Impressive biography of one of the most important humans in the history of India

Rating: 7/10 (12 November 2017)

A movie about a thin man wrapped in a white sheet and therefore dressed like one of the poor in India. Who would be interested in that? But with eleven nominations and eight Academy awards it is clear that the biography of this man is not that uninteresting. Actually, it is the story of the most important man in the history of not only India and its fight for independence but also for the whole world. Richard Attenborough's Gandhi, starring Ben Kingsley, was published in 1982, 34 years after the actual assassination of Mahatma Gandhi. This is also the opening scene of the movie, followed by the statement that he was even more powerful than empires. Right from the beginning it is clear which effects Gandhi had on his environment. It goes on with the young Gandhi, who is a lawyer being discriminated in South Africa, causing him to protest against the injustices that are caused by the British and after that him being imprisoned. The first of several more times. Again free and back in India, he begins to travel the country together with his wife to "see what needs to be told". He also begins to dress like the poor and, after seeing the bad circumstances in his country caused by the British Raj, he starts to bring people to question things and starts to fight for India's independence. He calls up for a peaceful non-violent noncooperation but the riots get out of control. Gandhi begins a hunger strike to stop them, which actually works out, but still, he gets arrested again, this time for six years. India's independence has nearly arrived as he is allowed to leave. As a last peaceful protest he organizes the Salt March against British salt taxes. He is still underestimated by the British Raj, but as thousands follow his example, it comes to mass arrests. Then, throughout the Second World War, the British are wounded and can no longer hold onto the government of India. Gandhi uses this weakness to request the release of all his imprisoned followers and India's independence. The conclusion of that is on the one hand the independence of India but on the other hand the partition of India into a Hindu India and a Muslim Pakistan (even though he is strictly against this), which causes a brutal civil war. Again, Gandhi starts a hunger strike so that the fighting stops and both sides promise to "die when they lay their hands on each other". Gandhi then plans to go to Pakistan but even after everything he did, there is still a sadness about him that he thinks of having failed. He then makes his way up to a prayer, followed by crowds of people, where the movie ends where it has begun: his assassination.
All in all, the biography is really impressive. It does not only show his life and the very key moments of it, but also gives a view into his way of thinking. Throughout the whole movie it gets clear how important nonviolence is to him and how he achieves enormous things by this different, peaceful and unique kind of protest. It also shows how critical he was with himself and how he wanted his environment and the people from all over the world to accept and love each other. The actors are also well chosen so that Gandhi could be shown in a timespan of 50 years of his life and how he grew with his actions and words. The only critic is that 188 minutes is a really long time for a movie, but otherwise there is so much to tell about this thin man wrapped in a white sheet and his life story, that probably another three hours could be easily added.