Infamy and Tyranny Trivia Quiz

Answer: Adolf Hitler

The film was based on the novel 'Schindler's Ark' which was written by Thomas Keneally. Steven Spielberg both directed and produced it and shot the film primarily in black and white. Set during World War II, it depicts a German factory owner named Oskar Schindler (Liam Neeson) who saved numerous Jewish people from the Holocaust by employing them as essential workers in Krakow, Poland.

Although Hitler is not depicted in the film. He was the Fuhrer during the events of the film, and other real life Nazis do appear including Amon Göth Ralph Fiennes), Josef Mengele (Daniel del Ponte), the infamous Angel of Death, and Rudolf Höss (Hans-Michael Rehberg), the Commandant of Auschwitz.

The real life Hitler came to power in 1934 and embroiled much of the world in the horrors of World War II. He was the instigator of the Holocaust, which killed numerous Jews and other so-called 'undesirables' such as homosexuals, Roma and anyone who opposed Hitler. When it was clear the war was lost, Hitler committed suicide in April 1945.

Answer: Benito Mussolini

This historical film told the story of the Second Italo-Senussi War of 1923-1932. The war is also known as the Pacification of Libya, especially in Italy, the victors. At the time, Libya was partly colonised by Italy, with Libyan rebellion led by Omar al-Mukhtar, played by Anthony Quinn in the film. His nickname provided the film's title. In opposition, the Italians forces were led by General Rodolfo Graziani (Oliver Reed) with Italy's leader being Benito Mussolini, portrayed by Rod Steiger.

The film is best known in the Arab world, depicting the fight against colonisation, and was banned in Italy. The fight was lost at this time, with al-Mukhtar being hanged as a rebel, but Libya obtained full independence after World War II.

Mussolini became Prime Minister of Italy in 1922 and remained in power until he was captured and killed by his own countrymen. Mussolini's time in power was marked by the use of propaganda designed to convince the Italian population that he was some kind of superman with his nickname of Il Duce adding to his aura. His ignominious attempt to escape the country in 1943 and his death rather disproved this view.

Answer: Saddam Hussein

Lee Tamahori directed this film, which was about Uday Hussein, the devil of the title. The basis of the story is the real-life claim of a soldier named Latif Yahia that he was forced to act as Uday's double to reduce the risk that the real Uday would be assassinated. Dominic Cooper, who also played Sky in both 'Mamma Mia' films (2008 and 2018) plays both roles. Uday's debauched lifestyle sickens his stand-in, who eventually attempts to kill Uday himself, unsuccessfully although Uday is maimed.

Uday's father, Saddam, does appear in the film, played by Philip Quast. In the real world, Uday, along with his brother Qusay, was eventually killed by American forces in 2003. Yahia survived, although the truth of his claims has been widely disputed.

Saddam Hussein was officially in power from 1979 until 2003. His decision to invade Kuwait in 1990 was the beginning of the end for him, although it took several years before Iraq was invaded by a coalition of troops from different countries. Saddam Hussein was captured by American soldiers in 2003, tried for crimes against humanity and executed, by hanging, in 2006.

Answer: Francisco Franco

Directed by Guillermo del Toro, the film is set in 1944 in Spain. Although much of the world was embroiled in the Second World War, Spain remained neutral although it was still recovering from its Civil War which had brought Franco to power. The story mixes real life with myth when the heroine of the film, a ten year old girl named Olelia, discovers a labyrinth and meets a faun who believes Olelia to be a long lost princess. In the real world Olelia is torn between her stepfather, who tortures and kills rebels, and other people close to her who she realise support the rebels.

The story ends with the deaths of both Olelia and her stepfather although she is transformed into the princess of the fairy story. Del Toro describes the film as a parable as Olelia finds an escape from the brutality which surrounds her.

Franco remained in power from 1936 until his death in 1975. Although his dictatorship was noted for its brutal suppression of any opposition, he did also bring economic stability to Spain. He also restored the monarchy in his later years, with King Juan Carlos I being his successor as head of government.

Answer: Nero

The film was based on a novel by Henryk Sienkiewicz and published in 1896 and which has been adapted for stage and films on several occasions. The 1951 film is probably the best known and most successful, receiving eight Oscar nominations but winning none of them. It is set during the later years of Nero's reign as Emperor of Rome and covers the burning of the city and the persecution of the Christians - two of the many atrocities attributed to Nero.

The film starred Peter Ustinov as the increasingly deranged Nero, with Robert Taylor as a military commander and Deborah Kerr as the Christian woman he falls in love with. Saint Peter makes an appearance too, played by Finlay Currie, with his execution by crucifixion forming part of the film.

Nero became the fifth emperor of Rome in succession to Claudius with his time in power lasting from 37 AD until his death in 68 AD. His death is described as suicide but he lacked the courage to stab himself and needed assistance to deliver the fatal blow. His reign is one of the most bloodthirsty with his mother, who had been his advisor, and his first wife among those who died on his instructions. Nero is widely believed to have ordered the burning of Rome for his personal benefit and deflected blame to the Christians which gave him an additional excuse for eliminating as many of them as he could. Eventually, the Senate turned against him and Nero fled.

