Review of Gandhi (1982) by Jacob M — 22 Feb 2014

PART OF MY CLASSIC VIEWINGS OF 2014 LIST.

"An eye for an eye just ends up making the whole world blind.".

Ever since he heard of the story of Indian leader Mohandas Gandhi, Richard Attenborough had a dream of making Gandhi into a feature length epic. That dream took 20 years to make, as studios repeatedly turned the project down and when the film was finally made, the studio that eventually made it, Columbia, was skeptical of casting an unknown actor, Ben Kingsley, in the title role. But Attenborough's risks and hard determination paid off tremendously, and Gandhi is an extremely powerful and well-made epic, so strong that you'd think it was made by David Lean.

After being thrown off a train in South Africa due to his Indian heritage, British-trained lawyer Mohandas Gandhi (Ben Kingsley) realizes that the British Empire is being unfair to the people they're controlling, particularly those in South Africa and especially the Hindus and Muslims living in India. Wanting to make a difference, Gandhi risks his life to free the Indians from British rule, by means of "passive resistance", where he fights for independence using peaceful tactics instead of violence. Thousands fight for Gandhi's independence, but freedom comes at a price, and Gandhi really pays it hard in the 50 years he fought for it.

Gandhi features a strong supporting cast, including Candace Bergen, Martin Sheen, John Mills, Trevor Howard, and in a small cameo, a young Daniel Day-Lewis. Everyone involved do great jobs in this film. It was great seeing everyone's reactions to what Gandhi is fighting for and seeing what side they join, Gandhi's or the British.

Earlier I said that David Lean could have made this film. When first looking at Gandhi, you'd think that this film was made by the legendary epic filmmaker, as Gandhi features grand, sweeping cinematography and thousands of extras, more so than any other epic at that time. I bet if I hadn't of known Richard Attenborough made the movie, I would have thought Lean had made this movie. There were portions of this movie that reminded me of Lawrence of Arabia, similar in scope and filled with powerful moments. While Lawrence of Arabia is still the definitive historical epic, Gandhi, at it's own, is still a wonderful film. The cinematography is certainly beautiful for what an epic is supposed to do. Gandhi was filmed on location in India and the United Kingdom, and in every shot, I was amazed at the locations Attenborough used in creating this epic, with the most beautiful being Gandhi traveling through India admiring the scenery and the natives. I was also impressed with shots of natives riding on top of the same train Gandhi was riding in same scene. No wonder why this film won an Oscar for its sweeping cinematography. Also impressive is its score by George Fenton and Ravi Shankhar, one of the most authentic sounding scores I've heard in my life.

But why is Gandhi such a true essential classic? Well, the biggest reason why is definitely Ben Kingsley's performance as this legendary leader. When I had first heard of this movie, I was skeptical of watching actually, as I thought a movie about the guy who used peaceful measures to free a nation would bore me, as I grew up with nonstop action movies and had no interest in "true" epic movies (back then, I viewed films like Clash of the Titans and Prince of Persia as epic films). But thankfully, my tastes in movies have changed, and I was super impressed with this film, especially the reasoning why I didn't want to watch it, Ben Kingsley's performance as the title character. First off, the makeup Kingsley uses in creating Gandhi is likely the most realistic portrayal I've seen in a historic figure. It was great seeing Kingsley play Gandhi over the years, from a young man with hair to an old wise figure without any hair. As for his actual performance, Kingsley moved me in a way unlike any other. As Gandhi, Kingsley reminded me of this important truth in other people, that no matter what religion people believe and what ideas they have, that we all must learn to respect others for what they believe in life and share this world hand in hand. Gandhi surely was a powerful figure in reality, and Ben Kingsley plays him extremely well. There were moments in the film where I thought that Gandhi had come back from the dead, playing himself throughout, especially in sequences where we see his reactions of other's actions, particularly the scene where he learns of the brutal massacre of thousands of innocents, along with the scene where he learns of troubling conflicts between Hindus and Muslims. Ben Kingsley won an Oscar for his portrayal, and definitely deserved his win, and afterwards, he has had a very successful acting career, most recently playing The Mandarin in Iron Man 3. Whether he's The Mandarin or George Meliles in Hugo, Kingsley will always be remembered for his sweeping, realistic portrayal of Mohandas Gandhi.

With it's wondrously beautiful cinematography, thousands of extras, and Ben Kingsley's remarkable performance as the title character, Gandhi is truly what an epic should be, a film that's exceptionally realistic and emotionally powerful. Richard Attenborough should be congratulated for his hard work at making this wonderful movie, which is why I truly believe it deserved to win Best Picture in the end. The film is over three hours, and even though it can be really difficult to sit through this for some people, I still highly recommend Gandhi for what it set out to do; to inform us about this fantastic leader and give us a grand history lesson. This is biopic at its finest.

" When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love has always won. There have been tyrants, and murderers, and for a time they can seem invincible, but in the end they always fall. Think of it. Always.".