The Last King of Scotland (2006)
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A fictional Scottish doctor becomes the personal physician to the dictator Idi Amin in 1970s Uganda.
The story
In 1970, Nicholas Garrigan, a Scottish doctor, travels to Uganda to work at a missionary clinic. Shortly after his arrival, General Idi Amin seizes power in a coup d'état. After treating Amin for a minor injury, the dictator becomes fascinated by Garrigan's Scottish heritage and appoints him as his personal physician. Garrigan is soon thrust into the inner workings of the regime, tasked with modernizing the healthcare system while witnessing the growing atmosphere of paranoia and repression under Amin's rule. As he becomes a trusted confidant, he must navigate the moral complexities of serving a man whose actions are increasingly alarming.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1970, Scottish doctor Nicholas Garrigan travels to Uganda to work at a missionary clinic. Following a coup d'état, General Idi Amin takes power. After Garrigan treats Amin's hand, the dictator becomes fascinated by Garrigan's Scottish identity and appoints him as his personal physician. While working for Amin, Garrigan becomes a trusted confidant but grows increasingly disillusioned by the regime's violence and paranoia. He begins a clandestine relationship with Kay, one of Amin's wives. When Amin's paranoia peaks, Garrigan's attempts to leave are blocked by the seizure of his passport. After a tragic incident involving Kay and a failed attempt to flee, Garrigan decides to assassinate Amin. During a high-profile event at Entebbe Airport, Garrigan is caught in a plot to poison Amin and is brutally punished. However, he is later rescued by a colleague, Dr. Junju, and manages to escape on a plane with other hostages. The film concludes with Amin's eventual downfall and exile, while the international community reacts to the fallout of his regime.
- First release year
- 2006
- Runtime (minutes)
- 123
- Production countries
- United Kingdom; United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Kevin Macdonald
- Writers
- Peter Morgan · screenplay; Jeremy Brock · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Forest Whitaker · Idi Amin; James McAvoy · Dr. Nicholas Garrigan; Kerry Washington · Kay Amin; Simon McBurney · Stone; Gillian Anderson · Sarah Merrit; David Oyelowo · Dr. Junju; Stephen Rwangyezi · Jonah Wasswa (Based on Henry Kyemba); Abby Mukiibi Nkaaga · Masanga
- Genres
- historical drama; political thriller
- Themes
- power and corruption; moral compromise; dictatorship
- Tone and mood
- brutal; tense
- Setting
- Uganda, 1970-1979
- Premise and plot tags
- historical fiction; political thriller; biographical drama
- Source material / true-story basis
- Giles Foden's 1998 novel
- Reception
- The film received positive reviews and was praised for Forest Whitaker's performance.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 87% · review count: 183; Rotten Tomatoes · score: 7.3 · scale: 10; Metacritic · score: 74 · scale: 100 · review count: 36
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Award · Best Actor · win; British Academy Film Awards · Best Actor · win; Critics' Choice Movie Awards · Best Actor · win; Golden Globe Awards · Best Actor · win; Screen Actors Guild Awards · Best Actor · win
- Production trivia
- The title refers to Amin's claim of being the King of Scotland.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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