allison Posted June 16, 2007 Report Share Posted June 16, 2007 Just watched this movie finally this week and was pretty impressed.First off-the soundtrack is AMAZING.My grandparents lived in Uganda from 66 through 74, and my mum lived there from 66-71 so that bloody period in African history has always interested me. One of my grandmothers favorite stories is about sitting beside Amin at a banquet and being charmed by his charisma,wit and manners.The charisma of a man who was and went on to torture and kill over 300,000 of his countrymen.I thought the movie really carried off the double edged sword of charm and madness.Anyone else? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bagochips Posted June 16, 2007 Report Share Posted June 16, 2007 For a more sinister look at the man check out the French documentary "Idi Amin Dada' from the Criterion Collection. Featuring interviews with the tyrant and a musical score provided by the man himself and his Suicide Jazz Band, it was made while Amin was still in power. Chilling, disturbing cinema.That said, Forest Whitaker did a great job in the Last King. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewRider Posted June 16, 2007 Report Share Posted June 16, 2007 I liked Beetlejuice better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bagochips Posted June 16, 2007 Report Share Posted June 16, 2007 That was good, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edger Posted June 16, 2007 Report Share Posted June 16, 2007 I thought the movie really carried off the double edged sword of charm and madness.I completely agree. I thought they did a good job of capturing his steady progression of paranoia in the short time span of the film. I don't know a whole lot about the man (particularly before he went off the deep end). The little that i have come across sporadically over the years often portrays him as someone who initially had good intentions. I wonder when the turning point was for him? Power can soil the best of minds, and I suspect his ego played a big role. Or maybe he was always that way, and just became more and more comfortable with himself as time went on...Movies about Africa (or any kind of human suffering for that matter) just rip my heart out. The contrast of subtle beauty and innocence with such large-scale atrocities is almost too much for me to bear. I wish there were more movies which focused on the former. Maybe that would provide more hope or motivation to quit trying to ignore the latter?I don't know... it's pretty overwhelming. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djmelbatoast Posted June 16, 2007 Report Share Posted June 16, 2007 Scully was awesome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaggyBalls Posted June 16, 2007 Report Share Posted June 16, 2007 there are plenty of movies that focus on beauty.it helps us not ignore evil - to actually see it and understand that it happens everywhere, as we must be vigilant.you're such a fucking hippy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edger Posted June 17, 2007 Report Share Posted June 17, 2007 you're such a fucking hippy. I'm sure I've been called worse things... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Booche Posted June 17, 2007 Report Share Posted June 17, 2007 I thought the movie really carried off the double edged sword of charm and madness.Summed up perfectly and that is the best reason everyone who hasnt seen it should rent it. That sentence alone is the best review I have read of the film. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewRider Posted June 17, 2007 Report Share Posted June 17, 2007 Scully was awesome. I agree! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allison Posted June 18, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 18, 2007 The contrast of subtle beauty and innocence with such large-scale atrocities is almost too much for me to bearI don't really get this edger.The subtle beauty and innocence of the African people? What subtle beauty-I read the beauty of Africa as vibrant,raw,awake-not subtle at all.Maybe that's just me. And what innocence? Innocent of what?Sorry but that sentence-atleast the way I'm reading it-is a little pat on the head bleeding heart, colonial liberalism to me.The struggles that continually occur in Africa are not just a simple matter of good and evil-are they?I think that attitude leads to people being aghast when they see a blizzard of Hollywoodized Rwanda movies-after the fact, and then Ugandan movies-while Darfur happens right now, with not a whole lot of outcry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kanada Kev Posted June 18, 2007 Report Share Posted June 18, 2007 I think that attitude leads to people being aghast when they see a blizzard of Hollywoodized Rwanda movies-after the fact, and then Ugandan movies-while Darfur happens right now, with not a whole lot of outcry.Brava, Allison. The western world has failed Africa miserably. It's important to provide some sort of spark by making docs and films on what has happened, but more effort needs to be placed on forcing western gov'ts to get off of their collective asses and do something about regions like Darfur. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edger Posted June 18, 2007 Report Share Posted June 18, 2007 The contrast of subtle beauty and innocence with such large-scale atrocities is almost too much for me to bearI don't really get this edger.The subtle beauty and innocence of the African people? What subtle beauty-I read the beauty of Africa as vibrant' date='raw,awake-not subtle at all.Maybe that's just me. And what innocence? Innocent of what?Sorry but that sentence-atleast the way I'm reading it-is a little pat on the head bleeding heart, colonial liberalism to me.The struggles that continually occur in Africa are not just a simple matter of good and evil-are they?I think that attitude leads to people being aghast when they see a blizzard of Hollywoodized Rwanda movies-after the fact, and then Ugandan movies-while Darfur happens right now, with not a whole lot of outcry.[/quote']I unfortunately don't articulate my thoughts as well as you do.. I just meant subtle in the way that beauty is often portrayed on film relative to the graphic display of violence. I agree with you completely that the beauty of the people themselves is anything but subtle. Unfortunately I don't really have the time right now to adequately get into a conversation about this online. And for that reason I regret ever making this initial post in the first place as it was rashly thought out amidst other work-related internet usage, and it is a subject that deserves careful thought spanning more than the recreational couple of minutes that I sporadically indulge in while on this board. Maybe at a later time I will come back to this one...I wasn't suggesting that we should be shielded from what is going on there. And believe me I do pay attention to what is happening throughout the world presently. I just find that on film I am impacted even more effectively by "implied" violence. The older I get the less I am able to even watch some of the violence portrayed so vividly. These images come to my mind (and stay there for longer than I'd like them to) and I don't always need the dots connected for me.I don't think anything in this world is as simple as a contrast between good and evil. I just think when we are inundated with hopeless images that it can become overwhelming to the point of inaction. Not to say this is excusable by any means, but I think that there may be some truth to that.But what do i know... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now