The Last King of Scotland
BMJ 2007; 334 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/sbmj.070285 (Published 01 February 2007) Cite this as: BMJ 2007;334:070285
- Aula Abbara, senior house officer1,
- Huda Al-Hadithy, senior house officer1
- 1St Mary's Hospital and North West London Hospitals Trust, London
The Last King of Scotland is a fictional thriller based on Giles Foden's 1998 novel. The initial scene of this powerful film is set in a grey living room in Scotland with a newly qualified doctor, Nicholas Garrigan (strikingly played by James McAvoy), literally screaming with frustration at his life. He spins a globe, ends up randomly picking Uganda as his place of medical adventure, and sets off, naive and blind to the implications of this decision.
The doctor, the damsel, and the dictator
He is welcomed into the home of Sarah Merrit (played by an almost unrecognisable Gillian Anderson), the wife of the missionary doctor he comes to work with. She takes him to the welcoming ceremony that the village has put on for their newly appointed president, Idi Amin. This shows to great effect the sharp contrast between the warm vibrant colours of Africa and the dour greys of Scotland. Forrest Whitaker masterfully portrays Idi Amin as a new …
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