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Rated: PG
Starring: Ben Kingsley, John Gielgud, et al.
Director: Richard Attenborough Review
Sir Richard Attenborough's 1982 multiple-Oscar winner (including Best
Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor for Ben Kingsley) is an engrossing,
reverential look at the life of Mohandas K. Gandhi, who introduced the
doctrine of nonviolent resistance to the colonized people of India and who
ultimately gained the nation its independence. Kingsley is magnificent as
Gandhi as he changes over the course of the three-hour film from an
insignificant lawyer to an international leader and symbol. Strong on
history (the historic division between India and Pakistan, still a huge
problem today, can be seen in its formative stages here) as well as
character and ideas, this is a fine film. --Tom Keogh
----------- This movie was the realization of a lifetime
dream for Sir Richard Attenborough, who finally succeeded in bringing this
incredible spectacular to theatrical release in 1982. I was living outside
London working for the American Forces in the greater London area at the
time, so was thrilled to have the privilege to see this movie in its
limited initial release in Britain, and was amazed by its scope, accuracy
and integrity in bringing the quite controversial facts surrounding
Gandhi's life and politically-motivated assassination to the screen. Ben
Kingsley is simply magnificent as the diminutive, principled, and
indefatigable lawyer, humanitarian, and citizen of the world with an
uncannily prescient feel for what was possible for a determined and
energetic person as well as how to achieve his lofty otherworldly goals
right here on earth. Based on his approach here,
Attenborough seems to have learned much from such masterful British
film-makers as David Lean, for the use of scenery, topography, and natural
surrounding of the characters as they wind through the more than 40 years
of story line is breath-taking. His methods owe much to the kind of subtle
insinuation of the local environment David Lean in particular used so
memorably in movies like "Bridge Over The River Kwai" and "Lawrence of
Arabia" (see my reviews) in making the scenery more than an incidental
player in the storyline. Seeing Gandhi immersed in the incredible
multidimensional diversities that were (and are) India helps the viewer as
we begin to understand just how incredible his efforts were to unite the
country with his strange yet irresistible moral authority, an authority
that all of the various factions recognized and respected as the authentic
thing.
There is, of course, an immensely talented cast, including
Martin Sheen as an American newspaper correspondent who becomes intrigued
by Gandhi's profound and surprisingly effective non-violent approach to
social change. Gandhi's approach to using reason and morality to approach
issues and perspectives, and these methods become the real star of the
film as it builds slowly over the scope of this very literate and
intelligent script. This is a wonderful motion picture experience for
anyone willing to sit through the more than three hour extravaganza, one
that guarantees Attenborough's prominent place in film history, and one
that leaves this reviewer smacking his lips in anticipation of whatever
other wonderful effort such as this may someday appear based on
Attenborough's talents, visions, and moral sensibilities. Enjoy!
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