This is another of my Best Picture winners from Columbia. That doesn't really do justice to the sheer epic nature of the film. This was a monumental undertaking with a transformative performance by Ben Kingsley. Mohandas Gandhi (Ben Kingsley) was just a young London-educated Indian barrister when he came face to face with the hypocritical rules of the British Empire in South Africa. He began implementing his principles of civil disobedience, reaching across the religious divide to unite the mine workers and demand better treatment. From there, he turned to his home country, linking up with a small group of highly motivated individuals, who were tired of seeing the indigenous people suffer under British rule. Gandhi organized people of all castes to refuse participation in laws that were unjust, including the British monopoly on salt production. He even demanded an end to hostilities between the native populations of Muslims and Hindus.
Obviously, I know who Gandhi was and what he stood for, but I don't think I ever really investigated the particulars. I had no idea he started in South Africa and I wasn't really aware of the role he played in the establishment of Pakistan. I don't think I can overemphasize how good Ben Kingsley is here. For all intents and purposes, he was Gandhi to me. He took on this role in a way that I don't think another living actor could have. And I will tell you, I cried like a little girl for about half the three hour running time. I was so dehydrated when this movie was over. The word epic gets thrown around a lot for pretty much anything over two hours long but this is the real deal. They don't make sweeping biopics like this anymore.
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