Best Picture Winner: 1982

Gandhi (1982)

This extraordinary film about an extraordinary man gives testament to the oft-said phrase, “One person can make a difference.” In 1893 Mohandas Gandhi (Ben Kingsley) is an Indian attorney traveling first class by train through South Africa. Because Indians are restricted to third class and Gandhi refuses to move, he is physically thrown off the train. Such unequal treatment must not be tolerated, and Gandhi begins a peaceful protest against South Africa’s treatment of Indians. His success results in his launching a campaign against British control of India. He wants India to be under self-rule. But all of this is to be accomplished peacefully, and Gandhi finds that his defiance of British law, while resulting in frequent arrests, has made him a hero around the world.

Visually Gandhi is breathtaking. Director Richard Attenborough populates the streets with numerous extras to create a realistic depiction of India. At one point Gandhi takes a train ride through India so he may come to know his country better, and the film shows how many in India live in poverty, partly the result of the British charging rent for the farm land. The most impressive moment may be the overhead shot that shows the procession at Gandhi’s funeral. There are literally hundreds of attendees who march solemnly as Gandhi is transported to his resting place. The funeral actually opens the film, and the following narrative shows why so many would want to honor this person.

Gandhi is quite convincing in detailing the events that made Gandhi a twentieth century hero. While a Hindu, Gandhi is very familiar with the Christian and Muslim religions, and believes all the faiths teach love of fellow man. Thus he is outraged at the discrimination he sees and experiences first hand. From his first public action of burning an identification pass, Gandhi will embrace defiance of unjust laws but will never advocate violence. He will suffer humiliations, imprisonment, and hunger strikes to send his message. And as he becomes an international figure of attention he becomes something of an untouchable, at least by proper governments. Gandhi is so effective at bringing peace, that those who want a war between Hindus and Muslims see Gandhi as a threat.

Ben Kingsley basically disappears into his character. He is so effective that we feel at times we’re watching documentary footage. Gandhi is a man of warmth and humor, but also steely determination and sadness. Kingsley captures all of these facets of Gandhi in convincing fashion. Most importantly Kingsley conveys Gandhi’s charisma, and any viewer can see how others would be taken by this man who had everything to lose in his pursuit of justice. The film makes it clear that even those who did not agree with Gandhi’s peaceful approach held a begrudging respect for the man. And this is very easy to understand.

After Gandhi’s assassination there was no one to take his place in pursuing peaceful protests. Violence would be the result. But during his lifetime Gandhi proved time and time again that revolution need not be bloody. One wonders how successful he would be today.