| Gandhi | | Cast : | Ben Kingsley, John Gielgud | | Director : | Richard Attenborough | | Studio : | Columbia Tri-Star | | Format : | Color, Closed-captioned, Dolby, Widescreen | | Released Date : | December 08, 1982 | | DVD Released Date : | August 28, 2001 | | Language : | Spanish (Dubbed), French (Subtitled), English (Subtitled), Portuguese (Subtitled), English (Original Language), French (Original Language), Thai (Subtitled), Chinese (Subtitled), Korean (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled) | | Audience Rating : | PG (Parental Guidance Suggested) | | | BUY THIS DVD FROM AMAZON |
Customer Reviews
| Rating |  | | Date | August 05, 2005 | | Summary | Superb film about Britain, India, & the man in between. | Content
 | Notwithstanding his having been a great man, Gandhi is not necessarily an example for our times. This is a beautifully made film; one of the most moving ever made, but not for its perceived "Lessons". Rather, this film is great for what makes any film great: wonderful acting (phenomenal on Mr. Kingsley's part), skilled direction, great camera cinematography, lighting, editing, and pace. The sceenplay and story, of course, are highly contributory herein, but even were this fiction the film would still qualify as a great film. It is simply a great film however you look at it. You needn't read too much into this film to enjoy it; or see in Gandhi's example, say, a panacea of sorts for our world of today. Passive non-violent resistance worked for Gandhi first in South Africa (to some extent) and then India mostly because his adversary was a civilized one. Gandhi, let's remember, basically used British law against the British themselves. He was able to succeed not simply because his cause was noble and/or because passive resistance is inherently effective. I grant you that his campaign was a brilliant one, skillfully engineered; but against most any other country save Britain, it would have only "ended before it began," as former Soviet dissident Natan Sharansky says in his book "The Case for Democracy"; most likely in Gandhi's death or disappearance. Disregarding some fellow reviewers herein, do you honestly think a Gandhi would have had any chance resisting the likes of a Kaiser Wilhelm, Lenin, Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin or even a Mugabe, Duvailier or Hussein? (How long do you think, to modernize this issue, would the Dalai Lama remain free were he to land in Tibet and attempt to lead a campaign of non-violent resistance against Red China?) I have read Gandhi's autobiography and I give him his just due. I'm just saying that Imperial Britain's historic traditions and norms of behavior had an important role herein as well, and this ought be recognized (and no, I'm not British myself). Gandhi is an example in one way (and maybe we'll see the likes of another Gandhi somewhere, someday), but "His Example" isn't one we should deceive ourselves as being applicable across the board within the chaotic world in which we live. In short, this film is a superb treatment of an important historical episode (particular to a rather specific period and set of circumstances) and, as such, well worth your time viewing. Cheers! |
| Rating | | | Date | July 24, 2005 | | Summary | GANDHI: Excellent Spanish Translation; DVD version (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround) | Content
| ENGLISH:
Having seen the original English language version back in 1982, I have always wanted to share this movie with my elders who do not have enough sophistication in English as is needed to appreciate the finer points of this film.
And having had to suffer through a multitude of deplorable editions of Spanish dubbing for English language movies in the past, I must comment that this is probably the finest effort in my memory of any such effort. One which offers the movie GANDHI the utmost respect and one which it is rightfully due.
I am continually forced to cringe at the most pathetic efforts which contain voices which all sound the same, translations which offer no measure of intellectual respect for a work of art such as this.
I am pleased to recommend this to any Spanish speaker unconditionally.
ESPAÑOL:
Despues de haber visto esta pelicula en su lengua original en el 1982, siempre he querido compartir esta pelicula con mis mayores que no poseen la sofisticacion suficiente en el ingles para apreciar los puntos finos de esta pelicula.
Tambien despues de haber de tener que sufrir con una multitud de ediciones deplorables de traducciones en español de otras peliculas originalmente en la lengua inglesa, debo comentar que esta es probablemente la edicion mas fina en mi memoria de una obra semejante. Una que ofrece la pelicula GANDHI el respeto que se debe.
Estoy constantemente obligado a sufrir con los mas pateticos esfuerzos que tienen voces similares y traducciones que no ofrecen el respeto intelectual que esta obra de arte merece.
Me da muchisimo gusto recomendar esta edicion a cualquier persona de habla hispana - sin reservaciones ningunas.
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| Rating | | | Date | July 19, 2005 | | Summary | Fantastic movie, with a few drawbacks... | Content
| I'm giving this movie two reviews, one for the movie, the other for the packaging and DVD.
First Review, the movie.
ONE OF THE BEST MOVIES I HAVE EVER SEEN!!! I have never seen a movie that touched me the way this one has. To see Gandhi as he transforms himself (or is he transformed by others?) from Mohandas K. Gandhi, Lawyer, into Mahatma Gandhi, Revolutionary, is a testament to his strength and wisdom - it also shows a great deal of his cunning! Witnessing Mohandas' inner struggle in the early years in South Africa when he first began using civil disobedience also humanizes this transformation, and shows that even a man as dedicated as Gandhi sometimes can be afraid. Seeing his momentary trepidation at the Indian Card Burning rally showed both his resolve and its costs.
