Movie Rant 2: The Last King of Scotland

I was able to catch two films during the last day of the special screenings of arthouse films in Greenbelt Cinema 1. The first movie that I watched was The Last King of Scotland.

Power is really seductive. Just ask Nicholas Gerrigan (James McAvoy), the Scottish doctor who became the personal physician of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin (Forest Whitaker). The film is an actual/fictional biography of the rise to despotism of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin told through the eyes of a young Scottish doctor (Nicholas Gerrigan).

Power is really seductive. One would wonder why Nicholas Gerrigan, amid the horror stories about the dictator, would willingly embrace the charms of Idi Amin without a second thought that it borders naivety (or stupidity?). Or is it just because Idi Amin is very smart, too charming and very persuasive? Whatever the possibility is, the idea of power is too mesmerizing that everyone try to grab it at whatever cost. Just look at the many candidates that the Philippines has for its incoming senatorial and local elections (May 14th). Or read the local dailies and one would read about a politician's assassination (again).

Through the eyes of Nicholas Gerrigan, the film's director, Kevin Macdonald was able to convey the many facets of Idi Amin: charismatic and magnetic but at the same time unpredictable, paranoid and brutal. Through Nicholas Gerrigan, viewers are able to see what Idi Amin is really capable of, and that spelled out fear and terror throughout Uganda between 1971-1979.

The film is engaging enough because you never know how it ends, and the powerful performances of the main protagonists would keep you glued to the screen. Go catch this film either in cinemas or DVD.


For the plot summary, click here.

For casts and credits, click here.

Movie Rant 1: Letters from Iwo Jima

Greenbelt Cinema 1 is currently showing some arthouse films this week (April 9-15). So for those who missed out some good films during the latter part of 2006 and the first two months of 2007, now is the good time to catch those movies.

I was able to catch the screening of Letters from Iwo Jima (with English subtitles) directed by Clint Eastwood. This is the Japanese perspective of the Iwo Jima battle, one of the bloodiest battles during WW II. The other film made was from an American perspective, Flags of Our Fathers, also made by Eastwood (I was not able to watch the American perspective).

Though the film talks about the horrors of the war, it is more or less tamed down. The primary focus of the film revolves around the psyche of the main protagonists. Clearly, the film is about strength, honor and courage, and trying to break away from rigid traditional Japanese culture as expressed by the main protagonists. The nature of the film may be depressing, but towards its end, it more or less offers hope. There are a lot of snippets worth remembering in the film, since most of them are true, and thus can serve as reflections with our realities. For these alone, the film is worth one's time and money. Go catch this film either in cinemas or DVD.



Plot Summary: Letters From Iwo Jima is a recreation of the events that transpired during the American invasion of Iwo Jima during World War II, as told from the Japanese perspective. The island of Iwo Jima stands between the American military force and the home islands of Japan. Therefore, the Imperial Japanese Army is desperate to prevent it from falling into American hands and providing a launching point for an invasion of Japan. In February of 1945, some 22,000 Japanese troops defended the island against the overwhelming American forces that overwhelmingly outnumbered them. Like a memoir, the film follows the personal story of a young soldier, Saigo, a poor baker in civilian life, strives with his friends to survive the harsh regime of the Japanese army itself, as they fight for survival throughout the battles and are forced to watch helplessly as their closest comrades succumb to unavoidable deaths. The story also revolves around real-life Lieutenant General Tadamichi Kuribayashi, who was given command of the forces on the island and sets out to prepare for the imminent attack. General Kuribayashi continued to defend the island with his forces even as the fighting drew close to its inevitable conclusion.

For casts and credits, click here.