45 General Idi Amin Dada Autoportrait
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45 General Idi Amin Dada Autoportrait
General Idi Amin Dada Autoportrait
If this mind-boggling documentary about one of the twentieth century's most reviled dictators were fiction it would be acclaimed as a comic masterpiece... but it is all true. With an ambition the size of Napoleon, Idi Amin considered himself a major leader and revolutionary on the world stage. In reality, his regime was amateurish, disorganised, and his maniacal command both hilarious and bizarre.
Knowing that Amin put at least 300,000 people to death between 1971 and 1979 gives the film a uniquely chilling tone. Through his anti-Semitic rages, fetish for artillery and military power, and the aggression that drifts through almost every speech, Amin attempts to transform himself into a figure of heroic proportions. He awarded himself the title: "His Excellency President for Life, Field Marshal Al Hadji Dr. Idi Amin, VC, DSO, MC, King of Scotland, Lord of All the Beasts of the Earth and Fishes of the Sea, and Conqueror of the British Empire in Africa in General and Uganda in Particular".
The Masters of Cinema Series is proud to present Barbet Schroeder's General Idi Amin Dada Autoportrait which, amazingly, was made with the full support and participation of Amin himself. Schroeder (Maitresse, Barfly, Single White Female) lets Amin do all the work, and instead of the carefully managed PR piece Amin clearly hoped for, we instead see a preening, vain, psychotic clown who aspires to be Africa's Hitler.
SPECIAL FEATURES
• New restored transfer from the original Ektachrome 16mm
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• 24-PAGE FULL-COLOUR BOOKLET containing a rare Barbet Schroeder Interview from December 1976; Notes on the cuts made to General Idi Amin Dada Autoportrait (which have since been restored); and A Chronos Who Devours Children – a psychological profile of Amin by Dr. Tilo Held, which uses Schroeder's film as its source material.
If this mind-boggling documentary about one of the twentieth century's most reviled dictators were fiction it would be acclaimed as a comic masterpiece... but it is all true. With an ambition the size of Napoleon, Idi Amin considered himself a major leader and revolutionary on the world stage. In reality, his regime was amateurish, disorganised, and his maniacal command both hilarious and bizarre.
Knowing that Amin put at least 300,000 people to death between 1971 and 1979 gives the film a uniquely chilling tone. Through his anti-Semitic rages, fetish for artillery and military power, and the aggression that drifts through almost every speech, Amin attempts to transform himself into a figure of heroic proportions. He awarded himself the title: "His Excellency President for Life, Field Marshal Al Hadji Dr. Idi Amin, VC, DSO, MC, King of Scotland, Lord of All the Beasts of the Earth and Fishes of the Sea, and Conqueror of the British Empire in Africa in General and Uganda in Particular".
The Masters of Cinema Series is proud to present Barbet Schroeder's General Idi Amin Dada Autoportrait which, amazingly, was made with the full support and participation of Amin himself. Schroeder (Maitresse, Barfly, Single White Female) lets Amin do all the work, and instead of the carefully managed PR piece Amin clearly hoped for, we instead see a preening, vain, psychotic clown who aspires to be Africa's Hitler.
SPECIAL FEATURES
• New restored transfer from the original Ektachrome 16mm
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• 24-PAGE FULL-COLOUR BOOKLET containing a rare Barbet Schroeder Interview from December 1976; Notes on the cuts made to General Idi Amin Dada Autoportrait (which have since been restored); and A Chronos Who Devours Children – a psychological profile of Amin by Dr. Tilo Held, which uses Schroeder's film as its source material.
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- bigP
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Re: 45 General Idi Amin Dada Autoportrait
DVDBeaver review up, and it appears Gary has stopped screening submitted reviews.
"The colors are muted and pale, and are not very pleasant to watch"
The screencaps posted defy the last statement, the colours look pretty strong to me given it's 16mm source and natural docu-handling.
"The colors are muted and pale, and are not very pleasant to watch"
The screencaps posted defy the last statement, the colours look pretty strong to me given it's 16mm source and natural docu-handling.
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- not perpee
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Re: 45 General Idi Amin Dada Autoportrait
Reviews like that just make me want to bang my head against the fucking wall.
The disc is an exemplary transfer for a film shot on 16mm.
The disc is an exemplary transfer for a film shot on 16mm.
- sidehacker
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Re: 45 General Idi Amin Dada Autoportrait
Yes, it looks so grainy too. What's with that, Nick?
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Re: 45 General Idi Amin Dada Autoportrait
I'm intrigued to see that some of the footage was exorcised - then again, Amin had some pretty peculiar ideas...
There's nothing wrong with the transfer at all - if you read Nestor Almendros' A Man with a Camera, it becomes abundantly clear why the source footage is sometimes less than perfectly lit, and it's no reflection on either the film or MoC.
There's nothing wrong with the transfer at all - if you read Nestor Almendros' A Man with a Camera, it becomes abundantly clear why the source footage is sometimes less than perfectly lit, and it's no reflection on either the film or MoC.
- tojoed
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Re: 45 General Idi Amin Dada Autoportrait
Is it me, or is DVD Beaver just getting worse and worse?
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- not perpee
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Re: 45 General Idi Amin Dada Autoportrait
btw. this review has now been altered. In case anybody's wondering what the fuss is.
- tojoed
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Re: 45 General Idi Amin Dada Autoportrait
The guy who wrote that review is a member here. Perhaps he can explain.
- bigP
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Re: 45 General Idi Amin Dada Autoportrait
MichaelB wrote:I'm intrigued to see that some of the footage was exorcised - then again, Amin had some pretty peculiar ideas...
Idi's exorcism remains... but it's good the review has been ammended.peerpee wrote:btw. this review has now been altered. In case anybody's wondering what the fuss is.
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Re: 45 General Idi Amin Dada Autoportrait
I'm confused... didn't this come out like a year or two ago?
- MichaelB
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Re: 45 General Idi Amin Dada Autoportrait
A slow writer, evidently.james wrote:I'm confused... didn't this come out like a year or two ago?
- perkizitore
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Re: 45 General Idi Amin Dada Autoportrait
I think Gary can be excused for not reviewing every DVD on the planet. However, i have to admit i am frustrated as well sometimes for the lack of some comparisons.
- aox
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Re: 45 General Idi Amin Dada Autoportrait
excellent documentary