The Last King of Scotland - Part 1

0:00A man of the people before former Ugandan President Edia Meen begins a slight charismatic charm to a ruthless killer. But does the 2006 film The Last King of Scotland peddle tropes about African leaders? Welcome to Hollywood Africans, the podcast which reframes, recasts and remakes Africa and Africans in the movies. I'm Barbara Engelper. I'm a man of the culture. So a marker. As you know I'm Ugandan and loads of Ugandans from a certain generation have their own Edia Meen stories and my parents definitely had personal stories about Edia Meen. So when he first came to power my mom actually raced him through Campala. So he was in plain clothes and he was driving a VW Beetle and kept overtaking my mom in her mini and when she finally turned

1:07off to go another way he waved and so that's her party story for years. How old was he then? I'm sure he was way older but he was leader then. He just come to power. Oh wow okay. Yeah and then my dad saw him. I wasn't trying it on with probably. I mean he was Edia Meen. And then my dad saw him years later walking through Campala around a place which is now called Constitution Square and he's wearing military uniform and he apparently pointed a man in the street and asked him why he wasn't smiling and everyone can around kind of like loft nervously because in those days we're ready people were disappearing including some of my dad's friends. Oh wow. Yeah I know. Wow. And that is pretty scary. I mean I'm sure both of us have had people come up to the street and say hey love. What are you smiling? Exactly.

2:08It wasn't quite like that right. It wasn't like that. It was it was like this is a problem like and why didn't I move right the way earlier but he was like he didn't mean what he was kind of like confident. He wasn't like like if that was today's story there's no way a head of state would just be walking on the streets. Yeah but apparently that was something about him that he did. Okay so let's do a quick run through the plot of the last king of Scotland. During a medical mission to Uganda Scottish doctor Nicholas Garrigan played by James McAvoy becomes a personal physician and close confidant of President Edinbrough University graduate is flattered by his proximity to power but is soon in a dilemma when he realizes he's become complicit in a murderous regime but for this podcast we're going to focus as much as possible

3:10on the Ugandan characters. So when Nicholas arrives at a mission hospital he finds that that idiom means coup has been successful and there's scenes of really wretched sick looking people in a cramped waiting room and then there's scenes showing Nicholas happy with the community they're playing football taking part in a vaccination drive but parallel to all that there's Africans a scene consulting what the film refers to as a witch doctor but these days I think we call them traditional healers. So some people still call them witch doctors. Exactly but that's kind of like one of the cliches that's that sometimes is drops into films about Africa that people

4:10are mistrustful or just reject modernity especially when it in terms of medicine. What do you think of that? Yeah I think that is very true but I think a lot of people have these beliefs side by side you know they will access hospitals but they for certain things they will go to traditional healers and I think even people that I've come across in the UK from sort of my Nigerian sort of contacts you know people still look to traditional healers. Yeah this is true I remember when I was working as a journalist in Uganda I covered a witch doctor's wedding but what I remember about it is quite a few people in who'd gone to attend it were wearing rosaries. So it was really so they're holding multiple views at the same time. But you know I mean if you look at most well if you

5:13look at Christianity you know a lot of Christian events throughout the year they're sort of married with other sort of beliefs that they sort of took over or tried to sort of stamp out by incorporating it into the sort of annual sort of celebrations and that sort of thing and I think Africans but well I can't say Africans in general but I think like Nigerians have managed to sort of balance the the sort of modern medicine with their traditional beliefs and because it's not just about medical you know the beliefs aren't just tied up with medicine it's sort of spiritual. Yeah absolutely that scene that the ones where they're looking at the hospital they did surprise me somewhat because I remember my parents saying that just after colonialism the infrastructure took a really long time to to start crumbling really quickly I didn't think you'd get people looking so

