The Last King of Scotland (film)
Encyclopedia
The Last King of Scotland is a 2006 British drama film
based on Giles Foden
's novel of the same name
, adapted by screenwriters Peter Morgan
and Jeremy Brock
, and directed by Kevin Macdonald
. The film was a co-production between companies from the United Kingdom and the United States, including Fox Searchlight Pictures
and Film4
.
The Last King of Scotland tells the fictional story of Dr. Nicholas Garrigan (James McAvoy
), a young Scottish doctor who travels to Uganda
and becomes the personal physician to the dictator Idi Amin
(Forest Whitaker
). The film is based on factual events of Amin's rule and the title comes from a reporter in a press conference who wishes to verify whether Amin declared himself the King of Scotland. Amin was known to invent and adopt fancy imperial titles for himself.
The Last King of Scotland received wide critical acclaim. Particular focus went to Whitaker, who received outstanding critical acclaim for his performance as dictator Idi Amin in the film. He won the Best Leading Actor award at the Academy Awards
among others, and the film was also a financial success.
) graduates from medical school in Scotland. Faced with dull prospect at home, he decides to seek adventure abroad by working at a Uganda
n missionary clinic run by Dr. David Merrit (Adam Kotz) and his wife, Sarah (Gillian Anderson
). Garrigan quickly becomes attracted to Sarah, who enjoys his attention but refuses to engage in an extramarital affair with him. Coinciding with this is General Idi Amin
's (Forest Whitaker
) coup d’état to overthrow incumbent president Milton Obote
. Garrigan sincerely believes that Amin will help the country, while Sarah tells him it will be more of the same. Garrigan is called to a minor car accident involving Amin where he treats his hand. Amin, fond of Scotland as a symbol of resilience, is delighted to discover the doctor's nationality. Their friendship is cemented when Amin exchanges his military shirt for Garrigan's "Scotland" shirt. Later, Amin invites Garrigan to become his personal physician and take charge of modernising the country's health care system.
Garrigan soon becomes Amin's trusted confidant and is relied on for much more than medical care, such as matters of state. Although Garrigan is aware of violence around Kampala
, he accepts Amin's explanation that cracking down on the opposition will bring lasting peace to the country. Garrigan discovers that the polygamous
leader has ostracised the youngest of his three wives, Kay (Kerry Washington
), because she has given birth to an epileptic
son, Mackenzie (Apollo Okwenje Omamo). In the course of treating Mackenzie, Garrigan falls for Kay, and the two become lovers. Eventually, he begins to lose faith in Amin as he witnesses the increasing paranoia, repressive murders and xenophobia
in expelling South Asians from the country. Amin replaces the doctor's British passport
with a Ugandan one to prevent him from escaping which leads Garrigan to a frantic visit for help to Stone (Simon McBurney
), the local British Foreign Office representative. He is told that the British will help him leave Uganda on one condition: Garrigan must use his role as Amin's confidant to assassinate him, but Garrigan refuses.
His situation worsens when Kay informs him that she has become pregnant with his child. If Amin realizes, she will be murdered for her infidelity, so she begs Garrigan to carry out a secret abortion. Delayed by Amin's command that he attend a press conference for Western journalists, Garrigan fails to meet Kay at the appointed time; she concludes that she has been abandoned and seeks out a primitive abortion in a nearby village, where she is apprehended by Amin's forces. Garrigan searches for her and finds her savagely mutilated corpse on an autopsy table, with her arms and legs severed and reattached in the opposite manner. As he falls retching to his knees, he finally confronts the palpable inhumanity of Amin's regime, and decides that killing him is the only way to put a stop to it all. Shortly thereafter, a hijacked aircraft is flown
to Entebbe by pro-Palestinian hijackers seeking asylum
from agents of international law. Amin, intending to help them, rushes to the scene, taking Garrigan along. At the airport, one of Amin's bodyguards discovers Garrigan's plot to poison Amin, under the ruse of giving him pills for a headache. His treachery revealed, Garrigan is beaten by Amin's henchmen before Amin himself arrives and discloses that he is aware of the doctor's relationship with Kay. As punishment, Garrigan's chest is pierced with meat hooks and he is hanged by the skin.
