Year: 2006
Director: Kevin Macdonald
Page: 942
The quasi-historical Last King of Scotland is a brilliantly constructed film which outlines the rule of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin. Starring James McAvoy and the ridiculously amazing Forest Whitaker, Last King takes the viewer on a confronting, yet mostly intriguing journey through a nation that is otherwise so distinctly foreign.
The Last King of Scotland is an interesting film in the way it is constructed and the way the story progresses. Starting in bleak, dreary Scotland the film quickly travels to Uganda following McAvoy as Dr Nicholas Garrigan. The contrast here is immense, indicative of Garrigan’s suffocation in Scotland and the perceived freedom he will have in Uganda. The colours are rich, the camera
work frantic. The film is very visually appealing, yet it achieves this without an air of pretence. The first sights of Uganda are chirpy and upbeat, the viewer feels comfortable and at ease. The way the film manages to ever so slowly work in ominous scenes is most impressive. From a happy, fairly uplifting beginning the film slowly builds towards a crushing, brutal climax. The slow descent into chaos mirrors Amin’s increasing paranoia and use of militant force.
The film feels foreign. Being set in 1970s Uganda provides a strange backdrop which would otherwise be largely unknown to Western audiences. However the extent of this strangeness is not extreme, and the film manages to present this 
foreign world in a way that is still familiar and accessible. This accessibility is key to the film’s success in portraying the historical facts, for if it had been an extremely foreign film the historical message would have been lost. The camera work within the film is another key to this film. Its occasionally frenetic pace coupled with at times jerky movement contrast well with long shots and steady emotive takes. The mood is set so well by the use of the camera in this film and it gives so many clues as to Amin’s character and the state of his nation and his life.
Forest Whitaker as Amin is a force to be reckoned with. His presence on the screen demands attention, and he manages to pull off the charismatic presidential air of a dictator with a brilliance that is almost scary. Whitaker won an Academy Award for this role, and it is clear why the Academy chose this performance for their accolades. Whitaker manages to make the viewer feel like
he is something more than just a man but indeed a leader and a ruler. It is difficult to quite put into words what Whitaker as Amin has, but there is an air about him that just feels so real. He has a humour, but it is a humour that is deliberately awkward and makes the viewer feel uncomfortable, much in the way your boss would crack a joke and you’d feel obliged to laugh. It is this discomfort as well as the undeniable charisma and screen presence that makes Whitaker’s portrayal of Amin so undeniably strong.
The Last King of Scotland is a brilliant film in its construction and in its acting talents. McAvoy and Whitaker work well together and the editing and use of camera is indeed just as powerful. Whilst the story is semi-fiction, the film still manages to enlighten the audience about an historical time frame that might otherwise be unknown. Furthermore it reveals, with much success, a man with absolute power who is corrupted absolutely.