6:18wretched or that a place at a hospital looking dilapidated kind of like what it did in the film I thought that's so quickly yeah because that that looked to me as if they've historically they might have got something wrong because by that time it was it was not so far past independence and things were not that terrible just yet. Sure I think it's some sort of shorthand where you've got these you know doctors who sort of go out to Africa as part of their year of year off or mission to sort of save people you know and I think that setting I think if you had a normal looking hospital that had probably you know they're there are no black doctors I black doctors I don't think in that hospital. I didn't see anything but there was someone who who helped carry the vaccinations during the vaccination drive yeah probably a nurse exactly you know but I think it's a shorthand viewers you know the Western audience watching it that you know that this is a contrast between

7:23the village life and the city life that we're going to see later and this is a world they understand yeah exactly and also you're introducing the white savior or at least he goes into Africa for the right reasons exactly as going to save the natives yeah yeah and also also being part of the you know he's sort of gets involved with like the playing football and exactly he's a good guy that's what they're saying yeah he's a good guy who's wanting to integrate somehow and and also that sees the maybe as a recall yeah absolutely yeah although I found it interesting that he the way he sort of observes the witch doctors you know he's sort of voyeuristically sort of watching exactly you know so which I found slightly odd but I wasn't sure what to make of that to be honest that basically there's a level he can't penetrate that there's that there's there's something spiritual about those people that they're just some a level with with his rationalism can't penetrate that yeah but there's a clear curiosity definitely you know which you're not sure whether it's a

8:28healthy curiosity or he's on the year off yes he's on a you know I mean he's you know sort of typical middle class British student although he's very strongly Scottish yeah in the story yeah definitely he's which I think is a lot to do with what we what subsequently happens yeah so then and a man comes to town and many people flock to see him including Nicholas and he joins a rapturous crowd and this is EDM mean at the height of his popularity and he tells the crowd that he never eats until all his soldiers have eaten first I thought that was um that like the charisma the the way for us we took a place that that he he totally gets down how people are really easily swept up I mean he was till a soldier yeah yeah I think that scene you know really actually

9:31presented it was quite impressive actually you know this whole the enormous numbers of people um and but you know you could sense that what he was saying was what they want to hear to get you know to get the support that he needs to present himself as a somebody who's just like them suffer with them you know and also in that scene you really see the doctor Nicholas really cheering on and really kind of being impressed by it his swept up but I wasn't sure if that was a genuine swept being swept up all he because he kept looking around at people I wasn't sure if he was just trying to be part of it um you know trying to not force himself to be part of it but just wanting to belong somehow because you know when we start the story he's someone who feels sort of out of place in you know after graduating he's kind of like you know in his middle class home in Scotland with his parents and it feels all very stiff and now he's in Africa where it's all very in his mind it's all very free you know on the bus on the way he met some girl yeah you know

10:36had his way with her and she had her way with him yeah um you know so I feel like you know he's trying harder in in great shape himself and then you see the female doctor played by Julian Anderson who is seized through it hmm exactly I wonder what is it is it is it just are they making a comment that his naive I would say so yeah so his wet behind it is just arrived and is easily swept up by things because I think anyone in their right mind probably would have known a bit about Uganda before they went yeah knowing that it was on the cusp of a coup a coup and because you know he's on the bus when he discovers the coups happened yeah and yeah there's a real naivety and but he you know he's swept up by this man you know it's charismatic yeah and at least you know definitely he understands why the crowd is behind him at first and I think also he

11:36maybe like the crowd once believes in this change he maybe you know part of sort of doing this year out trip to some help people you know he's there at a time where history is happening and I think possibly he's really excited by that yeah absolutely yeah throughout the film there's lots of references to idiomine basically being a stooge of british and a creation of the british empire and then there's visual notes to it everywhere even the state house scenes show peacocks on the lawn guards are still wearing red feson shorts and it's the most blatant is when there's this recurring british spy character tries to recruit Nicholas because of his proximity to idiomine I think yeah it's um you know I think the the thing with idiomine what I found with the story and I guess with what I've seen of him historically on footage and whatever his britishness was