While Amin arranges a plane for the release of all hostages except Israel
is, Garrigan's torturers temporarily leave him bleeding on the floor while they relax in another room. Garrigan's medical colleague, Dr. Junju (David Oyelowo
), takes advantage of the opportunity to rescue him, at the same time urging him to tell the world the truth about Amin's brutal regime, asserting that because Garrigan is white the world will believe him. Junju gives Garrigan his own jacket, enabling him to mingle unnoticed with the crowd of freed hostages and board the plane. When the torturers discover Garrigan's absence, Junju is shot dead. The plane departs with Garrigan on board; Amin is informed too late to prevent it while Garrigan tearfully remembers the people of Uganda. The closing shows real footage of Amin, as well as figures such as the 300,000 that died under his regime, and his eventual death in 2003, in exile in Saudi Arabia
.
In the United States and Canada, the film earned $17,606,684 at the box office. In the United Kingdom, the film took $11,131,918. Its combined worldwide gross was $48,362,207.
The film was released on DVD in North America on 17 April 2007.
Whitaker received outstanding critical acclaim for his performance as dictator Idi Amin in the film. He won the Best Leading Actor award at the Academy Awards
, the Golden Globes, the Screen Actors' Guild and the BAFTAs
, in addition to awards from the Broadcast Film Critics Association
, New York Film Critics' Circle, Los Angeles Film Critics' Association, the National Board of Review and many other critics awards, for a total of at least 23 major awards, with at least one more nomination. The movie currently holds a "fresh" 87% on the Rotten Tomatoes
website. Whitaker's performance was dubbed as the best foreign male actor performance at the Egyptian International film festival in 2007.
The film was received well in Uganda, where it premiered two days before Whitaker won the Best Actor award.
The film received a 2007 BAFTA Award for Best British Film and the BAFTA award for Best Adapted Screenplay, in addition to receiving nominations for Best Film. James McAvoy
was nominated for Best Supporting Actor.
The film was also considered a financial success, grossing more than eight times its budget.
. Like the novel on which it is based, the film mixes fiction with real events in Ugandan history
to give an impression of Amin and Uganda under his authoritarian rule. While the basic events of Amin's life are followed, the film often departs from actual history in the details of particular events.
In real life and in the book, Kay Amin was made pregnant by her lover Dr. Mbalu Mukasa. She died during a botched abortion operation by Mukasa, who subsequently committed suicide. Bob Astles, upon whom the character of Dr. Nicholas Garrigan is based, believes that her body was mutilated not on Amin's orders, but by Mukasa while attempting to hide it. Amin never had a son named Campbell.
Contrary to the wording of the film's coda, three hostages died during Operation Entebbe
. The body of a fourth hostage, 75-year-old Dora Bloch, who was killed by Ugandan Army officers at a nearby hospital, was eventually returned to Israel. A small historical error regards the flags shown flying at Entebbe Airport: The green-and-white flag
of the Republic of Rhodesia
(modern-day Zimbabwe
) is clearly shown flying alongside the flags of the other African nations, despite its non-recognition by Uganda and the international community.
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
based on Giles Foden
Giles Foden
Giles Foden is an English author best known for his award-winning novel The Last King of Scotland .-Biography:Giles Foden was born in Warwickshire in 1967. His family moved to Malawi in 1971 where he was raised...
's novel of the same name
The Last King of Scotland
The Last King of Scotland is an award-winning 1998 novel by journalist Giles Foden. Focusing on the rise of Ugandan President Idi Amin and his reign as dictator from 1971 to 1979, the novel is written as the memoir of a fictional Scottish doctor in Amin's employ. Giles Foden's novel received...
, adapted by screenwriters Peter Morgan
Peter Morgan
Peter Morgan may refer to:* Peter Morgan , British sports car manufacturer* Peter Morgan , 1978 British Formula Ford champion* Peter Morgan , Wales and British lions international...
and Jeremy Brock
Jeremy Brock
Jeremy Brock is an English actor, producer, writer, fisher and director whose works include the screenplays Mrs. Brown, Driving Lessons, Last King of Scotland, and Charlotte Gray....
