Criterion Catch-Up 2, Part 4: General Idi Amin Dada: A Self Portrait

Crumb might've gone deeper, but 1974's General Idi Amin Dada: A Self Portrait went further.  Where Zwigoff's film peaks probably at Maxon Crumb confessing to molesting women in public with a creepy combination of regret and amusement, Dada is a true horror-show of a man; a remorseless mass murderer and quite possibly an actual cannibal.  You might recall Forest Whitaker's portrayal in the 2006 film The Last King of Scotland, but seeing the real man in a documentary with a shocking degree of access is even more haunting.  Not least because of how charming and likeable he proves to be.
The Self Portrait subtitle is somewhat ironic.  Director Barbet Schroeder (producer of several Eric Rohmer classics and featured actor in Beverly Hills Cop 3) was invited to Uganda from France to shadow and film Dada, where much was clearly staged for his benefit.  That resulted in a puff piece for Ugandan television.  But this is essentially a director's cut, the feature released internationally with all the things Dada didn't want shown, including footage the director could only safely put back after Dada's death.  We even see footage of him directing the cameraman himself.  This version is a scathing indictment and more importantly, a fascinating character study because it involves additional layers.  It's often funny; a truly once in a lifetime glimpse behind a dictatorship.
So Criterion's 2002 DVD was General Idi Amin Dada's debut on disc.  Eureka later put out a barebones DVD in the UK, but that was it until Criterion reissued it in HD with their 2017 blu-ray, which is still the film's sole BD release to this day.  Fortunately, it's pretty excellent.
2002 Criterion DVD top; 2017 Criterion BD bottom.
Crucially, unlike the other Criterions we've looked at in this Catch-Up, they've cooked up a whole new transfer for their BD upgrade of their own DVD.  Specifically, they scanned the original 16mm negative in 2k, and it's a huge improvement.  The framing is more than just the minor correction from 1.31:1 to 1.37:1, it pulls back to reveal even more information along the top as well as the sides.  Colors and shadows are bolder, edges are cleaner and detail is clearer.  Film grain is thoroughly represented and natural, which is more than I can say for some of the other blus in this series.  This is an upgrade even non-enthusiasts will appreciate.

Both discs feature the original mono with optional English subtitles, but dialogue is definitely clearer on the blu's new LPCM track.
Criterion's original DVD wasn't exactly a special edition, but it did include an (interlaced) interview with the director, where he helpfully tells the story behind the project.  That and an insert was it, though.  So it's nice that when they upgraded the disc, they kept the original director interview, but also conducted a new one.  In addition, they've interviewed a journalist about the real Dada and the history around the film.  It's still not exactly a packed special edition, but it does feel like a fuller overall experience, and it receives my highest unqualified recommendation.

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