With the Oscar season in full swing and the Golden Globes being awarded a few weeks ago, The Last King of Scotland is enjoying a second life in theaters, although it was initially released on Sept. 27. The regeneration of a movie that originally only had minimal box office success can be fully attributed to the superb acting of Forrest Whitaker (Phone Booth), whose portrayal of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin is arguably the greatest performance of last year. He is currently the favorite to win the Best Actor prize.
One thing people should know going into the movie is that, though it is based on historic events and Idi Amin was an historic figure, the movie is fictional. The film was adapted from Giles Foden’s popular novel of the same name. In fact, the main character of the film, Nicholas Garrigan (played terrifically by James McAvoy, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe), did not even exist in real life. This does not, however, diminish the film’s power and impact in the slightest.
The movie follows Garrigan, a Scottish doctor, who is on a medical mission in Uganda. He and his colleagues are there for humanitarian reasons, and it is not until Garrigan, along with his wife, decides to go to a rally for the newly empowered Ugandan dictator Idi Amin that his life changes forever.
While returning home from the rally, their vehicle is stopped by Ugandan troops, who noticed that they were in a medical vehicle. They are informed that Amin has been hurt and their services will be needed immediately. Though Amin had suffered very minimal injuries that Garrigan treated easily, the key moment comes when Garrigan shoots a cow that Amin’s vehicle had hit because it was moaning in pain and no one knew what to do with it. This show of boldness catches Amin’s attention, and later in the week Amin calls Garrigan to his home and asks him to be his personal physician.
From this point on, Garrigan is sucked in. No longer working as a mission doctor, his only responsibility is to care for Amin and his family. Garrigan is drawn by Amin’s charisma and charm, as well as the potential of a great life. This is what makes this film and Whitaker’s performance so breathtaking-the fact that he seemed to be a great guy, coming off as a teddy bear, while being a ruthless, cutthroat and murderous dictator at the same time.
Amin may come off as a likable character at first, but during the film he slowly evolves into a more deplorable character, and audiences grow to detest him at the same rate that Garrigan does. Garrigan himself is none too likable, leaving the mission to which he committed himself for a good life where he often spends more time partying than he does working. As he comes closer and closer to Amin, he becomes an unofficial adviser, often helping Amin a great deal. Later in the film, when Amin starts to disagree with Garrigan’s advice, Garrigan gets frustrated and tells Amin he is only a doctor.
From this point on, the movie slips into fiction, as Garrigan becomes deeper and deeper entrenched in Amin’s world. Garrigan makes multiple mistakes that help him see Amin for the person he truly is, and Garrigan becomes worried for his life. Trying to escape Uganda alive doesn’t seem to be a viable option for Garrigan, who quickly regrets the decisions he has made. The film leads to an ending that can only be described as bittersweet.
The biggest problem with The Last King of Scotland is that Whitaker’s portrayal of Amin, though masterfully done, seems to be more of a supporting role than a lead. His screen time is not near that of McAvoy, whom the movie follows the whole way through. If Whitaker does, in fact, win the Academy Award, he’ll be the first actor since Anthony Hopkins (for Silence of the Lambs) to win the award with so little screen time.
Whitaker is deserving, however, because of how memorable he is in the time he does have. The Last King of Scotland is a gut-wrenching, eye-opening film that should not be missed.