, and directed by Kevin Macdonald
Kevin MacDonald (director)
Kevin Macdonald is a Scottish director, best known for his films One Day in September, State of Play, The Last King of Scotland and Touching the Void.-Personal life:...
. The film was a co-production between companies from the United Kingdom and the United States, including Fox Searchlight Pictures
Fox Searchlight Pictures
Fox Searchlight Pictures, established in 1998, is a film division of Fox Filmed Entertainment alongside the larger Fox studio 20th Century Fox...
and Film4
Film4 Productions
Film4 Productions is a British film production company owned by Channel 4. The company has been responsible for backing a large number of films made in the United Kingdom. The company's first production was Walter, directed by Stephen Frears, which was released in 1982.- History :Before 1998, the...
.
The Last King of Scotland tells the fictional story of Dr. Nicholas Garrigan (James McAvoy
James McAvoy
James McAvoy is a Scottish stage and screen actor. He made his acting debut as a teen in 1995's The Near Room and continued to make mostly television appearances until the early 2000s. His notable television work includes State of Play, Shameless, and Frank Herbert's Children of Dune...
), a young Scottish doctor who travels to Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
and becomes the personal physician to the dictator Idi Amin
Idi Amin
Idi Amin Dada was a military leader and President of Uganda from 1971 to 1979. Amin joined the British colonial regiment, the King's African Rifles in 1946. Eventually he held the rank of Major General in the post-colonial Ugandan Army and became its Commander before seizing power in the military...
(Forest Whitaker
Forest Whitaker
Forest Steven Whitaker is an American actor, producer, and director. He has earned a reputation for intensive character study work for films such as Bird and Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai, and for his recurring role as ex-LAPD Lieutenant Jon Kavanaugh on the gritty, award-winning television...
). The film is based on factual events of Amin's rule and the title comes from a reporter in a press conference who wishes to verify whether Amin declared himself the King of Scotland. Amin was known to invent and adopt fancy imperial titles for himself.
The Last King of Scotland received wide critical acclaim. Particular focus went to Whitaker, who received outstanding critical acclaim for his performance as dictator Idi Amin in the film. He won the Best Leading Actor award at the Academy Awards
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
among others, and the film was also a financial success.
Plot
In 1970, Nicholas Garrigan (James McAvoyJames McAvoy
James McAvoy is a Scottish stage and screen actor. He made his acting debut as a teen in 1995's The Near Room and continued to make mostly television appearances until the early 2000s. His notable television work includes State of Play, Shameless, and Frank Herbert's Children of Dune...
) graduates from medical school in Scotland. Faced with dull prospect at home, he decides to seek adventure abroad by working at a Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
n missionary clinic run by Dr. David Merrit (Adam Kotz) and his wife, Sarah (Gillian Anderson
Gillian Anderson
Gillian Leigh Anderson is an American actress.After beginning her career in theatre, Anderson achieved international recognition for her role as Special Agent Dana Scully on the American television series The X-Files. During the show's nine seasons, Anderson won Emmy, Golden Globe, and Screen...
). Garrigan quickly becomes attracted to Sarah, who enjoys his attention but refuses to engage in an extramarital affair with him. Coinciding with this is General Idi Amin
Idi Amin
Idi Amin Dada was a military leader and President of Uganda from 1971 to 1979. Amin joined the British colonial regiment, the King's African Rifles in 1946. Eventually he held the rank of Major General in the post-colonial Ugandan Army and became its Commander before seizing power in the military...
's (Forest Whitaker
Forest Whitaker
Forest Steven Whitaker is an American actor, producer, and director. He has earned a reputation for intensive character study work for films such as Bird and Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai, and for his recurring role as ex-LAPD Lieutenant Jon Kavanaugh on the gritty, award-winning television...
) coup d’état to overthrow incumbent president Milton Obote
Milton Obote
Apolo Milton Obote , Prime Minister of Uganda from 1962 to 1966 and President of Uganda from 1966 to 1971, then again from 1980 to 1985. He was a Ugandan political leader who led Uganda towards independence from the British colonial administration in 1962.He was overthrown by Idi Amin in 1971, but...
