GENERAL IDI AMIN DADA: A SELF-PORTRAIT (Schroeder, 1974)
Criterion Collection, Blu-ray, Release Date Dec 12, 2017
Review by Christopher S. Long
How the heck did director Barbet
Schroeder score direct access to Idi Amin, the controversial military
dictator of Uganda? He simply asked.
The title star of “General Idi Amin
Dada: A Self-Portrait” (1974) may have been mocked by the Western
intelligentsia as an ignoramus and a buffoon, but he understood the
importance of the media and, especially, the importance of being on
camera as much as possible. The self-made general and self-styled
savior spewed absurd lies while also claiming to be universally loved
because he was the only man who told the truth, and to be feared
throughout the world for his unparalleled savvy and might. It never
mattered how ludicrous his empty posturing was, only that people were
constantly watching and listening. Of course he said yes to the
Frenchman who wanted to make him a movie star.
I know what you're thinking, dear 2017
reader. If you are tempted to draw a seemingly obvious comparison to
a current world leader, however, please note that in his
not-brief-enough tenure, Amin allegedly murdered a few hundred
thousand of his fellow citizens, and jailed many more of his real and
imagined political foes, so let's respect the horror suffered by a
generation of Ugandans and move on.
Schroeder was aware of the perils of
providing grist for Amin's publicity mill, leading to the canny
decision to subtitle the film “A Self-Portrait” by Amin. In so
doing, Schroeder acknowledged his potential complicity as a
propagandist, but also mitigated the damage by emphasizing that this
awful, asinine man called the shots (at one point he even orders the
cameraman to film a helicopter), so viewer beware and do not be
deceived by the term “documentary.”
Amin struts and preens his way through
a series of pathetic military exercises, including one in which his
crack paratroopers prepare for battle by leaping off a two-inch-high
porch step, and equally pathetic cabinet meetings where he promises
he wants nothing but openness and honesty, and pauses for neither.
The question isn't so much whether Amin believes his preposterous
rhetoric, but whether he thinks anyone else will believe it, at least
anyone not living under immediate threat of his force.
Schroeder notes that Amin was such a
natural on camera that he only needed about eight hours of total
footage during his two-week shot to accumulate enough material for a
feature-length cut. The general is undeniably magnetic and all the
more terrifying for his carefully rehearsed sense of calm. He does
not yell or directly threaten anyone, but his over-the-top laughter,
feigned interest in conversations that are really monologues, and his
icy stare speak volumes.
The documentary opened to widespread
acclaim in 1974, and multiple descriptions of the film as the
funniest comedy of the year provide evidence that irony-drenched
hipsters are not exclusively a twenty-first century creation.
Certainly, the film offers its share of absurdist humor (“Dada”),
such as Amin cheating in a swimming race by barreling over an
opponent who quite obviously had no intention of daring to challenge
the great general, but it is also a chilling record of a genuine
monster, a sociopath too irresistibly and disturbingly entertaining
to be easily forgotten.
Video:
The film is presented in its original
1.37:1 aspect ratio. I can't imagine too many people were clamoring
for a high-def upgrade of this documentary, but the “new 2K digital
transfer” certainly looks sharper than the old 2002 SD Criterion
release, and features more subdued color tones.
Audio:
The linear PCM mono track is crisp and
efficient. There's not much to say about a film consisting mostly of
interviews save that there are no audio problems that would distract
the viewer. Optional English subtitles support the audio.
Extras:
The 2002 Criterion DVD was scant on
extra features, and this 2017 Blu-ray upgrade only adds a few small
ones.
We get the old 2001 interview with
Barbet Schroeder (26 min.) and a new 2017 interview (12 min.) with
the director which covers a good deal of the same ground. But, oh,
that story of how Amin “suggested” certain film cuts to Schroeder
can't be told enough.
The only other extra is a 2017
interview with author Andrew Rice (16 min.) who discusses Amin's
reign from seizing power to his self-imposed exile (he ran like a
coward).
The slim fold-out insert booklet
includes an essay by film critic J. Hoberman.
Final Thoughts:
Go ahead, laugh at the movie. It's
funny. But reflect on Amin's long, dead-eyed stare that wraps up the
film before you go calling it a rip-roaring comedy. In any case, it's
a great and essential documentary.
