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Gandhi Details

1982 DVD Certificate PG.gif
  • Rated:
  • 70
  • from 16,373 members

Gandhi is a great subject, but is Gandhi a great film? Undoubtedly it is, not least because it is one of the last old-school epics ever made, a glorious visual treat featuring tens of thousands of extras (real people, not digital effects) and sumptuous Panavision cinematography. But a true epic is about more than just .. Read more

Starring Ben Kingsley, Candice Bergen, Edward Fox, John Gielgud
Director Richard Attenborough
Genres Drama

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Gandhi

Gandhi is a great subject, but is Gandhi a great film? Undoubtedly it is, not least because it is one of the last old-school epics ever made, a glorious visual treat featuring tens of thousands of extras (real people, not digital effects) and sumptuous Panavision cinematography. But a true epic is about more than just widescreen photography, it concerns itself with noble subjects too, and the life story of Mahatma Gandhi is one of the noblest of all. Both the man and the film have profound things to say about the meaning of freedom and racial harmony, as well as how to achieve them. Ben Kingsley, in his first major screen role, bears the heavy responsibility of the central performance and carries it off magnificently; without his magnetic and utterly convincing portrayal the film would founder in the very first scene. Sir Richard Attenborough surrounds his main character with a cast of distinguished thespians (Trevor Howard, John Mills, John Gielgud and Martin Sheen, to name but four), none of whom do anything but provide the most sympathetic support. John Briley's literate screenplay achieves the almost impossible task of distilling the bewildering complexities of Anglo-Indian politics. Attenborough's treatment is openly reverential, but, given the saint-like character of his subject, it's hard to see how it could have been anything else. He doesn't flinch from the implication that the Mahatma was naïve to expect a unified India, for example, but instead lets Gandhi's actions speak for themselves. The outstanding achievement of this labour of love is that it tells the story of an avowed pacifist who never raised a hand in anger, of a man who never held high office, of a man who shied away from publicity, and turns it into three hours of utterly mesmerising cinema.

On the DVD: The anamorphic (16:9) picture of the original 2.35:1 image has a certain softness to it that may reflect the age of the print, but somehow seems entirely in keeping with the subject . Sound is Dolby 5.1. The extras are fairly brief, but worthwhile: original newsreel footage of Gandhi includes an astonishingly patronising British news account of his visit to England; in a recent interview, Ben Kinglsey chats enthusiastically about the film and the difficulties he experienced bringing the character to life. The dull "making-of" feature is simply a montage of stills. --Mark Walker

Starring Ben Kingsley, Candice Bergen, Edward Fox, John Gielgud, Trevor Howard, John Mills, Martin Sheen, Rohini Hattangadi
Director Richard Attenborough
Studio SONY PICTURES HOME ENTERTAINMENT
Run time DVD: 3 hrs
Blu-ray: 3 hrs 11 mins
Certificate DVD Certificate PG.gif
Collections 100 must-see movies
Genres Drama
Language English
Dubbed French, German
Subtitles Arabic, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Icelandic, Norwegian, Swedish, Turkish
Released DVD: 27 Aug 2001
Blu-ray: 16 Feb 2009
Production year: 1982
Format DVD

Gandhi (1982)

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    The acclaimed dramatization of the life of Mohandas "Mahatma" Gandhi, from his beginnings as a South African-e...

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  • Critics' reviews (5) of Gandhi

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  • 5 stars out of 5

    In 1963, an Indian diplomat named Motilal Kothari approached Richard Attenborough to make a film about Gandhi, but it wasn't until nearly 20 years later that Attenborough realised his dream. This biopic has an epic sweep, beginning with Gandhi's assassination and flashing back to the beginnings of Indian independence, and it has the Indian leader's grace and stoicism as well — a truly inspirational performance from Ben Kingsley. A Who's Who of British acting is present and very correct (sardonic John Gielgud, chilling Edward Fox, sociable John Mills), but it's Kingsley you remember alongside Roshan Seth, who makes a strong impression as the scheming Nehru. Garnering eight Oscars, it remains a triumph for Attenborough.

    • Radio Times
  • 3 stars out of 4

    A straightforward treatment with the odd twists and turns expected of this director; but the remarkable things about the film are first, that it was made at all in an age which regards inspirational epics as very old hat; and secondly, that it has brought

    • Halliwell's Film Guide
  • Most helpful member's review of Gandhi

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  • 20 out of 20 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 5 stars

    An absolute masterpiece. If I could have given this movie an eleven, I would have wanted to give it a twelve. Ben Kingsley didn't just play the role of Gandhi, he WAS Gandhi. The sheer magnitude of the funeral scene is enough to send shivers up and down your spine. Gandhi is one of essential movies that will stand the test of time. Future generations will hardly believe that the movie is a work of non-fiction, and that such a man ever walked this planet. 10 - 10

      • Ken#14 from WEST BROMWICH
  • Most recent members' review of Gandhi

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  • 20 out of 20 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 5 stars

    An absolute masterpiece. If I could have given this movie an eleven, I would have wanted to give it a twelve. Ben Kingsley didn't just play the role of Gandhi, he WAS Gandhi. The sheer magnitude of the funeral scene is enough to send shivers up and down your spine. Gandhi is one of essential movies that will stand the test of time. Future generations will hardly believe that the movie is a work of non-fiction, and that such a man ever walked this planet. 10 - 10

      • Ken#14 from WEST BROMWICH
  • News and features

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    • 12 Mar 2009

    Slumdog Millionaire star Anil Kapoor is to be honoured at the seventh annual Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles next month (Apr09). The actor, who played the hit movie's Who Wants To Be A Millionaire TV host, will be saluted by his peers at The ArcLight in Hollywood, during the 21-26 April festival. Kapoor's tribute will include screenings of two classic films in which he stars, 1991's Lahme and 1997's Virasat, as well as Gandhi, My Father, which he produced. He says, I am humbled and... Read more

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Rating breakdown

16,373 Member ratings
  • 100
3,087
  • 90
2,317
  • 80
3,670
  • 70
2,638
  • 60
2,104
  • 50
1,131
  • 40
570
  • 30
382
  • 20
305
  • 10
169

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    • Gandhi - BLU-RAY Version
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    • The acclaimed dramatisation of the life of Mohandas "Mahatma" Gandhi, from his beginnings as a South African-educated lawyer through his historic, galvanizing struggle to free India from British ...

    • Gandhi
      Gandhi is a great subject, but is Gandhi a great film? Undoubtedly it is, not least because it is one of the last old-school epics ever made, a glorious visual treat featuring tens of thousands of extras (real people, not digital effects) and sumptuous Panavision cinematography. But a true ...