. Garrigan sincerely believes that Amin will help the country, while Sarah tells him it will be more of the same. Garrigan is called to a minor car accident involving Amin where he treats his hand. Amin, fond of Scotland as a symbol of resilience, is delighted to discover the doctor's nationality. Their friendship is cemented when Amin exchanges his military shirt for Garrigan's "Scotland" shirt. Later, Amin invites Garrigan to become his personal physician and take charge of modernising the country's health care system.
Garrigan soon becomes Amin's trusted confidant and is relied on for much more than medical care, such as matters of state. Although Garrigan is aware of violence around Kampala
Kampala
Kampala is the largest city and capital of Uganda. The city is divided into five boroughs that oversee local planning: Kampala Central Division, Kawempe Division, Makindye Division, Nakawa Division and Lubaga Division. The city is coterminous with Kampala District.-History: of Buganda, had chosen...
, he accepts Amin's explanation that cracking down on the opposition will bring lasting peace to the country. Garrigan discovers that the polygamous
Polygamy
Polygamy is a marriage which includes more than two partners...
leader has ostracised the youngest of his three wives, Kay (Kerry Washington
Kerry Washington
Kerry Washington is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Ray Charles's wife, Della Bea Robinson, in the film Ray , as Idi Amin's wife Kay in The Last King of Scotland, and as Alicia Masters, love interest of Ben Grimm, The Thing, in the live-action Fantastic Four films of 2005 and 2007...
), because she has given birth to an epileptic
Epilepsy
Epilepsy is a common chronic neurological disorder characterized by seizures. These seizures are transient signs and/or symptoms of abnormal, excessive or hypersynchronous neuronal activity in the brain.About 50 million people worldwide have epilepsy, and nearly two out of every three new cases...
son, Mackenzie (Apollo Okwenje Omamo). In the course of treating Mackenzie, Garrigan falls for Kay, and the two become lovers. Eventually, he begins to lose faith in Amin as he witnesses the increasing paranoia, repressive murders and xenophobia
Xenophobia
Xenophobia is defined as "an unreasonable fear of foreigners or strangers or of that which is foreign or strange". It comes from the Greek words ξένος , meaning "stranger," "foreigner" and φόβος , meaning "fear."...
in expelling South Asians from the country. Amin replaces the doctor's British passport
British passport
British passports may be issued to people holding any of the various forms of British nationality, and are used as evidence of the bearer's nationality and immigration status within the United Kingdom or the issuing state/territory.-Issuing:...
with a Ugandan one to prevent him from escaping which leads Garrigan to a frantic visit for help to Stone (Simon McBurney
Simon McBurney
Simon Montagu McBurney, OBE is an English actor, writer and director. He is the founder and artistic director of Théâtre de Complicité in England, now called Complicite.-Early life:...
), the local British Foreign Office representative. He is told that the British will help him leave Uganda on one condition: Garrigan must use his role as Amin's confidant to assassinate him, but Garrigan refuses.
His situation worsens when Kay informs him that she has become pregnant with his child. If Amin realizes, she will be murdered for her infidelity, so she begs Garrigan to carry out a secret abortion. Delayed by Amin's command that he attend a press conference for Western journalists, Garrigan fails to meet Kay at the appointed time; she concludes that she has been abandoned and seeks out a primitive abortion in a nearby village, where she is apprehended by Amin's forces. Garrigan searches for her and finds her savagely mutilated corpse on an autopsy table, with her arms and legs severed and reattached in the opposite manner. As he falls retching to his knees, he finally confronts the palpable inhumanity of Amin's regime, and decides that killing him is the only way to put a stop to it all. Shortly thereafter, a hijacked aircraft is flown
Operation Entebbe
Operation Entebbe was a counter-terrorist hostage-rescue mission carried out by the Special Forces of the Israel Defense Forces at Entebbe Airport in Uganda on 4 July 1976. A week earlier, on 27 June, an Air France plane with 248 passengers was hijacked by Palestinian and German terrorists and...
to Entebbe by pro-Palestinian hijackers seeking asylum
Right of asylum
Right of asylum is an ancient juridical notion, under which a person persecuted for political opinions or religious beliefs in his or her own country may be protected by another sovereign authority, a foreign country, or church sanctuaries...
from agents of international law. Amin, intending to help them, rushes to the scene, taking Garrigan along. At the airport, one of Amin's bodyguards discovers Garrigan's plot to poison Amin, under the ruse of giving him pills for a headache. His treachery revealed, Garrigan is beaten by Amin's henchmen before Amin himself arrives and discloses that he is aware of the doctor's relationship with Kay. As punishment, Garrigan's chest is pierced with meat hooks and he is hanged by the skin.
