The Two Faces of Tyranny | What The Last King of Scotland is Really About (Film Analysis)
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- Опубліковано 6 жов 2024
- When you think of tyranny, a charismatic smile is not the first image. The more likely picture is a boot stamping on a human face. However, throughout history, the smile proceeds the boot. Champagne parties proceed mass murder. No movie better portrays this truth than The Last King of Scotland. Through a remarkably charming performance from Forest Whitaker, The Last King of Scotland shows the audience how dictators use the carrot to attract servants and the stick to keep them locked in their pocket.
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#movies #dictators
Nicolas left one narcissistic father for another narcissist far worse . Poor dude.
He is no saint in that movie. Kay basically dies in a botched abortion and her body is mutilated because Nic couldn't keep his dick in his pants
Maybe because that's all he's ever known
And his submissive nature makes him a victim to that sort of personality
@@mariec3527Good point
I was just thinking that
15 years ago, I met an Indian survivor of the regime, Mo Tejani, over a few drinks in Chiang Mai, where he lived (and sadly died a few years later). He wrote a book about it, „a Chameleon’s Tale“. He was still haunted by what he called the Hyena like laughter of the solders collecting and murdering their victims. What the film leaves out was that the Asians (i.e. Indians, which now includes Sri Lankans, Bangladeshi and Pakistani) were only first evicted, which looking at what happened later, was a blessing. Later, when Amin realized the country would collapse without their expertise and labor, he banned them from leaving and that is when the killing really started.
First they push a blood libel, then they silence you, then they take your property, then they imprison you...
Then it's what ever they want until the sword of Damocles falls.
And we have it soooooo bad in western countries.
Hollywood tends to leave out those pesky kind of details. Hey..at least Whittaker got a shinny little status for it. I always thought he peaked as an actor in Fast Times at Ridgemont High myself.
@@sabreTXC3 right, cause if we’re not getting killed there’s no reason to complain? You do realize it takes a while to get to that place right?
@@sabreTXC3 Slavery, child brides
USA^
"There is freedom of speech, but I cannot guarantee freedom after speech."
--- Idi Amin
ironicaly he did learn this from Robin Williams, it was a good movie albeit fiction.
What happens to your face ,mate?
Cut yourself shaving?
@@carlosrivas1629 explain?
Oh. I always assumed it was Xi Jinping's quote.
Uncle Joe Stalin had the actual quote. When there's a person, there's a problem. No more person. No more problem.
Top G Stalin
Forrest was able to scare and intimidate the audience, then turn the charm back on in a split second.
One of the GOATs
great performance by Whittaker-unnerves me every time i watch this movie
Legend
For sure. I definitely felt intimidated at times watching him. Not many acting performances make me feel that way. He knocked it out of the park.
Because he's an incredible actor.
The "poisoning" scene early on was genuinely hilarious and illustrates this movie beautifully in my opinion. Amin was able to gaslight his paranoia and darker side by injecting his own humanity into situations, and humor is an extremely efficient way of doing exactly that.
GASlight indeed.. 😆
Forest Whitaker has to take strong pain killers for his back pain by carrying every movies he is in, love the guy hope he dose more.
I hope he slows down he is 61 years old and has been in the buisness for 4 decades continuing with all this work might not be good for his old age
@@baseupp12I remember the first movie seeing him in which is Fast times at Ridgemont high.
Knew he was going to do good things when he hustled Paul Newman 😎
Your point at 5:04 is very prescient and true to how the real Amin thought and operated. A story goes that his one advisor warned him not to expell the Indians because it would crash the economy, after Amin went through with it and the economy did crash, his advisor complained that he wasnt listened to, AMin apaprently told him. "You told me but you didnt PERSUADE me"
That line was in the movie just not for the expelling of Indians if I remember correctly
Because to a narcissis, nothing Is ever their fault. Always someone else's
@@mariec3527 Exactly. These types will never ever admit to doing anything wrong. They will use whatever mental gymnastics possible to somehow twist it into being your fault.
