Amin: The Rise and Fall

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 where 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 honour 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 played accordion in history. Later he takes to Islam and when he finds his circle of friends rapidly diminishing is left with a motley bunch of eager beaver Libyans. There is a failed assassination attempt on his life. In 1977 he invaded Tanzania, loses the war and narrowly manages to escape to Saudi Arabia.

Year

1981

Duration

6060 min

Type

Movie