"Gandhi" : highly praised and received many awards

Rating: 9/10 (6 January 2019)

"Gandhi" is an informative and realistically played film. The 1982 historical drama is based on the life of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi and won many awards, for example the Oscar for the Best Film in 1983. It was written by John Briley and produced and directed by Richard Attenborough.
The film shows Gandhi over the years and the problems he faces while he fights for the independence of India. However, he tries to follow his principles and therefore continues his non-violent protest. In my opinion, Ben Kingsley portrays the protagonist really well. This is because he shows emotions which seem very realistic. Especially the scene when Gandhi´s wife dies comes to my mind. The character sheds a tear and his eyes reflect all the misery he is feeling at that moment. In addition, when Gandhi is in Amritsar and looks at the place at which many Indians lost their lives, you can clearly see his shocked expression. The character Gandhi also gives many speeches and the actor makes it look really convincing that it creates the impression that this is the real Gandhi and that he actually supports these words. His fragile look and also his calming presence give a realistic picture of what the real Gandhi was like. I was also impressed by the impersonation of many other side characters, such as General Dyer, played by Edward Fox. General Dyer is represented ruthlessly and even keeps a serious face while giving the command in Amritsar to shoot down the Indians during their non-violent protest. He doesn´t look as if he is regretting anything; it is a perfect example which shows that the British had no mercy during their rule over India. In memory of this massacre, there is also a two-minute break with a black screen and the sound of a sitar. It creates a depressing atmosphere and shows that the action, that takes place in the film, really happened and also underlines the traumatic situation at that time. The film tries to focus more on the historical facts and to have a natural image than to create a fictional movie with many effects. It accompanies Gandhi´s life and shows many of his experiences. The music is also chosen very well. Most of the time it is really dramatic and perfectly emphasizes the tragic situations like violent scenes. There are even scenes in which you can see the landscape of India and also Indian music is played. This gives you a picture of the surroundings and creates an indigenous atmosphere. So the film really follows the intention to introduce the watchers to Gandhi´s life.
All in all, I like the film because it is well played and really thought-out. It represents a realistic picture of the characters, so it is perfect for people who are really interested in the topic and who want to get an own idea of Gandhi and what he did. However, I wouldn´t recommend it to people who expect a feature film which is full of action because "Gandhi" has a different intention.