While Amin arranges a plane for the release of all hostages except Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
is, Garrigan's torturers temporarily leave him bleeding on the floor while they relax in another room. Garrigan's medical colleague, Dr. Junju (David Oyelowo
David Oyelowo
- Background :Oyelowo was born in Oxford, England of Nigerian descent. He is married to actress Jessica Oyelowo and they have three sons.Oyelowo first attended a youth theatre after being invited by a girl to whom he was attracted. He then studied Theatre Studies for A level and his teacher...
), takes advantage of the opportunity to rescue him, at the same time urging him to tell the world the truth about Amin's brutal regime, asserting that because Garrigan is white the world will believe him. Junju gives Garrigan his own jacket, enabling him to mingle unnoticed with the crowd of freed hostages and board the plane. When the torturers discover Garrigan's absence, Junju is shot dead. The plane departs with Garrigan on board; Amin is informed too late to prevent it while Garrigan tearfully remembers the people of Uganda. The closing shows real footage of Amin, as well as figures such as the 300,000 that died under his regime, and his eventual death in 2003, in exile in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
.
Cast
- Forest WhitakerForest WhitakerForest Steven Whitaker is an American actor, producer, and director. He has earned a reputation for intensive character study work for films such as Bird and Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai, and for his recurring role as ex-LAPD Lieutenant Jon Kavanaugh on the gritty, award-winning television...
as Idi AminIdi AminIdi Amin Dada was a military leader and President of Uganda from 1971 to 1979. Amin joined the British colonial regiment, the King's African Rifles in 1946. Eventually he held the rank of Major General in the post-colonial Ugandan Army and became its Commander before seizing power in the military... - James McAvoyJames McAvoyJames McAvoy is a Scottish stage and screen actor. He made his acting debut as a teen in 1995's The Near Room and continued to make mostly television appearances until the early 2000s. His notable television work includes State of Play, Shameless, and Frank Herbert's Children of Dune...
as Nicholas Garrigan - Gillian AndersonGillian AndersonGillian Leigh Anderson is an American actress.After beginning her career in theatre, Anderson achieved international recognition for her role as Special Agent Dana Scully on the American television series The X-Files. During the show's nine seasons, Anderson won Emmy, Golden Globe, and Screen...
as Sarah Merrit - Kerry WashingtonKerry WashingtonKerry Washington is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Ray Charles's wife, Della Bea Robinson, in the film Ray , as Idi Amin's wife Kay in The Last King of Scotland, and as Alicia Masters, love interest of Ben Grimm, The Thing, in the live-action Fantastic Four films of 2005 and 2007...
as Kay Amin - Simon McBurneySimon McBurneySimon Montagu McBurney, OBE is an English actor, writer and director. He is the founder and artistic director of Théâtre de Complicité in England, now called Complicite.-Early life:...
as Stone - Apollo Okwenje Omamo as Mackenzie
- David OyelowoDavid Oyelowo- Background :Oyelowo was born in Oxford, England of Nigerian descent. He is married to actress Jessica Oyelowo and they have three sons.Oyelowo first attended a youth theatre after being invited by a girl to whom he was attracted. He then studied Theatre Studies for A level and his teacher...
as Dr. Junju
Release
The Last King of Scotland received a limited release in the United States on 27 September 2006, with a UK release on 12 January 2007, a French release on 14 February 2007 and a German release on 15 March 2007. In the United States the film was rated "R" by the MPAA for strong violence, gruesome images, nudity and strong language.In the United States and Canada, the film earned $17,606,684 at the box office. In the United Kingdom, the film took $11,131,918. Its combined worldwide gross was $48,362,207.
The film was released on DVD in North America on 17 April 2007.
