Review of Gandhi (1982) by Aayush A — 29 May 2011

I loved the movie but I'm disappointed by how rushed the ending was. The movie started off well and covered the early part of his life excellently (the scene were he was unceremoniously hauled off the train being particularly poignant), but when Nathuram Godse pulled the trigger, the viewer was given no insight into his mind. Was he a Hindu or a Muslim? Why did he kill the Mahatma?

The movie glossed over India's Independence Day, the culmination of all of Gandhi's struggles, with disdain. I understand that this was done intentionally to bring attention to the fact that the partition of India ruined whatever sense of accomplishment Gandhi may have had for having lead India to that day, but I think it was a seminal enough moment in his life to have merited a little more screen time.

At the very least, I had expected to hear Nehru give the "Stroke of Midnight" speech: "At the stroke of the midnight hour, while the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom." Nehru and Jinnah were reduced to two-dimensional supporting characters throughout the movie.