12:41something that made him feel he was on the same level as these people and having the kind of keeping up that appearance kept him on the same level and I even think that with some countries you know African countries that still have sort of british system because I think it it kind of keeps them I think maybe in their heads that they are of the sort of up there with everybody but I think with idiomine he's that britishness he uses against the british exactly it's like he knows because he's been to their schools he didn't go to school or he didn't go to school but he trained didn't he basically he was part of the king's East African rifles right okay so so he was a soldier there's actually a great bit in it when he described how he came from nothing yeah and he was just to I touched that I think as a cook he says and then um then he was beaten or something he was beaten all of this stuff and then he's allowed then they allow him to train and then he basically because

13:44he's so competent rises up all the ranks and till he's the most trusted um soldier in the the East African rifles because he he just feels like he really um you know understands the british and he plays that and he I think ultimately uses that against the british and plays them at their own their own game I think he's also very understanding of the the kind of fractions in british society as well so you've got like the you know he loves the fact that Nicholas is Scottish and you know Scotland feeling different from the UK and feeling separate from the UK is something that really comes through I think this this um I don't I don't think he I don't think he really understood that I kind of felt that maybe that was one of you know maybe when we go further into it um um we'll sort of discuss more but I I do think that it's something that he he doesn't overtly say

14:48but I do feel that that's why he's attracted to Nicholas yes you know um so this random british spy character this is what he says about him um do you know I mean he's british army kings East African rifles he's a little unpredictable but he has a firm hand the only things Africans understand so basically at this stage of the film there's an assumption there is the assumption that british will be able to control idiomine because they've helped to elevate him and he's very much um a leader where the colonial structures are they continue to exist and they think they can be a puppeteer do what they say um but it it doesn't quite a go according to plan but what he says about that he will cow that he will they they all the only thing Africans understand is um an iron fist I thought that was a bit of a cliche view of African sect it's true like if you look at all the scenes where there's many Africans around um idiomine they are very deferential to him

15:55is true but there's a reason for that because if if you've got someone if you've got a leader who is mercurial and when everything this that stage was still at some level of welfare state but if you fall out of favor you fall such a long way down yeah so people are just going to um not not rock the boat and that's what you're seeing but it doesn't mean that they they they they um buy into it exactly it doesn't mean they buy into it and it doesn't mean that they're just deferential without thinking they they actually have thoughts but this is the survival instinct it's exactly in you know that you know if you want to survive and they've probably you know seen heard people disappeared um you know and and you know you don't want it to be you do you exactly it because it's got massive consequences like if you go especially if you're a breadwinner that means it's um total tragedy for the rest of the family because there's no analysis can support the family but I do think the kind of the comment of the I am you know the

16:59iron fist is is actually because Britain had a rule with an iron fist that's right so it's kind of like you know that's what he knows this this you know um British sort of spy character that he um historic understands historically that's how they've treated them and you know you know do you mean understands that absolutely but but I so I don't know if it's please say it's such but I feel that it's it's a it's a truth um it's a truth but you Britain had also ruled um Africa and most of the colonies with an iron fist but yet they're they've been thrown out yeah but as a you know he's somebody who understands their method that's how it's been you know he's he understands their method he's not coming in trying to do anything differently yeah um and you know that's why they think I think he's a puppet because he will you know he he thinks like them potentially you know except it didn't really work out not so much so what then another scene um there's a diplomatic kind of um gathering

18:07and EDM mean introduces his three wives at the reception um is this a coded message to a European audience about African powerful African men I don't think it's a blatant the situation not coded it's blatant later blatant message that um you know it's kind of introducing to this idea yes he is a president great and he has all these trappings that we all kind of recognise he has beautiful hairs butal gardens everything's very palatial and then you throw in this dynamite that actually he's not similar to us he is back in the back in the village with his many wives you know so he's not elevated to the to you know the status of understanding that one wife is what's what's right yeah um it's it's not the European way and it's not it's showing that he is

