Gandhi (1982)

Director: Richard Attenborough
Starring: Ben Kingsley, John Gielgud, Candace Bergen

Synopsis:
An account of the life of Mohandas K Gandhi, from the time he was an attorney in South Africa to his assassination.

Impressions:
We open with the great hero of Hindustan Nathuram Godse striking down that doddering old villain Gandhi. A blow for freedom and justice. Ha ha ha. I'm only trying to get your goat. Gandhi, like many of the other secular saints we see venerated so, is more of a mixed bag on clear-eyed analysis. I'll admit that he did some great things, but that silver had some tarnish to it. You don't really get any of that here, but it isn't quite the slavering hagiography I thought it might be. Regardless of my own views on Gandhi, I can't deny that this is a powerful film and easily the greatest performance of Ben Kingsley's career. Fans of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom will note Amrish Puri as the merchant Khan and Roshan Seth as Nehru. The conflicts going on both within India and outside it are compelling to watch unfold. I found the depiction of the internal strife at the end rather unbalanced, but it could've been worse. Depending on where you stand, the subject matter of this film may be a real hot potato, but I think it's well worth seeing all the same.

Rating:
Watch It