Like many films about Africa, The Last King of Scotland is centred on a non-African to guide us through the story, but Garrigan's whiteness and outsider status is very much the point. He is the token white man, a "monkey" embraced by Amin partly because of the president's odd fascination with Scotland.
As Garrigan becomes drawn further and further into Amin's downward spiral, and drawn closer and closer to one of Amin's spurned wives, the audience is brought along for the ride. Initially the light and funny moments of the film overshadow the history we know must come out. We are as charmed by the engaging and disturbing movie as Garrigan is by Amin.
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Article comments
1 - Teju
I've reviewed the film, and I concur with your take on it.
2 - Wine Boy
My own review of: The Last King of Scotland
wineboy writes: 1 toque out of 5 (tm)
The only truth in this film is found about half way through, when Forest Whitaker as Idi Amin exclaims "They (foreigners) know how to milk the cow but don't know how to feed it". The scrawny alabaster skinned Doctor (McAlvoy)from Scotland takes full advantage of his new found fortune and friend Amin, including above else his wife. He has just milked the cow! So self-centred is this 'Duggie Howser'[sic] of an MD he gets her preggy and chopped up into so many pieces she'd fit into my carryon luggage. Then the bad guys with sunglasses start shown up and all hell breaks loose. They string MD up by his skin but the doc don't scream, this stuns the bad dudes so they step out for some beverages, this gives the good black doctor time to unstring him, give him a shot of B12, wipe his unrecognisable beaten, pulpy face of blood, dawn a sports jacket on him so that he can board the flight home. He walks right past the armed guards whom don't recognise him, the dudes sportin' a new jacket, and boards the aircraft (Ryanair?) back to Scotland. The sun rises as the aircraft rotates up and he smiles, watching as the children play alongside the road. Oh, I forgot..the guy who lent his sports jacket gets a bullet through the head. 'Thanks Mr. MD but you white folk are worth it'. Total dross. I want my money back!He should have went to Canada.