19:08he's so European exactly kind of like he might dress the parts yeah his place might look at the part yeah but this this is but this shows you that actually he's he's still back in the in the you know still backward yeah this is not a properly a straight person in his head so um and also they don't present it as being cultural because you know there are many cultures that have you know polygamy and that's just their culture yeah but they're presenting it as though it's something on toward it's something that's wrong yeah and then the other thing yeah definitely in a lot of polygamous societies you have different wives for different occasions like he wouldn't just you wouldn't you wouldn't go and introducing all the three wives at the same time or to diplomatic reception I mean I don't think even EDM mean would have done that I mean I'm not sure like if you're like anyone who knows more about that period um yeah definitely drop

20:11onto the social media and tell us if if you know um leaders would introduce all three at the same time and and also the what I felt about that scene is um you you wouldn't feature that in a a film about Hitler or Stalin like you would kind of like do something else like why introduces three it's it's a sort of pattern of this film actually of presenting certain tropes that are not just about different people but about EDM himself just to kind of this is the beginning of his um debauchery and his in humanity you know this is just the the starting point and then it builds up um as we'll see at the end of the film what it builds to yeah um so yeah no you you would well I mean the focus is on you know he's a really interesting complicated character in this film and he's really played very well excellently acting very very well but there is a point where it just feels one note where it's just constant um this guy is

21:18sort of ignorance like backward yeah and and and it's a bit of a perfume and a perfume and violent and yeah so forth and um and it doesn't go you know it's it's start off talking about the politics of you know um of the situation but it actually departs from that I feel that and as you're saying you know we start looking at his wives and it's like why are we looking at his wife exactly talking about the politics exactly of of of what's going on so EDM in his he's very aware at this stage of his reputation um as a killer this is still at the diplomatic occasion and he uses at that time to make jokes that special food is being served and isn't human flesh then he gives his black power speech I'm just going to read it to you I'm speaking to you now because if I wait you'll be too drunk to hear my words here is where civilization began here in Africa the Greek

22:21store their philosophy stole our medicine where your gannins must be more proud of this history black power just like you all thought would never be possible what did you think about that thought it was some really interesting obviously he's you know he's he's very aware of how the world sees him and he wants them to know that he's aware but also I kind of felt like maybe that speech has sort of a warning to the Europeans that he he can it's like I can see you and you know and look out you know I'm gonna get you I'm gonna fight back on my own person yeah and then that's it's the 1970s there's there's the black power move going on in in America there's there's a there's all different countries across Africa and Asia especially in southern Africa exactly they're throwing off way in the example um you know South Africa all those South Africa would take her they're much longer to they're you know but but it's still going on exactly the decolonization

23:26of the world is happening at that time sort of freedom fighters except I like the fact that um you know he is showing himself as as as fearless his one he's showing himself as fearless and and not a puppet yes not a puppet and and yeah like I said you know he's seen them for what they are and um you know he's he's not taking it yeah but the but the film somehow is trying to portray him as paranoid it does indeed and and as it goes along and we'll I think we come to some some points where um the development of his personality sort of overtakes the politics exactly um because that that's the era of pan-Africanism yeah and they're promoting unity among African people self confidence in African culture and you've got Mabutuism going on in Congo you've got the same um Mabutuism going on in Congo at the same time you've got black power and all of that but um the

24:28other thing I loved about this whole scene was the that his clothing the whole dictator chic I just loved it um like they don't dress him like that anymore of him I love that whole 17 look I really oh not not all men in uniform but I like that this uniform yeah sorry no he just no I think that the whole 70s the way the the the leaders in Africa at that time like like if you look at Mabutu like how he dressed there was this chic um which I thought was a good look yeah well I think he's probably very deliberate they probably even at that point had advisors on how they should appear yeah to be you know considered all powerful so that brings us to the end of this Hollywood African's two-parter we'll be back next week with the second part of the last king of Scotland review but for now you can join the conversation on

25:28Hollywood African social media on facebook x instagram and threads thank you for listening and Bob ranger park and I'm a marker of one quote bye bye