Summaries

The chronicle of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin and his tyranic rule from 1971 to his overthrow in 1979.

This biographical movie begins with a short blurb about Uganda, followed by the joyous scenes surrounding Amin's military takeover from Milton Obote. He goes about arresting and torturing the rebels. In his freezer he keeps the heads of his rivals and says: "It is a Kaqwa way. I talk to them". Amin then goes about having Asians expelled from Uganda saying: "Uganda is for Ugandas. There will be no more Shahs and Patels. Let them swim back." After the infamous 1976 Entebbe hostage situation in which Israeli commandos make a daring rescue of their citizens who were taken into Uganda on a hijacked plane, Amin has Dora Bloch (the only hostage the Israelis couldn't liberate) killed. Amin then goes on to believing he is the 'Hitler of Africa' and promises that he will actually erect a statue in honor of his namesake "in the middle of Kampala". Amin becomes a rather childish and sick psychopath who mixes voodoo, rape, torture, and dancing. He says things like: "I am the best lover of Africa", "I'm big daddy" and "I am greater than Muhammad Ali". He practices cannibalism and takes part in motor rallies. He has rebels killed and dumped into the river Nile and is responsible for the deaths of about 150,000 people. Amin also changes allies with every new season, courting the British and Israeli's and then spouting some Marxist rubbish to please the Soviets. He tries to charm some departing Russians at the airport with some of the worst accordion-playing in history. Later he takes to Islam, and when he finds his circle of friends rapidly diminishing, he is left with a motley bunch of eager-beaver Libyans. There is a failed assassination attempt on his life. In 1977 he invades Tanzania, loses the war, and narrowly manages to escape to Saudi Arabia.—Sujit R. Varma

Details

Keywords
  • grindhouse film
  • murder of a priest
  • child
  • psycho killer
  • dead woman on a bed
Genres
  • Thriller
  • Crime
  • Drama
  • History
  • War
  • Biography
Release date Aug 24, 1981
Motion Picture Rating (MPA) R
Countries of origin United Kingdom Nigeria Kenya
Language English
Filming locations Nairobi, Kenya
Production companies Film Corporation of Kenya Intermedia Productions

Box office

Tech specs

Runtime 1h 41m
Sound mix Mono
Aspect ratio 1.66 : 1

Synopsis

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