All of these characteristics are brought to the screen wonderfully by Ben Kingsley, who was born to play this part. Amazingly enough, this is Ben's first major role, and to put it lightly, he nailed it. Seeing newsreels of Gandhi and viewing Kinsgley's performance is like viewing two of the same thing. Gandhi's use of passive resistance brought the British Empire to its knees, and served as a blueprint for many of the leaders that we admire today, such as Martin Luther King, Jr. and others.
SIDE NOTE: Several reviewers have suggested that passive resistance only works in "civilived" societies, such as Great Britain and the U.S., and would not have worked in other countries, such as Nazi Germany or the Soviet Union. While I agree that Gandhi probably would have been killed or "disappeared" in those societies, I would counter with the example of Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, the author of the Gulag Archipelago. While he was imprisoned for his "crimes", his ideas lived on. And although it took more time to undo the Soviet Union, it was undone, all the same. A Gandhi quote used often in the movie seems appropriate for this scenario: "When I despair, I think that all through history, the way of truth and love has always triumphed. There have been tyrants, and for a time they may seem invincible, but in the end they always fall. Think of it, always"
One of the drawbacks, since the movie was partialy subsidized by the Indian Government, I am a little suspect about the portrayal of the Muslims in the movie, particularly Mr. Jinnah. Although I know next to nothing of the real Jinnah, the fact that the portrayal of the founder of the state of Pakistan was financed by the government of Pakistan's arch-enemy causes me to take the portrayal at a little less than face value. It's a little like George W. Bush financing a Hillary Clinton biopic.
Second Review, the packaging.
As some others have alluded to, I was very disappointed in the lack of biographies of the Indian actors in the film. Given the tremendous contribution of these unknown (to Americans) actors, I would have liked to get to know more about their work and histories. Let's face it, I already as much about Candice Bergen as I want to know. I also am a little disappointed in the lack of a Hindi language track, although I don't speak Hindi. Given the fact that Gandhi was shot simultaneously in English and Hindi, it couldn't have cost too much to stick this on as an extra, particularly due to the fact that the Hindi version of the movie was the one originally released in India. Given the historic nature of the movie, and the importance of the movie to Indian history and culture, it may be the least they can do.
Overall, the drawbacks are significantly outweighed by the powerful acting and message of this movie. I would highly recommend this movie to anyone, of any age, and any nationality (as long as they speak something other than Hindi).
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| Rating | | | Date | June 29, 2005 | | Summary | "Man believes and lives." | Content
| GANDHI is Sir Richard Attenborough's David Lean-esque magnificent film biography of the great Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi who led India to independence in the first half of the twentieth century by employing Satyagraha ("truth-force") against the entrenched British colonial administration.
Attenborough labored for twenty years to create this wonderful work. It is so painfully close to being perfect that its imperfections loom larger than they are. By and large, these imperfections come about because of the vast sweep of this nearly four hour film. Gandhi's entire adult life, from his time as a young, undistinguished barrister in South Africa to his death at the hands of Hindu extremists in his 79th year, is the subject of this film. As a result of embracing nearly six decades in some 200 minutes, the film tends toward the episodic. Many important personages and occurrences in the Mahatma's life are glimpsed in passing, not deeply explored. Also somewhat slighted is a structured complete exposition of Gandhi's philosophy, an important element, since it was so central to the man, his world view, and his accomplishments.
Ben Kingsley (in his first major role) is nothing short of spectacular in the part of the Mahatma, slowly evolving his philosophy of non-violent non-cooperation with evil over decades, and bringing this incredible moral power to bear not only against the British, but against those Hindus and Muslims who would see India riven into two. Gandhi's campaign of nonviolence and fasting is well-known, but less well-known is his attempt to keep "Mother India" united in an atmosphere of universal respect.
A Himalayan film about a Himalayan human being. This world would be far more sane if we all could adopt even a modicum of Gandhi's way. |
| Rating | | | Date | June 29, 2005 | | Summary | Gandhi Lite | Content
| Richard Attenborough has made a sort of "Lawrence of India" for those who know nothing about Mohandas Gandhi and the real life he lived. It's a glancing account, directed with a stately hand, set against the last gasp of the British Raj. Attenborough recounts the religious and political conflicts that preceded and followed it, opening and closing with the assassination of the founder of non-violent civil disobedience.
There's a disclaimer that what we are about to see can't possibly render with any certitude the life of this monumental historical figure, the only statement in it upon which historians and audiences might readily agree. The Mahatma gets lost in the Hollywood history lesson, which nonetheless may hold your interest much as a cobra might coiling up from a basket. David Lean, who directed truly great epics and was alive at the time, doubtless felt the snake had struck.
Revisiting this DVD, one also is startled by Muslims chanting "Jihad! Jihad!" and by the religious intolerance that still kindles India and Pakistan today. It has unknown Indian actors in major roles and uses famous non-Indians in small ones, some of them just bits (the young Daniel Day Lewis). Oscar-winner Ben Kingsley is as good a Gandhi as we're likely to get. But the ersatz epic he's in, which also won an Oscar, is rarely seen today. Too much homework is required of us. |
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