Gandhi

I love epic movies. Movies that span large amounts of time and space, and create a scene so beautiful we can’t help but get swept up in it. David Lean’s Lawrence of Arabia is one such movie. Sir Richard Attenborough’s Gandhi is another.

Gandhi the man needs little introduction. He was just a man, but a great one. His life was extraordinary, and an example to live by.

Attenborough had tried for 20 years to get this movie made, and it can’t have been an easy journey. But in the end, a grand movie came out of it.

His direction is patient and captivating, bringing us into the movie, making us feel everything Gandhi feels. Attenborough has a good crew, too — the costumes are gorgeous, the music is beautiful, the scenery is stunning — everything is perfect.

And then there’s Ben Kingsley. His portrayal of the Mahatma is one of most extraordinary things I’ve ever seen. He embodies the role so perfectly that I forgot he was Ben Kingsley. It’s a gigantic performance, and one that absolutely deserved the Oscar he got.

This movie has everything, from grand scenes with large crowds, to simple ones with Gandhi and his family. And it’s all inspiring. I was completely swept away by the grandeur of this movie.