One of the greatest men of the 20th century.

Rating: 10/10 (26 July 2001)

The film, Gandhi, is Richard Attenborough's tribute to Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (1869-1948). Although it won eight Academy Awards, Including Best Director and Picture, the film has been criticized for a variety of reasons by people who did not realize that Gandhi himself was the greatness of the film. Ben Kingsley portrayed Gandhi to perfection. The Indian music was by the great Ravi Shankar.
Gandhi was an Indian lawyer, educated in England, who entered the political arena in South Africa to fight against the treatment of Indian immigrants, uniting both Hindus and Muslims in the cause. Everyone, even his enemies, were impressed by his willingness to suffer, even die, at the hands of those in power, rather than back down from a just cause. He won the victory by insisting that his followers use civil disobedience and eschew all violence, thereby depriving the authorities of a justification for violent suppression. Gandhi explained it: "When I despair, I remember that all through history, the way of truth and love has always won. There have been murderers and tyrants, and for a time they can seem invincible. But in the end they always fall. Think of it, always."
He returned to India after the victory to become that country's spiritual leader. He led the struggle for independence from Britain, still insisting on non-violent means. The goal of independence was achieved but the Hindus and Muslims did not unite as they had in South Africa. Instead, they caused India to be split into India, Pakistan and East Pakistan, which later separated from Pakistan as Bangladesh. Gandhi was assassinated by a Hindu fanatic.
Two decades later, his methods were used by Martin Luther King in the fight against segregation in the United States of America. Gandhi and King were both willing to die for a cause and they both did but even now, in the next century, there is still some hatred between Hindus and Muslims in Kashmir state and between blacks and whites in America. Where is the next Gandhi? Where is the next Martin Luther King? Such men are still needed all over the world.