"Kay was not so lucky" Its a nice way of putting it. Kay got chopped into peices and her legs and arms traded places. Apparently this really did happen to one of Armins wives and he put her on display for his children to see .
Monster.
"Giggity." Glenn Quagmire
My grandfather is a flight instructor.
In1977 he showed up to work and found that he would be training 2 African nationals from Uganda.
Turns out they were sent to the United States by Idi Amin to become his personal pilots
He said they were the worst he's ever trained .
But he didn't fail them .
He was pretty sure that if he failed them, they'd be killed when they got back to Uganda.
I smell cap.
The movie reminds me of Macbeth, the cycle of the main protagonist becoming paranoid and it all falling apart. The Last 'Scottish" King
I've lived under 3 totalitarian dictators, the worst was Idi Amin, one time my mom got pulled out of a bus carrying me on her back and holding my brothers hand, Idi Amin's soldiers believed she was communicating with their enemy with a calculator she had, just before they executed all of us on the spot, one soldier asked the names of her sons, she gave our names that just so happen to be of my father's Nilotic tribe related to Idi Amin's people, we were spared. I'm glad we rose up and got rid of that dog called Idi Amin
Holy fuck. I'll never complain about being from communist Poland lol at the end of a day the government was a soviet satelite so although brutal from time to time, the government nor the people really supported or believed in it so it was never as bad
Yeah but in the US we have dictatorship because the woke mob made girl M&M’s stop wearing sexy boots
@@gregbors8364 the US is full of weak black men now, it is pathetic
@@aw2584 yhea welcome to africa between the 90's and 2010's
I didnt know Idi came from Nilotic tribes🤯🤯
So does Museveni right?
Whitaker's performance in this movie is amazing, it was so convincing I had to remind myself a couple of times that this was just a movie
"Drop off decency to hide an ocean of depravity", if this is something you wrote personally (person that hosts this channel), I certify you as a bright star in literature.... if not, your great at adding timely quotes, that transfixes our attention to the narrative you so graciously explain, for this film.
I actually watched this film a few weeks ago and I only knew a bit about Amin. At first I was like, “Haha Ugandan dictator funni.”
Now it’s like, “Oh damn… o_o”
Yeah, that was kinda Amin's whole strategy even when it came to international relations and his personal rise to power, it was very much a calculated act.
He developed it while he was still a soldier in the colonial army, when he understood that by leaning into the racist preconceptions of the British about the "dumb but loyal" natives who speak weirdly, they would let their guards down around him. He endeared himself to his English officers in exactly this way, which allowed him to rise all the way to the highest rank in the military possible for a native under British colonial rule. They liked him, cause they saw exactly what they wanted to see in him.
So when the Brits eventually pulled out of Uganda he was one of only two native Ugandans who had been allowed to rise as far as Lieutenant, which, combined with recommendations from the British seemingly made him the obvious choice for further promotions during the creation of the new Ugandan military. That turned out to be a huge mistake.
And while he was a dictator, he would put on the act of "haha cooky African dictator talks funny" only when interacting with foreign press, charming in a comedic, seemingly unassuming way. He completely changed his voice and mannerisms for such occasions. But there was nothing funny about it when he ordered the violent expulsion of all South Asians or personally partook in beating prisoners to death with a sledgehammer.
he'll eat your heart out like literally
@@stellviahohenheim blaze Foley wrote a whole song on it and got kicked out of an Outlaw country Music Festival. . . mi amigo so- yep 👁️👁️👍🏽 sadly correct wish I could say he was better but eh sadly wasn't
I wish Forest Whitaker re-created the GIF of Amin laughing on a boat.
Whitaker absolutely nailed this role. I was born and raised in Africa and man, his was such a convincing performance. Incredible.
Forrest Whittaker is an amazing actor, he performed a great role here.
It's a good movie that's been overlooked, unfortunately.
