Gandhi (1982) Movie analysis not review attempt to dissect the films approach to its historical matter - Essay Example

The opening statement of the film, – "No mans life can be encompassed in one telling. There is no way to give each year its allotted weight, to include each event, each person who helped to shape a lifetime. What can be done is to be faithful in spirit to the record and try to find ones way to the heart of the man" – shows the respect of Attenborough to Gandhi and a glimpse to the way he is going to present Gandhi’s legendary freedom movement. The director resorts to a flash back mode in this film.

After portraying the last episodes in Gandhi’s life, he then moves on to sketch the life of Gandhi as a young barrister in Africa. Gandhi faces the first bitter experience here in Africa while travelling in the first class train compartment. Though he possessed the reservation ticket, he was thrown out of the train due to the fact that the first class is reserved for the Europeans. He had to spend the whole night on the cold railway station platform and realized that such humiliations and discriminations are quite common in Africa and therefore he decides to retaliate against it.

He says, “We are children of God and members of the Empire.” This incident acts as a stimulus for Gandhi to conduct various protests against social injustices. The film then shows Gandhi’s return to India after having some success in his endeavors. The Indian National Congress party welcomed Gandhi to India and insisted him to travel through the country and identify the real suffering of the ordinary people. After witnessing them, he continues his protestations against injustices in India where is treated as a national hero.

But things were not easy for Gandhi as he had to confront with many problems from the British Empire. The film links the important incidents in Gandhi’s life. Gandhi is often jailed as a result of his disagreement with the British authority on several matters. He goes on a hunger strike in order to react against the