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The Last King of Scotland
- Review Date: April 15, 2007
- R
- Genre: Drama
- 2006
Common Sense Media says
Brutal look at the consequences of absolute power. No kids.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this movie is based on the real life of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin and includes references to massacres, revenge killings, torture, and abuse. Some scenes depict such violence explicitly, including bloody bodies, shooting, knifing, and grisly torture. There are also some scenes of sexual activity, including a one-night liaison between the protagonist and an unknown woman and the protagonist's dangerous adulterous affair. Women appear in revealing or little clothing (some dancers are topless). Characters use foul language (especially "f--k") in anger. It's the 1970s, so characters also drink liquor and smoke cigarettes as emblems of class comfort.
What's the story?
Newly minted doctor Nicholas (James McAvoy) avoids going into practice with his father by traveling to Uganda, where he imagines he can "make a difference" and have an adventure. When Nicholas is invited to serve as president Idi Amin (Forest Whitaker)'s personal physician, he imagines that he'll get excitement, access, and a chance to "do good" with the new resources at the hospital in Kampala. But Amin's reign quickly turns violent (he kills anyone he deems an enemy and expels 50,000 Asians from Uganda), and Nicholas watches the action and pretends that Amin isn't responsible. The doctor goes so far as to justify his own errors in judgment: He wants to look after Amin's wife Kay (Kerry Washington), currently on the outside because her son is epileptic. As Amin becomes visibly (or more consistently) psychotic and paranoid, Nicholas begins to fear for his own safety.
Is it any good?
Harrowing and provocative, THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND traces the rise of Idi Amin by taking the perspective of the young Scottish doctor. While the device could seem hackneyed, it's instructive here, for the film never lets viewers forget that the doctor comes to Africa to "play the white man," as Amin puts it, careless and self-indulgent.
As a metaphor, the fictional Nicholas makes clear the insidious means by which the West, and -- in particular -- the Caucasian West, exploits and abuses its privilege in other nations. While The Last King of Scotland makes Nicholas pay dearly and repeatedly for his vanity and willful ignorance, it also encourages your investment in his plight. Still, the fact that Nicholas -- however inadvertently, however much he seems a victim -- is also capable of great horrors (he lets others perform them, then judges them), makes him even more troubling than Amin. He should have known better.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about the cycles of violence that afflict developing nations. How are these cycles supported by outsider money and exploitation of resources? Who's to blame for what happens in these cases? Families can also talk about the story of Amin, a former heavyweight boxer and British colonial army sergeant who declared himself president of Uganda following a military coup and ruled for eight years. What effect does having a fictional character tell his story have on the movie and what viewers take away from it?
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AGE
Pretty good doc
Having done a research paper on Idi Amin for school some time back, this movie struck me with great interest to see. I was somewhat disappointed that it is from the Scot's point-of-view, and doesn't really seem to expose Amin in ALL his horror. Still, it's a great movie, and does an excellent job of showing the softer and later harder sides of Amin (with props to Whitaker). There are plenty of disturbing scenes, and some unnecessarily vivid sexual scenes. Fine for a middle-teen, but nothing under that, and would probably prove uncomfortable to watch with a parent.
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AGE
This movie was very graffic and sexually explicit. I realize it is probably historically accurate but it was too much for my stomach to take. I would definitely not allow young teens to see.
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AGE
Unpleasant Waste Of Time
18+
It's that simple, really. The 15 Rating it received in the UK is another example as to the uselessness of the BBFC these days, and adds more weight as to why it should be disbanded, and a new ratings system should replace it.
Some people will pointlessly argue that quick cut photography ALWAYS lessens the impact of violence/harsh scenes...they would be wrong.
That's my 2 penneth on that matter. Now, this movie?..too harsh violence-wise for a 15 rating, that's for sure. The sex?...depicted in ways unsuitable for 15 year old eyes...again, a sure thing. Hey, I'm no prude...but the main "hero" is a coward (not human, a coward), and a scumbag. The morality of the way he conducts himself sexually is something that will probably go over most 15 year old heads. Now, some out there are smart - don't get me wrong...but to most people that age hormones come first...so this is why I say the depictions in this film are not good.
There's basically no positive messages in this film. Forrest Whittaker is (of course) great...but that doesn't mean the film is! At the end of watching this film I would think you'd feel soiled...and left with the feeling of "Well, that was a unpleasant waste of time."
Don't bother with this film imho. Watch something entertaining, or just plain good instead lol.
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| Studio: | Fox Searchlight |
| Director: | Kevin Macdonald |
| Cast: | Forest Whitaker, James McAvoy, Kerry Washington |
| Genre: | Drama |
| Run time: | 121 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | September 27, 2006 |
| DVD release date: | April 17, 2007 |
| MPAA rating: | R |
| MPAA explanation: | some strong violence and gruesome images, sexual content and language. |
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