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Gandhi
on DVD (1982)
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| 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: |
180 mins |
| Certificate: |
 |
| Collections: |
100 must-see movies |
| User collections: |
Pure Genius Brilliant Films, Films Everyone Should See, The finest films ever made, Understanding Life, Favourite Films, The most important movie film list available to humanity., British Raj, 10 simply great films, Thought provoking films- that may change your life., Films That Inspire |
| Genres: |
Drama |
| Languages: |
English |
| Dubbed: |
French, German |
| Subtitles: |
Arabic, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Icelandic, Norwegian, Swedish, Turkish |
| Released: |
27/08/2001
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Brief synopsis of 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
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All DVDs in this series
Gandhi - Feature
The acclaimed dramatization of the life of Mohandas "Mahatma" Gandhi, from his beginnings as a South African-e...
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Gandhi - Bonus Features
Bonus Features Include:
Interactive Fact Files and new archive material
12 new featurettes
...
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Related
Critics Reviews
Radio Times
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.
Halliwell's Film Guide
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
Variety
"...Eloquently expressive and technically exquisite....The score, springing from the talents of Ravi Shankar and George Fenton is a major plus in evocation of the film's many emotional variations..."
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