Awesome Movie

Rating: 8/10 (6 January 2019)

"In this cause, I, too, am prepared to die. But, my friends, there is no cause for which I am prepared to kill." - Gandhi
Strong words from a human, who has changed thousands of minds and lives. A human who was not only called the father of the Indian Nation, a human who was a role model and a big inspiration for many historical personalities like Nelson Mandela or Martin Luther King. A strong human who was worth it making a movie about. Finally the director and producer Richard Attenborough made Gandhi.
The movie basically tells the life of Mahatma Gandhi, who was the leader of the Indian independence movement against the British rule. It deals with his early years as a lawyer in South Africa in 1893 till his death on 30th of January, 1948 in India. The plot starts with Gandhi´s assassination which is unusual in movies because movies do not usually start with their ending: After an evening prayer on 30th of January in 1948, Gandhi is out for a walk to meet a large number of greeters and admirers.One of them, a fanatic Hindu, shoots him three times in the chest. Gandhi´s last words before falls dead are "Oh God!"
Gandhi is played by Ben Kingsley, who he plays fantastically. They really look alike and the way he acts is amazing. In 1983 he won an Oscar for "Best actor" for his performance. He plays his role convincedly. So do the actors of the British representatives.
The movie runs over 3 hours and at some point I got bored, in particular during the scene when the background was completely black and you could just hear for music for 5 minutes. But the meaning of it has a great impact of the film. It gives a feeling of tensions. When it got back to politics, I was amazed. One of the best and one of the saddest scene was the massacre of Amritsar, where the British shot at Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs because they protested and fought for their independence. In this scene you could really feel the pain and the anxiety of the people. The British did not care about children or women, they shot at everyone. The Indians tried to flee but doors and gates were closed so there was no chance to escape. In general I liked all the scenes in which Gandhi fought for India´s independence in a peaceful and calm way. Gandhi was known for his non-violent protests. He proved that one does not need violence to fight for something. He opened the eyes of thousands of people, who followed him and appreciated him. In the funeral scene you could really feel how much the people loved him. It was amazing to see this.
The soundtrack is great, most of the time it is typical Indian music. What really amazed me was the quality of the movie. The movie is from 1982 but the quality is fantastic. Gandhi is an epic historical drama film, which introduces Gandhi´s whole life. The movie shows that solidarity and non-violence are the only ways to win. The fact that this movie was nominated for 11 Oscars and won 8 of them, shows how good the movie is.
Attenborough made a film which could not have a bloodshed of the Hindu and Muslim population of liberated India is addressed, as is the partition into India and Pakistan. You can almost hear Gandhi's heart breaking.
All in all, Attenborough did a great job and I would definitely recommend this movie if you are really want to get to know something about Gandhi´s life, it is really worth it. This movie is for everyone. If i could rate it i would give this movie 8/10 points.
"I want to change their minds, not kill them for weaknesses we all possess."
Gandhi