Rise and Fall of Idi Amin

Really, having always been a big history buff I've long been fascinated by Idi Amin, quite possibly one of the strangest figures of the 20th century; a common criminal, a ruthless dictator, a murderer of millions, and a really flat-out insane yet lovably charming idiotic megalomaniac. This movie had been on my radar for years but was just too hard to find. However I must say "thank you very much" to the wonderful world of grindhouse cinema for finally making this film available to me.

Just watching the first 2 minutes I already knew this movie was going to be good. However, I just did not expect it to be so funny. Amin's atrocities are played up to maximum effect of the time, but in a way so dated, low-budget, and trying-to-be-serious that it slingshots its way into morbid hilarity. Exacerbating this is the pacing, which never stops to worry about things like "character development" or "plot" but just zips along from horror to horror filling in the vague historical details with lots of violence and lurid sex thrown in for good measure.

AMIN: RISE AND FALL is certainly not perfect. It's cheap and rather flatly directed but the cinematography and editing are certainly serviceable. Acting is literally all over the map with a lot of the extras just goofing around (check out the Amin supporter who he awards the Indian shop to) and a lot of others really trying hard to make this thing a powerful event picture. Mismatched stock footage and strangeness abound, but it all sort of fits in with the goofy grindhouse exploitation experience of the whole thing.

The actor portraying Amin does it with such gusto that it's hard to remember you're not watching a cartoon character but actually a realistic portrayal of a historical madman. It makes the experience of watching this film even more emotionally complex, realizing all this insanity actually happened, hundreds of thousands of innocent people died, and the economy of the country was ruined all on account of this lunatic. To top it all off he totally got away with it all and escaped to live out his days as a wealthy man in Saudi Arabia! What's just mind-boggling is that so many others just stood around and partook in the madness. What were those crookedly complicit Ugandan generals all thinking when he started awarding medals to his six-year-old son or ordering bombs to be dropped next to his own wedding? AMIN: RISE AND FALL is sleazy as all hell but certainly no disappointment for fans of this sort of thing. It would fit in well on a double or triple bill with Africa ADDIO or GOODBYE UNCLE TOM.

I watched this film a while ago now, and to me it plays more like an 80's action film than a genuine historical account of what went on during Amin's reign in Uganda. It's the way the film was paced, that leads a viewer to this impression. The film focuses only on Amin's reign in Uganda and not his early life, or how he came to be one of the worst dictators in history.

However, I will say this, Joseph Olita, the actor who is playing Amin is very, very believable as the dictator. He steals every scene he is in, because of his remarkable physical resemblance to Amin. The scene where he orders the group of school children to observe the aftermath of the execution of one of his wives is a prime example of the genuine air of menace than Olita manages to convey.

The film also captures much of the madness that was Amin. Whether he is awarding his young son Uganda's highest military Honor's, or consulting a witch doctor to determine who is plotting against him and then ordering the massacre of several tribes based on such advice is hard to fathom happening in the real world; but of course all available evidence said it did.

So in summary, I guess this film is best enjoyed as an account of some of the horrors that took place in Uganda during Amin's reign. It doesn't provide any real insight in Amin, but that's not necessary a bad thing. Any insights into why Amin did what he did must be inferred because of the craziness of this man, and this film does a fairly good job of capturing some of that craziness.

I saw the film for the first time last night and I must say it has left a lasting impression with me.The film shows the true horrors of the Amin regime in unflinching detail.It shows the violence in a way that doesn't glorify or exploit,but doesn't pull any punches either!

Overall,I'd strongly recommend this film to anyone with even the slightest curiosity as to what kind of a man Idi Amin was.Watch the film and see "the black Adolf Hitler"!

This movie is disturbing, grisly, and unpleasant - much like the reign of Idi Amin that it depicts. The film is quite graphic in its violence, and while this will make it hard to watch for some it is necessary to tell the true story of Amin. Olita plays Amin to the hilt, portraying him as a pompous killer who has no regard for human life or the fate of Uganda. We follow how Amin angers one foreign power after another, causing most Western powers to abandon Uganda; one memorable scene in the movie shows when the Soviets, Amin's last ally, pack up to leave the country and Amin rushes to the airport to try to stop them. Throughout the film he also murders anyone who opposes him, or even offends him in the slightest way. This movie really lays Amin and his rule bare; you see what a true despot was and Olita portrays his as having absolutely no redeeming qualities. Not easy to watch, but a fascinating story of a bizarre politician.

As a child, I lived in Kenya and remember the time when my father went to Kampala for business. But then Milton Obote was overthrown and Idi Amin came into power. A few months later, our business in Kampala had to be shut down and soon after that, Amin ordered all Indians to leave Uganda. Some came across the border into Kenya but most went to England and remained there. It was only later that the news began to come out of the Uganda on how brutal as well as cruel the Ugandan dictator really was.

In the early 1970's Idi Amin overthrew President Milton Obote. The coup was supported by many but soon they this turned ugly and Amin ordered the Indians to leave Uganda. He also started to deal with anyone who opposed him, or, said anything against him. His critics, as well as his opponents are put in prisons and are tortured and killed. At the same time he raped women and did not care for diplomacy - even on International level. At one point he orders the British Ambassdor to kneel before him and at the same time, he calls himself "The King of Scotland."

Directed by Sharad Patel, The Rise and Fall of Idi Amin, is filmed in Kenya and has multi cast, which includes the most well known Kenyan actor, who was also a newscaster on what was then "Voice of Kenya," Norbert Okare as the judge that Amin orders to be killed. Jospeh Olita has done an excellent job as "Idi Amin." If at all possible, for those who think that they can watch such a "bloody" (this is not used in swearing sense at all but in real terms of the word) film. And those who would like to know what it was like under Idi Amin, then this is a film that is worth while to watch.

As a matter of interest and as the movie was filmed in Kenya, the scene that depicts Indians leaving their businesses, homes, shops, etc, was filmed with real Indians and not actors in the capital, Naiorbi, in the area of "River Road," which at the time did consist of shops owned by Indians. A lot of the Indians were actually invited to participate in that scene. The swimming pool scene was filmed at the "Nairobi Gymnkhana," which was known as "Patel Club" as well.