Beautiful film

Rating: 8/10 (3 November 2006)

I knew little of the man whose name graces the title of this film before I watched it... I knew the name and had a vague idea of what he stood for, but that was it. Through this extensive three-hour biography, I was told what appears to be almost all of it. Gandhi was an extraordinary man. His philosophy of not fighting physically, but simply resisting, to let the oppressors of his people come to realize by themselves that they were on the wrong(while it arguably would not have worked many other places or even at other points in time) was truly genius. A peaceful revolution, a non-violent overthrowing of government... it sounds as if those sentences contradict themselves, but through this man's work, they were proved to be true. The plot is interesting, and takes off from the very beginning. The pacing varies, but is mostly good. The acting is all very strong... Kingsley *became* Gandhi. The characters are well-written, though there certainly are many of them... you'll need to pay close attention and concentrate to be able to remember all of them. The cinematography and editing is of high quality, though it's often kept relatively simple. The dialog is expertly written... when Gandhi speaks, whether simply stating his philosophies and claiming the rights of his people, or using his clever wit to expose the ignorance and unfairness of his oppressors, it's perfect. You can not argue with this man's intentions, and the effectiveness of his methods is widely renowned. Yes, he may have been stubborn, perhaps even too much for his own good... but his fight, his victory changed the world, and his example will remain an inspiration for years to come. I recommend this film to any fan of the people involved in making it and anyone interested in Gandhi. 8/10