MovieChat Forums > The Last King of Scotland (2007) Discussion > So, movie is fiction and there was no do...

So, movie is fiction and there was no doctor

posted 12 years ago by arizonakris
2 replies | jump to latest

I did not read the book and I am about half way through this movie.But I was under the impression this was supposed to be a true story, but it's not. Maybe 'inspired' by, and gives us an idea of how bad Uganda was under Amin's rule. The real Uganda dictator was racist, vicious, and in no way, would he hire a white guy to be his personal physician. Am I correct in saying this?

[–] mechafi 12 years ago

Bob Astles, a white guy, was his personal advisor in real life. The film was totally plausible.

[–] chuck-526 11 years ago

..The real Uganda dictator was racist...

He was?

He certainly wasn't fond of the colonialist legacy, and he certainly wasn't fond of being patronized by the West, and certainly by the end the West was quite exasperated with him. And in any case he was lots of bad things ...but "racist" isn't one I've heard before. Where can I learn more?

...I was under the impression this was supposed to be a true story...

It's far truer than most movies. Almost all of the events (or at least very similar events) did actually happen (for example a hostage crisis at Entebbe airport). But the film is not 100% true (and I haven't heard anybody claim it is). There's a bit of "poetic license". And many of the events shown couldn't possibly be totally accurate and detailed recreations, because exactly what happened isn't really known (for example assassination plotters seldom leave diaries of what "really" happened:-).

...Maybe 'inspired' by...

The film does literally use exactly those words. One of the opening title screens (over a black background) says "This film is inspired by real people and events".