turn away that Garrigan realizes the truth behind the gregarious Amin’s facade of sanity. Garrigan is stuck in a situation of his own making.

The Last King of Scotland has been criticized as yet another movie about Africa told through the eyes of a white man. There’s nothing I can say to dispute that criticism other than to say that while undoubtedly true, in this case it works. Yes, quite a bit of the focus of the film is on the fictional – and white – Garrigan. In fact, McAvoy does a tremendous job with this character, going from youthful enthusiasm to growing dread at a steady and believable rate. Screenwriters Peter Morgan and Jeremy Brock make him both a character we can relate to (as westerners) and the eyes through which we get to meet, admire and fear the charisma and madness that is Idi Amin. It is through him that we understand why people are drawn to this man, and how they can get in too deep before understanding the danger they have helped create. The Garrigan character is like those in much historical fiction, a conduit through whom the greater story is told. I have no particular position on whether this character should be western or African, but here, in this film, Garrigan works. Whitaker and McAvoy have a chemistry that pulls us into the story. We know Amin is a monster, but we can’t help but look on as Garrigan finds out the truth for himself.

The film itself is absolutely gorgeous. Filmed largely on location in Uganda, we get to appreciate some of the lush countryside over which this nightmare descends. The close shots of Whitaker are spellbinding. Neither actor nor director (Kevin McDonald) are afraid to let the camera get as close as possible for us to see the maniac glint in Amin’s eye, or the softening of his features when he speaks of something close to his heart, or the terrifying agitation brought on by his paranoia. It’s a risk to let the audience so close to an actor portraying a historical figure, the mask might slip. But here the risk is worth it – Whitaker doesn’t step out of character for an instant and we never see him as anyone other than Idi Amin.

I remember the name Idi Amin from my youth. I was too young to know anything but that he was a bad man, bad enough that the world condemned him for what he had done. The Last King of Scotland puts a face to that bad man and helps us understand how he rose to such power that he was able to commit atrocities with impunity. An incredible performance from Whitaker along with sterling support from McAvoy brings the strong screenplay alive. The film has some extremely graphic violent scenes. They are few, but they are gruesome. This is definitely not a film for children, or for adults without some level of tolerance for such fare. But for anyone who remembers the name Idi Amin, this is your chance to get behind the news clips and fading memories and see just how one madman came to power. Highly recommended both as a marvelously made film and as a glimpse of a history that is quickly being eclipsed by the atrocities of today. As they say, those who don’t learn from history…..