Reception
| Academy Awards record | |
|---|---|
| 1. Best Actor Academy Award for Best Actor Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry... (Forest Whitaker) |
|
| Golden Globe Awards record | |
| 1. Best Actor - Drama (Forest Whitaker) | |
| BAFTA Awards record | |
| 1. Best British Film | |
| 2. Best Actor (Forest Whitaker) | |
| 3. Best Adapted Screenplay | |
Whitaker received outstanding critical acclaim for his performance as dictator Idi Amin in the film. He won the Best Leading Actor award at the Academy Awards
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
, the Golden Globes, the Screen Actors' Guild and the BAFTAs
BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role
Best Actor in a Leading Role is a British Academy Film award presented annually by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts to recognize an actor who has delivered an outstanding leading performance in a film.-Superlatives:...
, in addition to awards from the Broadcast Film Critics Association
Broadcast Film Critics Association
The Broadcast Film Critics Association is the largest film critics organization in the United States and Canada , representing approximately 250 television, radio and online critics....
, New York Film Critics' Circle, Los Angeles Film Critics' Association, the National Board of Review and many other critics awards, for a total of at least 23 major awards, with at least one more nomination. The movie currently holds a "fresh" 87% on the Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
website. Whitaker's performance was dubbed as the best foreign male actor performance at the Egyptian International film festival in 2007.
The film was received well in Uganda, where it premiered two days before Whitaker won the Best Actor award.
The film received a 2007 BAFTA Award for Best British Film and the BAFTA award for Best Adapted Screenplay, in addition to receiving nominations for Best Film. James McAvoy
James McAvoy
James McAvoy is a Scottish stage and screen actor. He made his acting debut as a teen in 1995's The Near Room and continued to make mostly television appearances until the early 2000s. His notable television work includes State of Play, Shameless, and Frank Herbert's Children of Dune...
was nominated for Best Supporting Actor.
The film was also considered a financial success, grossing more than eight times its budget.
Historical accuracy
While the character of Idi Amin and the events surrounding him in the movie are mostly factual, Garrigan is a fictional character. His story is loosely based on events in the life of English-born Bob AstlesBob Astles
Robert "Bob" Astles is a former British soldier and colonial officer who lived in Uganda and became an associate of presidents Milton Obote and Idi Amin.-Early life:...
. Like the novel on which it is based, the film mixes fiction with real events in Ugandan history
History of Uganda
The history of Uganda comprises the history of the territory of present-day Uganda in East Africa and the peoples inhabiting the region.-Early independent Uganda:...
to give an impression of Amin and Uganda under his authoritarian rule. While the basic events of Amin's life are followed, the film often departs from actual history in the details of particular events.
In real life and in the book, Kay Amin was made pregnant by her lover Dr. Mbalu Mukasa. She died during a botched abortion operation by Mukasa, who subsequently committed suicide. Bob Astles, upon whom the character of Dr. Nicholas Garrigan is based, believes that her body was mutilated not on Amin's orders, but by Mukasa while attempting to hide it. Amin never had a son named Campbell.
Contrary to the wording of the film's coda, three hostages died during Operation Entebbe
Operation Entebbe
Operation Entebbe was a counter-terrorist hostage-rescue mission carried out by the Special Forces of the Israel Defense Forces at Entebbe Airport in Uganda on 4 July 1976. A week earlier, on 27 June, an Air France plane with 248 passengers was hijacked by Palestinian and German terrorists and...
. The body of a fourth hostage, 75-year-old Dora Bloch, who was killed by Ugandan Army officers at a nearby hospital, was eventually returned to Israel. A small historical error regards the flags shown flying at Entebbe Airport: The green-and-white flag
Flag of Rhodesia
The Flag of Rhodesia changed many times as a result of political changes in the country.Prior to 1953, the then Southern Rhodesia followed British colonial practice, by using a Blue Ensign with the Union Flag in the canton and the shield from the colony's coat of arms in the fly.In 1953, Southern...
of the Republic of Rhodesia
Rhodesia
Rhodesia , officially the Republic of Rhodesia from 1970, was an unrecognised state located in southern Africa that existed between 1965 and 1979 following its Unilateral Declaration of Independence from the United Kingdom on 11 November 1965...
(modern-day Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
) is clearly shown flying alongside the flags of the other African nations, despite its non-recognition by Uganda and the international community.