In South Africa, a young Indian lawyer is booted off a train for refusing to ride second-class. Upon his return to his native India and fed up with the unjust political system, he joins the Indian Congress Party, which encourages social change through passive resistance. When his "subversive" activities land him in jail, masses of low-skilled workers strike to support his non-violent yet revolutionary position. Back in India, Gandhi renounces the Western way of life and struggles to organize Indian labor against British colonialism. A strike costs many British soldiers their lives, so the crown responds by slaughtering 1,500 Indians. Enraged, the ascetic, spiritual leader continues to preach pacifism until he has lead India out from under the tyranny of British imperialism.
Directed by
Richard Attenborough
Written by
John Briley
Starring
Ben Kingsley (Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi "Bapu"); Candice Bergen (Margaret Bourke-White); Edward Fox (Gen. Reginald Dyer); John Gielgud (Lord Irwin); Trevor Howard (Judge Broomfield); John Mills (Lord Chelmsford); Martin Sheen (Vince Walker); Ian Charleson (Rev. Charlie Andrews); Athol Fugard (Gen. Jan Christiaan Smuts); Günther Maria Halmer (Dr. Herman Kallenbach (as Gunter Maria Halmer)); Saeed Jaffrey (Sardar Valabhhai Patel); Geraldine James (Meerabahen); Alyque Padamsee (Mohammed Ali Jinnah); Amrish Puri (Khan); Roshan Seth (Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru). Please contact SFC to add other cast members and characters.
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An Inspirational Film about an Inspirational Man
Mark Banks (United Kingdom)
Opinion: Recommended
This film is a wonderful testament to the life of Gandhi. Having read Gandhi's autobiography, as can be expected there are things that were included in the film that were not in his book, and things that were in the book that were not in the film. The two most marked of these events, as I remember them, are that the film includes the powerful scene of Gandhi leading his supporters in a show of non-violent opposition, whereby they are each struck around the face in a violent manner, causing them to fall to the floor. If ever there was a scene on film that represents Jesus teaching to "turn the other cheek" surely it is that scene. It is an excellent way to demonstrate that we do not have to absorb the aggression of others, no matter what injustices they may do to us. The second set of events is the reverse, and that is that in his autobiography some pages are devoted to explaining the Christian circles that Gandhi moved amongst during his time in London. These events are not depicted in the film, though it is clear from reading his autobiography that these meetings and teachings cannot but have influenced Gandhi's thinking and moral formation in a profound way.