No, it wasn't overlooked. There is nothing sad about it.
It wasn't overlooked. What are you on about?
So overlooked Whitaker won an Oscar for his performance.
@@tsdobbi 😂😂😂😂 it was goood flim but facts Whitaker was known for this movie
@@Democratshell at the time feel like it has been forgotten about.
One of the peak roles of Forest Whitaker, absolute perfection in the portrayal!
I think this is a true dynamic with abusers as well. Typically, we as humans expect "villains" to just be awful all the time but in most cases even the most sinister people are perfectly fine, reasonable, amicable, and kind to others (including their victims). A person can be a monster one minute and a great human being in the next minute. That's truly terrifying but it also means people can rationalize their terrible behavior away too.
"And you will never feel lesser than anyone... but me."
Which is just trading one Father for another, in Nick's case. Nick's Father didn't make him feel lesser than Sam or Mike or Tom... just lesser than Nick's Father.
Ah but his father was more judgmental and not the president of a country. There is a reason why people are sometimes more comfortable with parent figures than actual parents.
The most effective tyrants in history were the ones who knew how to work the charm and get people on their side. You convince them that you know what's best so they'll go along with your more questionable, gray-area actions--and once you get away with the low level stuff, they'll go along as you gradually step up your game. By the time the real depravity starts, the ones that don't whole-heartedly agree with your actions will be too scared to put up much resistance, and all you'll have to do is make the occasional example of anyone brave enough to speak out against you.
But in the 19 - 20th centuries people found out that the group of tyrants comprising goverment is much more efficient. You can do the dictator staff, but calling dictators all other. The effect increases if the regime called "liberal democracy", "advanced society", "proletarian government", "peoples' republic" and everything else containing "liberal", "middle or low class ruled", "republic", "united or another word symbolizing pseudo confederacy".
History consists from tyrants, most lucky and smart of them praised by people.
Forest Whitaker is such an amazing actor
This movie does a brilliant job putting the audience in Nick's shoes. It doesn't explain the political backdrop of the Ugandan coup at all. It doesn't give you any info of Amin at all. It throws the audience into the deep end, assuming (correctly for the vast majority of people) that they will be totally illiterate in regards to the situation. They are rich white people who see Africa as nothing more than a place to adventure and "find themselves."
The clues to the darkness are there, but you're never truly shown it. The movie draws the viewer into loving this dictator in the same way Nick is drawn into him. You don't see his evil. You only see the beautiful smile.
Don’t assume the average person/Vast Majority is rich and white, the vast majority of us are just as poor as anyone else. Regardless of what modern politics tries to preach, just cause your skin is white doesn’t mean you have inherent wealth, or you’re favored by society. Matter of fact its usually the opposite.
@@V0NRH1NE as someone who has been to the very poor parts of Africa, I can promise you that if you're white you're almost guaranteed to have more money to spend in a day than those living in those areas will have in a week.
There's a reason that the people in the Maasi Mara have a saying "There's no such thing as a poor white man."
@@V0NRH1NE nit about the average audience but the intended audience.
@@V0NRH1NE For some reason that's the sentiments of the minorities nowadays these people tend to forget that their are only a small band of wealthy people in the US, Mexico, Africa in general and etc. etc., and everyone else is struggling... But then again maybe the reason for this type of sentiment like he has is because he was not educated properly so we must educate him so he can realize that all of us are in the same struggle and only the few are truly well off. We must educate them that skin color and success does not correlate and is completely irrelevant especially now...
@@killermarfidyoh138 are u crazy? The majority of people in the us are not sturggling anywhere near as much as mexico or africa. Where are you getting this info?
Awesome performance by Forrest Whittaker, he was lovable and terrifying at the same time.
I remember when I was in high school i decided to watch Hitler’s inaugural address, and what startled me most was just how normal it sounded, he didn’t sound like a genocidal maniac he sounded like an exceptionally charismatic politician. And what I learned is you never trust a politician, never give anyone power you wouldn’t want hitler to wield, because you will never know who the next hitler is until it’s too late.
