What can one man do?

Rating: 8/10 (3 September 2012)

IMDb Top 250: 183
Gandhi is a 4- star film- ignore my gripes, disregard its competition, and forget the score at the bottom. Mohandas K. Gandhi is unarguably one of the most worthy topics of a biopic in all of history, and this film does him much justice. As far as representing a man's life goes, this is top notch.
This is a film about the man- his ideas of politics, how to fight, his relationships and then his work. He who would play such a person must be able to live up to his legacy- and Ben Kingsley delivers. One of the greatest performances of all time. The voice, the mannerisms, the walk, the weight loss it completely sells the character. The uncanny resemblance doesn't hurt either: in the TV footage I couldn't tell if they used real news clips or old-style filming. His performance is the best part of the film.
What is covered? After a Lawrence of Arabia-like start, the first of several parallels, the film cuts to a 30 year old Gandhi being booted of a train, and we see the beginning of his philosophy. From there there's a fairly smooth telling of his life and accomplishments, with wonderful decoration, costumes, and incredible makeup. It certainly feels like a 3 hour film, but despite being heavy on drama and not action, the film moves well.
Being very much centered on Gandhi, very little room is left for support. I maybe caught 3 other characters' names. Also, there are spots where actions don't make sense, and sometimes words too. Also there's the fact that while the film is incredible, lesson-teaching and very well made, other films exist that have done that too while being more *interesting*. Lastly, Gandhi is a worthy story told in the best medium, but the film's proficiency can't change the fact that nothing was added to the film by being made in 1982 as opposed to a decade either way.
I think I've touched on all the major points of the film: Gandhi is one of the greatest figures in history, Kingsley is perfect as him and as an actor, and the film is as well made as it possibly could be. Should you find yourself in a position to see this film, do it, but don't expect a particularly fun viewing. 8.3/10