Gandhi (1982)

My Review

The Best Picture of 1982 is…..”Gandhi.” The amazing story of Mahatma Gandhi is told in this three hour film featuring a mesmerizing performance by Ben Kingsley as the pacifist Indian leader working for his nation’s independence from Great Britain; it won him the Best Actor Oscar. Kingsley carried the picture and made “Gandhi” the signature role of his career. Director Richard Attenborough (“A Bridge Too Far” 1977) was at the helm of this film, instilling great production values and marvelous performances, with a fine screenplay by John Briley.

Co-stars include Candice Bergen, Edward Fox, John Gielgud, Trevor Howard, John Mills, Martin Sheen, Ian Charleson, Daniel Day-Lewis, John Ratzenberger, Rohini Hattangadi, Saeed Jaffrey, and Roshan Seth as Jawaharial Nehru. The film won eight Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography (Billy Williams & Ronnie Taylor), Best Art Direction, Best Costume Design, and Best Film Editing. Three non-winners include Best Makeup, Best Sound, and Best Original Score (Ravi Shankar and George Fenton).

“Gandhi” was successful at the box office for producer Richard Attenborough, Goldcrest Films, International Film Investors, National Film Development Corporation of India, Indo-British Films, and Columbia Pictures. It was filmed in India and England.