A Great Movie About a Great Man

Rating: 10/10 (26 October 2015)

Wow, the late Richard Attenborough made quite a career for himself, hasn't he? Between acting, directing, and so much more, he has earned a position as one of the preeminent figures of England. You probably know him best from his role as John Hammond in Jurassic Park. If you are older or a film buff, you also know him from the classic film The Great Escape (an interesting move that I will have to review at some point). I hope he rests in peace. He lived a good long life. I hope he had no real regrets. You know you lived for a long time when you don't die until twenty after you played an old man in a film.
But of all his accomplishments, his greatest is directed this classic about one of the most important men in the twentieth century. Gandhi is not a perfect movie. It wastes too much time on unimportant topics and does not go into as harsh realities as it should, considering its wide scope. But it is number forty four in my top one hundred films for a few reasons: one, it is the definitive image on how to do a wide-ranging biopic, as well as the definitive image on one of the world's most important men; two, it is one of the grandest movies in history, one with a scale nothing short of extraordinary, a scale that will stick in your mind long after you see it, a scale that evokes the same emotions in the viewer as one imagines were felt by Gandhi; three, it is brilliantly acted on all fronts, particularly by the man who plays Gandhi, the great Ben Kingsley, perhaps proving the adage that Brits make the best actors; and four, it takes the watcher on a journey, churning their emotions up and down like a boat on the stormy open seas, leaving them different and changed and in all venues, satisfied.
The film begins with Gandhi getting shot. This is a rather dark way to start what is ultimately an uplifting movie, but it is a good decision if one is to think about it: all of Gandhi's work is against the backdrop of racism and violence and crude, ignorant anger, and this depiction of this cold, callous, resentful act establishes the backdrop of the film, against which we see all the positive, progressive events take place. It is a good way to draw the reader into the story and put them firmly in the world of the film, a decision that becomes even sharper when you think about the fact that this movie is a historical epic, the sort of movie that many people could easily tune out of unless you give them a reason to stay awake. This film certainly does.
It is the same trick that LoA (one of my ten favorite films of all time) plays at its start. Well... calling it a trick would be a bit of a misnomer. It's a classical framing device, one that has been used for centuries. I don't even know if it's trying to serve the functions I described in the last paragraph. But that doesn't mean it does not serve them well.
It must be noted that this film is a British production. Such is obvious if you read what I've above written or even watched the film itself, but it is important to note. If you know anything about world history, you know that the British owned India for most all of the colonial era. This is something I could go into for pages on end. But I don't have the space or the time. So I will simply say that this is the best of a series of 80s films that could be considered almost an apology letter to India.
In any case, it is one of the most evocative and emotional and moving epics. When you watch Gandhi talk, you don't feel that you are in the cinema or in the comfort of your bedroom. You feel like you're on the march with one of the world's greatest leaders in some of his greatest moments. It's like someone reaches into where you are and pulls you into the screen. Of course, in some ways, it's even better than that, for you get orchestral swells and fine direction. It charges you up.
As a historical film, it succeeds. If you want a detailed, every-moment-laid-out account, go watch some documentaries. Seriously; there are good ones out there. Films are supposed to, above all else, evoke emotion. So, in the case of a historical movie, they are supposed to evoke the emotions of the era and its events. This film does that. You feel the twists and turns of the difficulties and stresses of the time. You don't just feel for Gandhi because he is the 'good' guy going up against the 'evil' that is racism and violence and disunity. You also feel for him because he you see his vision for a brighter and more prosperous India and world and you see it be attacked at every turn.
What I like most about this film is that it does not shy away from the waning years of his life and their disappointments. Yes, he succeeded in many things, not least of which in getting India its independence. But the country was broken into two nations that continue to have bad blood to this day. Nothing exemplifies this more than the ending. We see the beginning scene once more, where he gets shot. But then we are treated to a quote of his, one with which I will close out this review: When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love has always won. There have been tyrants, and murderers, and for a time they can seem invincible, but in the end they always fall. Think of it. Always.