Review: My interest in Barbet Schroeder's documentary about General Idi Amin arose mainly from the recent release of the Last King of Scotland, and I was surprised at how accurate that particular Hollywood film was to the real dictator of Uganda. Theatrics aside though, this documentary, while not impressive, is certainly close to eye-opening. This is not a documentary that is carried by its technical aspects (in fact, towards the end, you can hear one of the cameramen breathing into his own microphone during a tense scene), but by the story it reveals. This is a must see simply for the amount of access Idi Amin gave the crew, as they were able to follow him to visit villages, sit in on meetings and weapons demonstrations. That's no easy feat, nor an enjoyable endeavor when you consider the brutality Amin showed to those who didn't meet his specific desires or needs. But, this access allowed the opportunity to create a documentary that acts like a “day in the life of” feature. As such, Schroeder lets Amin do most the talking, only occassionaly using narration to bring audiences up to speed, or to fill in the blanks General Amin purposely glazes over or ignores. The combination of public speeches and personal interviews reminds viewers of one simple fact: Amin is a very humorous and sociable man, who can also be as ruthless or bloodthirsty as any tyrant. Audiences should be warned that there are several scenes where they will laugh and be charmed by the jokes Amin makes, but don't let these scenes overshadow his anti-semitic remarks. I am focusing more on the story, rather than the actual film itself, because the film is completely controlled and moved by the man they are covering. Though this is a Criterion Collection film, I truly believe it reached this prestigious level because their story was so compelling, rather than any creative style the team added to it. With that in mind, this is a must see for anyone interested in Africa, dictators, or the international world in general. Review by Matthew Abshire Informative: 4- A surprisingly candid view of the former dictator of Uganda. Entertainment: 3- Though its not eye opening, the very personable attitude of Idi is intriguing when compared with his ruthless actions. Technical: 3- Very straightforward with no surprises or added levels. Though the very fact that they had access should be impressive enough. Overall: 4- Doesn't detail his life, nor does it investigate, but rather, the crew tries to let the Dictator speak for himself, and that alone makes this a worthy documentary.
General Idi Amin
Format: DVD Year: 1974 Running Time: 90 Min Distributor: Figaro Films, Mara Films and Television Recontre Producer: Jean-Francois Chauvel, Charles-Henri Favrod and Jean-Pierre Rassam Director: Barbet Schroeder Date Reviewed: 4-19-2007 Story: Uganda's dictator, General Idi Amin Dada, accepts a foreign crew's request to interview and film him. He talks to the camera about his outreach to Arab nations, his goal of eradicating Israel, his views on economic policy, and his views of several world leaders. We also see him dressing down his ministers at a cabinet meeting, supervising a war-game simulation of an invasion of Israel, visiting a village and addressing a conclave of Ugandan physicians (IMDB).