General Idi Amin Dada: A Self-Portrait Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

General Idi Amin Dada: A Self-Portrait Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov January 14, 2018

Barbet Schroeder's "General Idi Amin Dada" (1974) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on the disc include archival and exclusive new video interviews with director Barbet Schroeder, as well as a new interview with author Andrew Rice. The release also arrives with an illustrated leaflet featuring an essay by critic J. Hoberman and technical credits. In English, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

The savior

The long statements delivered in awful broken English and the awkwardly timed casual laughs make large sections of the film look as if they have been extracted from a poor parody of some sort. But the more you listen to General Idi Amin Dada’s ramblings, the more you begin to realize that he takes himself very, very seriously. In his mind he is a revolutionary legend, a grand savior who has been chosen by his people to transform Uganda into the jewel of Africa.

Director Barbet Schroeder and his tiny team simply follow the General from one location to another and document his ‘educational’ descriptions of what Uganda was and what is becoming of it. At first it sounds like the General has a noble plan in place and he is working with his trusted assistants to make sure that it is implemented exactly as he has conceived it. He talks about revitalizing the local economy, empowering women, and improving Uganda’s image on the international stage. He also reveals that he is retraining all military personnel and replacing outdated equipment. Uganda, the General proclaims, has all the riches it needs to be a prosperous nation.

Out of nowhere the General throws a curve ball: When he is finished rebuilding the army, he is going to have his soldiers conquer the Golan Heights and then deal with the Jews -- once and for all, because they cannot be trusted.

The lunatic hiding behind the big and warm smile that the General frequently has on his face slowly reveals himself and then gradually becomes bolder. When at one point director Schroeder calmly asks the General if it is true that he once said that Hitler did not kill enough Jews, he laughs and just as calmly replies that it is irrelevant if he did. Hitler is dead, what made perfect sense before no longer does, times have changed.

During a cabinet meeting the lunatic quickly evolves into a dangerous psychopath and demands that his ministers teach the people the value of loving their leader. It is crucial for the success of his grand plan, and if there is anyone that disagrees with him then this person obviously does not have the right qualifications to be part of his government. A few are quietly taking notes, but most are terrified to look the psychopath in the eyes. His voice is like a whip that is becoming stronger by the minute.

Amidst the sea of angry and delusional statements director Schroeder occasionally turns the camera away from the General and provides glimpses of the other Uganda -- a disturbingly poor nation of striking contrasts whose people barely make ends meet. It is the exact opposite of the underappreciated African paradise that the General insists it is; it is a borderline surreal place paralyzed by fear and slowly eroding from within. A few, director Schroeder confirms, have dared to publicly describe exactly what his camera has seen, but their bodies have turned up in the ditches. In a revolutionary paradise there is no room for non-believers.

*Director Schroeder shot the documentary on location in Uganda with the great Spanish cinematographer Néstor Almendros, whose credits include such classic films as Kramer vs. Kramer, Days of Heaven, Claire's Knee, and Maitresse.

General Idi Amin Dada: A Self-Portrait Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.37:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC, and granted a 1080p transfer, Barbet Schroeder's General Idi Amin Dada: A Self-Portrait arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion.

The following text appears inside the leaflet provided for this Blu-ray release:

"Director Barbe Schroeder supervised and approved this new 2K digital transfer, which was created on an ARRISCAN film scanner from the 16mm original camera negative. The original monaural soundtrack was transferred from the 16mm magnetic track. Clicks, thumps, hiss, and crackle were manually removed using Pro Tools HD and iZotope RX.

Colorist: Olivier Dassonville/Lumieres, Numeriques, Lyon, France."

The entire film looks terrific in high-definition. Obviously, some minor density fluctuations are present because different segments were shot under unique 'live' conditions, but these fluctuations are a byproduct of what I typically describe in our reviews as 'inherited limitations'. In other words, they are part of the actual footage that Barbet Schroeder and the great cinematographer Néstor Almendros shot together (you can see the difference if you compare screencaptures #1 and 13). There are no traces of compromising digital adjustments. The color grading is excellent, supporting a strong and healthy primaries with equally convincing ranges of healthy nuances. Image stability is excellent. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

General Idi Amin Dada: A Self-Portrait Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 1.0. Optional English subtitles are provided for the main feature.

There is some sporadic very light unevenness that can be observed as the camera follows the General from one location to another and he delivers his lengthy explanations, but again as it was the case with the density fluctuations they are part of the original sound design (for example, there are segments that focus on military training games with plenty of external noise). On the other hand, even the dialogue/monologue is very clear, a lot of people will likely want to use the English subtitles because of the broken English and heavy accents. The important thing here is that there no age-related imperfections or purely digital anomalies.

General Idi Amin Dada: A Self-Portrait Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Barbet Schroeder - presented here are two interviews with director Barbet Schroeder in which he recalls his experiences in Uganda during the making of General Idi Amin Dada: A Self-Portrait as well its form and identity. Both interviews were conducted exclusively for Criterion, and the second is a brand new one. In English, not subtitled.
  
  1. Interview One (2001). (27 min, 1080i).
  2. Interview Two (2017). (13 min, 1080p).

• Andrew Rice - in this brand new video interview, Andrew Rice, author of The Teeth May Smile but the Heart Does Not Forget: Murder and Memory in Uganda, discusses the historical image and legacy of General Idi Amin Dada. The interview was conducted exclusively for Criterion in New York City in August 2017. In English, not subtitled. (16 min, 1080i).

• Leaflet - an illustrated leaflet featuring critic J. Hoberman's essay "A Tyrant for Our Times" and technical credits.

General Idi Amin Dada: A Self-Portrait Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

There isn't a huge difference between the 'strategic' political philosophy and delusions of grandeur that defined General Idi Amin Dada and his legacy and the policies and actions of the dictator that currently has Venezuela on its knees. Predictably, both men came to power as revolutionary fanatics, and when Nicolás Maduro's reign eventually ends, there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that someone will make a film about him that looks a lot like Barbet Schroeder's film. This future film won't be an eye-opener either, it will simply rehash a lot of the conventional truths that allow these types of national 'leaders' to emerge and cling to power for as long as possible. Criterion's recent Blu-ray release of General Idi Amin Dada: A Self-Portrait is sourced from an excellent 2K restoration that was supervised and approved by Barbet Schroeder. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.