Answer: Pol Pot

Roland Joffé was the director of this film which brought the atrocities of the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia to our screens. Sam Waterston plays an American journalist named Sydney Schanberg who is helped by a Cambodian journalist called Dith Pran (Haing S. Ngor). Once the Khmer Rouge take control of the country, Schanberg is able to return home while Pran is arrested and forced to work as a labourer. Eventually Pran manages to escape and is reunited with Sydney at a refugee camp. Pol Pot, the leader of the regime, does not feature in the film but the ill treatment suffered by Pran is at his instigation.

During Pol Pot's regime between 1.5 and 2 million Cambodians are believed to have died from starvation, disease or execution. Extraordinary enough statistics, but he was only in government from 1975 until 1979. His extreme views that a classless and Marxist society was the ideal meant that anyone considered elite - teachers, intellectuals and civil servants among them - was forced from the cities to work as labourers. The Khmer Rouge were removed from power following a Vietnamese invasion in 1979 and the movement gradually dwindled away.

Answer: Porfirio Díaz

A third title for the film is 'Once Upon a Time ... the Revolution', because the film is the middle, and least recognisable, of Sergio Leone's trilogy of western films. The other two are 'Once Upon a Time in the West' (1968) and 'Once Upon a Time in America' (1984).

The film is set during the Mexican Revolution of the 1910s which began with the intent of deposing the President, Porfirio Diaz, who is not depicted in the film. The stars are Rod Steiger playing an outlaw named Juan Miranda and James Coburn as an Irish revolutionary named John Mallory. Mallory is roped into a bank robbery by Miranda, due to his expertise with explosives, but the bank is actually a prison full of revolutionaries, who they release thus becoming heroes of the revolution and marked men. The film is now most often called 'Fistful of Dynamite' and might have done better had that been the title initially.

In yet another example of a dictator clinging to power at any cost, Diaz held on to his position as President of Mexico for most of the years from 1876 until 1911. Diaz staged a military coup, ousting President Lerdo. Initially, Diaz served only until 1880 before passing the position to an ally, but he returned as president only four years later. By 1910, opposition had started to grow and when Diaz claimed he had won the 1910 election almost unanimously, open rebellion began. The Mexican Revolution began, Diaz was forced to resign and left for Spain in 1911. He died, in Paris, only four years later.

Answer: Augusto Pinochet

In 1988, Chile's military dictator, Augusto Pinochet, had been in power since 1973 and was under pressure to pass the government to an elected president. He decided to hold a plebiscite asking Chileans to vote for him to stay in power for a further eight years. The film, directed by Pablo Larrain, is based on the machinations behind the opposing campaigns for 'yes' and 'no' to the proposal. As the film title tells you, it focuses on the innovative, and successful, advertising campaign for a 'no' vote devised by René Saavedra, played by Gael García Bernal, an actor from Mexico.

Pinochet is not portrayed in the film, but is shown in archive footage. In real life, free elections were held and Pinochet stood down in 1990. Pinochet had seized power in a military coup in which Salvador Allende had been ousted. Initially, the government was run by representatives of the army, navy, air force and police, with the intention that the presidency would be held for only one year by a representative of each, but Pinochet refused to relinquish power at the end of his term. Opposition to him was severely suppressed and by 1988 Chile had suffered enough of his dictatorship. Pinochet died in 2006.

Answer: Fulgencio Batista

Directed by Steven Soderbergh, this film tells the story of Ernesto Guevara, better known by his nickname of Che. The first part depicts Che's meeting Fidel and Raul Castro, played by Demián Bichir and Rodrigo Santoro respectively, and joining their revolutionary plans to bring down the dictator Fulgencio Batista, who is not depicted.

Following the success of the Cuban Revolution, Guevara returns to South America and attempts to foment rebellion in Bolivia, where he is ultimately captured and executed. The role of Guevara is played by Benicio del Toro, the Puerto Rican actor. Among his other films are 'Traffic' (2001) for which he received the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.

Batista was overthrown by Fidel Castro in 1959 after a period during which Cuba had become a decadent playground for the rich. Organised crime was rife with Batista profiting from his links to the Mafia, particularly Lucky Luciano and Meyer Lansky. Batista's corrupt regime came to an end following the revolution and he fled to Portugal eventually dying in 1973 following a heart attack.

Answer: Idi Amin

The film was based on a novel by Giles Foden and published in 1998. The title is based on Amin's claim to being Scotland's king. Forest Whitaker portrays Idi Amin, giving a good indication of the dictator's charismatic personality. So good was his depiction that Whitaker won the Best Actor Oscar for the role. The story is shown from the point of view of a (fictitious) doctor, Nicholas Garrigan (James McAvoy) who is initially taken in by Amin's charm and who believes that Amin's usurpation of Milton Obote, the former president, will be good for Uganda. Garrigan becomes Amin's confidant but comes to recognise that Amin is becoming increasingly ruthless and paranoid. Any remaining loyalty is destroyed when Amin arranges the murder of one of his wives who has become romantically involved with Garrigan.

Garrigan is eventually able to escape with the aid of another doctor (played by David Oyelowo) who pays with his life. The film ends with an epilogue describing Amin's downfall following the real life raid at Entebbe and his exile and death in Saudi Arabia.

Amin had already amassed a following before taking advantage of President Milton Obote's absence from the country to seize power, initially promising that his was a caretaker government and that democratic elections would soon follow. Once in power, all these assurances came to nothing and his regime became one of the most brutal of modern times, and there is plenty of competition. Amin's reign may have lasted only a relatively short time (1971-1979) but more than 100,000 people are believed to have died at his instigation and some estimates go as high as 500,000.