<p>Though the camera work was a bit unsteadying, I thought the film was beautifully crafted, especially the juxtaposition of the naive, live-in-the-moment, in-over-his-head western boy and the naive, paranoid, in-over-his-head Amin. I also enjoyed the portrayal of charm and charisma as a deadly, tragic weapons. My guess is that the movie followed the novel closely because the themes telegraphed up and down the human scale with such ease.</p>
<p>Forest Whittaker was eerily magnificent. I’ve been a long time admirerer but my goodness what a role. He gives great insight into the power and mania of despots–perhaps the best delineation of a despot that I’ve seen.</p>
<p>I won’t spoil it for those who haven’t seen it but there were scenes I found unbelieveable, scenes which were designed to confirm rather than challenge white perceptions of Africans.</p>
<p>Yes - It is a story Shakespeare could have written. The camera work may have been unsteady but the costumes were spoton '70’s. Forest Whittaker ought to get an academy award nomination out of this. </p>
<p>Don’t go tinking it is a Hotel Rwanda knock off. There is no triumph of the human spirit here just fatal flaws ending in fatalities.</p>
<p>While I agree there was one instance of gore that caused us to close our eyes, this film, overall, is outstanding. FW should get an Oscar. A true period piece with the young Scot DR. being as much a lead character as Amin. Many of us were in our late teens or early 20s when this “history” was occurring and although I had awareness of this situation in Uganda at the time it was not a time in my life when world news was followed like it is now. Worth seeing.</p>
<p>I’m looking forward to seeing FW in this. Frankly, I’ve thought he was overrated ever since he got kudos for “The Crying Game.” I thought he was fine in that, but nothing very special.</p>
<p>So, I’ll go this weekend. Thanks for the recs.</p>
<p>Tarhunt, did you see his performance as Charlie Parker? I really liked it. But then again I liked him in GhostDog and The Crying Game , too. I can’t wait to see this one. It looks intense.</p>
<p>Didn’t see him as Charlie Parker. I’ll have to get that one.</p>
<p>It’s not that I didn’t like him in “The Crying Game.” It’s just that I didn’t think his performance was out of the ordinary. Not bad, just didn’t blow my hair back.</p>
<p>I think the scene of Forest Whittaker in the Crying Game…in the beginning, where he has a paper bag over his head…getting tortured, I think, was one of the more amazing scenes ever…Forest communicated some incredible emotion from his nose down…no eyes…</p>
<p>Did anyone see him on SNL this past weekend? the man can not only act, but he can sing too…he was excellent…I thought…</p>
<p>Years ago, I used to wish that Cheers would have him on in a DJ type of role like Robin Williams in Goodmorning Vietname…Forest could have played a returned Vet…who spins tunes in a bar…he would have added great depth to Cheers…and integrated it at the same time…oh well… luckily he has been on ER and the clips I have seen from Last King in Scotland are riveting… not sure I can handle the brutality in the film…I do remember the news from the time… horrible stuff…</p>
<p>Tarhunt, I think the title is just “Bird” . And for some reason my pea brain says Clint Eastwood was the driving force behind getting it made. That could be a hallucination.</p>
<p>I’ve seen the previews, many times, and it looks very well done-Whittaker is a fabulous talent. However, I just can’t bring myself to go to the actual movie. My aunt & uncle were actually living in Uganda when Idi Amin took over (uncle was a doctor serving at an international-aid charity hospital, the job didn’t pay much but living quarters & a modest stipend: my relatives went for the opportunity to give service and live in Africa for a couple of years. The home provided for the family turned out to be in the British enclave – made them well-to-do by Ugandan standards, but very middle class by American standards.) They loved it, up until Idi Amin took over: my uncle never has said much about it, but my aunt described their harrowing escape…the tumult, chaos and atrocities going on in the country at the time of Amin’s coup were horrifying. To me, it’s not a story, it’s too-close history. I’m glad someone is telling these stories, now, though because I fear the current generation isn’t always getting much exposure to the last 50 years of history…</p>
<p>Ghost Dog has another great performance by Whittaker.</p>
<p>Whittaker isn’t Denzel or Foxx or Will Smith. He is no pretty boy. Every inch of him is asymetrical yet the camera lingers over his face for minutes on end. I can hardly think of another contemporary actor who can pour meaning into the camera the way he does–and the way actors from previous generations did.</p>
<p>nebcat…rest assured. This film is a brilliant articulation of that history as it indicts the enabling, self-indulgent westerner ( a classic Peace Corps do-gooder type) along with the paranoid and power-mad despot elevated beyond his capability. The writer also lived through that time and he has some important obeservations to convey.</p>
<p>nebcat - I know how you feel. My parents are from Poland and were labor camps in WWII. We heard many painful details about their experiences. To this day, I cannot bring myself to watch movies like Schindler’s List. Just can’t. Too close. But I’m still glad that quality movies on this topic are out there to help others understand.<br>
We’ll be checking out Ghost Dog this weekend.</p>
<p>Through my elderly aunt I also have come to realize that for some folks, watching movies that depict events in which they had a personal stake can be too much to bear. My aunt loves Samuel L. Jackson, but didn’t want to see “A Time to Kill” or “Mississippi Burning” because of painful memories of growing up during the Jim Crow era.</p>
<p>I told and uncle of mine to stay away from “Saving Private Ryan.” He made several landings in the Pacific as a Marine. Whenever I talk to him about those days, he ends up having nightmares, so I don’t ask him questions anymore.</p>
<p>I hope today’s kids are getting some of these messages…I sure have after seeing some of these graphically depicted movies. My father-in-law was in the D-Day invasion-an officer. He never talked about it, not even with his boys, even though he was the one who wrote the official Army history of his division for WW II (an actual bound book.) I always thought it was very odd, especially considering that he later was a college teacher, a newspaper reporter & editor, a salesman, and several other jobs that depended on a “gift for gab.” He was quick with a joke, pun, or interesting anecdote…but never talked about any aspect of WW II. I grew up watching all the 1950’s & 60’s war movies (John Wayne!!) The good guys always won, a few guys died but never the main characters, no body parts flying around and very little blood on screen…some of you surely know the type of movie I’m talking about. However, after seeing Saving Private Ryan, and the even more graphic Flags of our Fathers, I can see why he never talked to anyone about the experiences of war. I do hope these movies make as much of an impact on the kids…I fear that some think of them as little different from fictional horror/scary movies and don’t realize that these things actually have happened, and are happening still, in some parts of the world</p>
<p>My daughter saw the film and has raved about it, repeatedly. She told me I should perhaps not see it because of some gruesome scenes (funny mother-daughter reversal!) but I do plan to in any case.</p>