@@thomasmccann3679 please tell me you’re not serious
@@milesjolly6173 I pray that he is talking about the Nambian Hitler from africa that got an award from the UN.
@@spiritorange8325 I hope he’s talking about that one too because if he’s talking about the one I think he’s talking about he’s not right in the head
@@spiritorange8325 He's namibian you shmuck...
Germanies Hitler. If you refuse to look into the dark and say that an abomination your choosing to be pray or a passerby unlike me I'd be a passerby because I like living. The guys known for is good speeches if you only run from frothing at the mouth mad men then a better class of psycho might knife you with a smile on there face. There's no danger look laugh enjoy the smile. Charisma isn't purely a tool of nice people.
Your videos are great. Please continue to make such interesting content.
Forest killed this role. Much deserved Oscar
One of my favorite movies. Great video fam!
Nicholas character is completely made up and emasculates the real person. I don't like that
The choice to tell this story using the fictional character of Dr. Nicholas Garrigan was extremely brilliant in my opinion. Since he wasn't a real person, he was essentially written as a personification of all of the foreign victims under Amin's regime, (particularly the Asians). After they were expelled from the country and the Ugandan economy collapsed, Idi Amin panicked and threatened to kill any of the remaining ones left in Uganda if they tried to leave. A lot of the intimidation and torture that Nic goes through echoes the experiences of those Indian victims. It was a truly nightmarish dictatorship in history, that this film expertly recreated a glimpse of, thanks in large part to Forrest Whitaker's terrifying performance
"the people are extremely. . . .[PAUSE]. . . welcoming" 😂😂😂 I remember that scene 🤣🤣
Everyone knows that power corrupts and nobody should have too much of it but when they see the butt of a powerful man they seem to rush to stick their noses in it - they want some of it. From a domineering father, the protagonist flies into the arms of a dictator? It's obvious that it will go wrong in the end if you're the slightest bit honest and the protagonist wasn't.
Power reveals absolutely. The wielder's true colours shown and the opportunities seizing what benefits they could reap even if they have to enable the wielders to have some.
I don't buy that power corrupts. Power reveals.
When you give the guy the power to do everything he always wanted to do, then what you see him do is what he always wanted to do. More than anything, having total power reveals who you truly are as a person because you'd always been held in check by consequences before; once those consequences are gone, your true self comes out.
@@howlandcrowe9807 whether or not I agree with you, I think it's fair enough to say that while some people are fairly safe with limited power the number of people who are safe with a lot has to be less.
This channel is in my top three of movie analysis and its only been 6hrs since I found it.
Concise, penetrating assessment of not only the film but the psychology involved in the building of the stories.
Excellent 👍
Amazing video man, really love your analyses. If you've never covered it, do Kagemusha at some point. It's a beautiful, tragic commentary on human nature and the construction of identity.
Glad to see more great Scottish actors out there, hailing from this bonny bonny land, mcavoy is excellent 👌 xx
“Politicians are skilled actors”
Naw fam, pretty much all politicians are actors, just terrible ones.
Pretty actors go to Hollywood. Ugly actors go to Washington D.C.
I disagree.
Actors pretend to be things they are not in the intent (nominally anyway) to entertain an audience. Politicians pretend for their own gain above all else. Ergo, politicians are liars not actors.
But if their acting gets them into power, then clearly they're not a bad actor.
American politicians are bad at acting. Americans are just bad at paying attention
@@solarsailor1534it's interesting to see how many rightwing UA-cam personalities are actually failed wannabe Hollywood actors.
@2:10 I find it hilarious how he stops himself from saying “the people are colorful” lmao
This was a fantastic video, put together in a manner that was well thought out, and for my attention span, perfect amount of time spent on each point. Well done man, with quality like this, you wont be far from blowing up bigger than you are now.
