Review of Gandhi (1982) by Matthew D — 16 Jun 2018

The greatest biopic you will ever watch!

Director Richard Attenborough captures the kind essence, gentle nature, peaceful attitude, and righteous cause of Mahatma Gandhi. Sir Ben Kingsley is a revelation as the thoughtful man Gandhi. He absolutely captivates and engages you while he is on screen.

Gandhi is great for his unification of India's people and his succeeding in gaining India's independence from British Imperialism. Gandhi the film triumphs for depicting Gandhi's struggle for this cause. Gandhi is a fairly comprehensive look at the late 1800's and early 1900's Indian political climate. In watching Gandhi, you will, undoubtedly, gain historical knowledge and social perspective of the time period.

Musically, Attenborough enlisted the greatest sitar player of all time, Ravi Shankar, to score Gandi. His beautiful and emotional sitar ragas are a delight to hear throughout the movie. Shankar's scoring is a boon to the film's authenticity and atmosphere alike. I love how Shankar fills the empty air with sweet and endearing Indian classical music played on his steadfast sitar. Shankar's score is the perfect complement to Gandhi's visuals.

Furthermore, the cast, cinematography, score, and direction all yield stellar results for Gandhi. It is as classic as any biopic that has ever been filmed. All the praise for Kingsley is well earned.