Nick should have gone to Canada….
Maybe he thought that Canada was too white privileged. He needed to show off that he is a better person by helping the most unprivileged race of all time 🤣
Manitoba
There’s lots of Scot’s in Canada, would be like being back in Glasgow. May as well go somewhere where there isn’t any of your countrymen, to be in a completely foreign country.
When the Israeli commandos rescued the hostages at Entebbe, I can only imagine the Amin's rage when they commandos blew up eleven of his MIG fighters before they left. Bet that taught him not to play hardball with professionals. Couldn't happen to a nicer guy.
Forest Whitaker's performance in this movie, is in my opinion as great as that of Bruno Ganz in Downfall.
This is an amazing movie! Well acted, and Forrest plays a very scary Idi Amin. I highly recommend it, despite the violence and dark content.
A good dictator is one who can imprison his own people while they cheer
Was really suprised when i scrolled down and didnt see more views or subs. Great video
Sword of Damocles is a hell of a drug.
Such an underrated film. Great performances by both the leads.
this is an EXCELLENT analysis
Forrest Wittaker was brilliant in this movie! He was SCARY!! The tension was really unbearble.
Charisma is an innate force that some people are born with and in a place of violence and depravity they will use that charisma to rule over that violence and excess.
When the loveable rogue is now a warlord, who will stop them?
Forest Whitaker is fucking ridiculously amazing in this movie. The other actors are great too, but he just makes Amin into this shakespearean figure like nobody else could. What an astounding actor that man is.
He’s absolutely fantastic
Whittaker was superlative in that film, he made a great work with his facial expressions
You really make me want to watch this film again.
Supposedly addi was also a cannibal. He would scare people quiet by eating some of their friends or family
This has been my favorite movie for years now .
This video ended up being a lot more valuable than I could've thought
incredibly well done 👏🏼
fabulous story, acting and cinematography.
story??Idi Amin actually existed
"You're a child. And that's what makes you so fkucing terrifying".
I heard that some of the extras in the film thought Forrest Whittaker was the real Idi Amin, back to ravage the country. So some of them didn't look happy in the scenes.
If anyone was wondering, the 'Palace Party' scene was filmed at the actual Ugandan Parliament.
Fun Fact: during his childhood Amin worked as a servant for a government official.
Even before Amin became "president" of Uganda his superior officers noticed how ferocious he was on the field of battle & in the boxing ring. It's amazing how people never could see the man who rightly earned the disturbing title "The Butcher of Uganda"
''A man of actions not words, a simple man like u, we'll make our country stronger and free''
Beware of charismatic leaders. They will woe you with their lie
09:53 - 09:58 "Out of isolation idiocy, Amin kicks all of the Asians out of the country; and the global media turns on him." I had to replay this section many times to finally understand what he said. Hope this helps someone else out too!
I think he says "out of isolation & idiocy"
"Machine guns made him president"
Local man discovers how authority and politics actually works. Lol.
Government power should be strictly limited, which is why the federal government interfering in social media is so dangerous, particularly here on UA-cam
I would worry more about wanna be dictators like Trump.
@@jacobzboyan5465 excuse me bro? You just came out from Joe the puppet . 😂 bro you really believe propaganda there’s nothing to do. They literally tried to Jfk him . 😅
@@jacobzboyan5465 People like you should not vote
Government and political systems are not the problem. Tyrants and totalitarianism is the problem. Don't be making anarchist takes like that, it's embarrassing.
Nicolas’ character is based Bob Astles and Henry Kyemba. The experience blended into one
Forest Whitaker is a phenomenal actor be good to see him in more films and TV.
Didn't see it but now I must!!
It’s pretty damn good
@@nickjohnson6368 No, the movie is trash. It takes a lot of creative liberties. Like that Doctor is completely made up
@@williampearson6299 Dawg who cares, its a movie. Its meant to entertain you not be historically accurate. It *can* try to do both but developers of movies like these dont have to.
@@TheLuuman Biopics ARE about historical figure so it's supposed to be ACCUATE first before it is entertainment. I don't know who finds this garbage entertaining. It's as entertaining as Prince Harry's Netflix doc and book: Spare
@@williampearson6299 If you want 100% accuracy, go watch documentary. This is a movie. It will have fictional element to deliver the message.
I actually watched this with my grandma and little brother a long while ago. Overall, i'd say this did what it set out to do tremendously well.
This was a great movie. Stuck in my mind since I first saw it.
I am glad my desire to be well perceived by others is weaker, or at least harder to be appeased.
That's not Uganda. I don't see Knuckles ANYWHERE!!!
LOOOOOOOOOOL DO U KNOE DA WAY XDDDDDDDD fucking epic man!
Love your videos man! I was wondering if you would be willing to do an analysis of the movie Jar Head? It is one of my more favorite war time movies, without even having any battle scenes. I feel like it doesn't get as much recognition as it deserves. I think it would make for a good addition to the channel. Have a good day!
JH showed modern warfare at its stripped down truth, gone are the days of soldiers meeting hand to hand, Generation Kill also showed this, yet also showed what guerilla style can do to super technology style.
@@mrillis9259 also look at Kajaki (Kilo a bravo Two in the states)
You should do a compare and contrast of all the actors who play him in other movies
Idi Amin was not only able to stay in power because of his charisma and brutality, but becaause he knew da wae.
It's been years bro it was never funny
I mean Idi Amid is the embodiment of the Meme.
Need to make a movie about Francisco Nguema
This movie left a huge impression on me, it was the closest to darkness i had ever come in my life and it happened through a story.
Truly, one of the greatest works i have seen.
Sooooo true.
It truly explore the darkness of of what humans are capable of. Especially when they are given power.
Well i wouldnt want to have been the divers that discovered amin’s bodies in the dam reservoir . Such size was the pile of bodies , that the water intake of the dam actually clogged
if nothing else - whitaker really did deserve that oscar
This channel has the chance to go far
You've picked up on quite a lot that I missed!
That was a great video!!!
All tyranny seems tolerable... until you discover that the tyrant can literally eat you.
Everyone loves the Scot’s.
Looks like he took DayQuil and NyQuil at the same time
Good films cheers mate
I watched the movie because of that video.Nice night time movie it was lol. Thanks for analysis and ur thoughts on that man!
Just wanted to point out in Vedic astrology, Forest is a Gemini sun.
The two-sided personality and quick-wittedness, it could be argued he was born for this role.
ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS 🍂🌷
Rest in Power: Idi Amin Dada Oumee, 30 May 1928 - 16 August 2003
I would love to see a movie about Stalin made like this.
Aside from both being paranoid autocrats, Stalin's reign was far different in conduct and conclusion
Closest I can think of is 'The Death of Stalin'. But that was a satirical comedy that was set after he died.
Stalin didn't really have a charismatic streak in him.@@boozecruiser
Well done!
A good father shows ypu both faces too
One of my favourite movie, up there with Hotel Rwanda
Both films are fantastic.
It’s a great movie with an excellent cast. Forest Whitaker was outstanding.
10/10 film.
I'm not sure any assasins are shot in the movie I got the impression they where just some randomass people the soldiers grabbed and said yep. These are the assasins.
Man, a choice to go to Canada or Uganda during a coo. Hmmm. I don't think I'd take the latter.
Coup
.... cooing is what babies do.
@Googleplusistoointrusive stupid spelling. Phonetics man..
@@mikepastor.k6233 in hindsight, I like yours better lol
Did he know what was happening and was it happening before he turned up. I wouldn't want to go back on a decision left to random factors it's bad form to go back on things like a coin toss but then guns are scary.
@@ATBatmanMALS31 Coup coup ka-choup
“Do not worship false idols”
Whittaker played this brilliantly.
What a fantastic movie this was.