Gandhi: 1982

The first time I saw Gandhi I was a freshman in high school. Our world history teacher decided to show it to help us understand Gandhi's importance better. I don't remember much about this first viewing other than the film was long and Gandhi did a couple of fasts to prove his point. Unfortunately, I don't think the film had the impression on me that my teacher had hoped. Of course, it was the third movie he'd shown that year, the previous two being A Man for All Seasons (which I rewatched earlier for this blog) and Monty Python and the Holy Grail (oh, if only that had won Best Picture!). Seeing Gandhi again as an adult, I have a much greater appreciation for what Gandhi accomplished and how the film presents this man who tried to live simply and honestly and inspire others to love this way.

Gandhi is really a biopic at heart, with the main focus of the film being on the life of Gandhi beginning with his time in South Africa. I teach Cry, the Beloved Country, a book set in pre-apartheid South Africa, so Gandhi's time in South Africa was particularly interesting to me as he fought for rights for Indians living there. Before working on a free India, Gandhi seemed mainly focused on being treated fairly as a citizen of the British Empire. I think it's that determination of I am a citizen and I deserve proper treatment as such speaks so much to what is happening in the present day all over the world. Perhaps that's what this part of the film resonated with  me so much. Gandhi's struggles in South Africa and later India are similar to any group who is facing unfair treatment for who they are.

Gandhi prepares to burn official citizenship papers in South Africa, despite facing arrest

The film opens with a disclaimer about how the filmmakers set out to tell the story of Gandhi by portraying the spirit of who he was, which clearly indicates that parts of the story include fictional elements. Seeing this statement (really, disclaimer) was something I appreciated because I think that biopics can easily face criticism for not being authentic or factual. Then again, I think back to when I first saw the film and wonder if any biopics are appropriate for a classroom. Is it better to have the factual account or one that has some exaggerations but possibly inspires? After seeing the film, I'm curious about Gandhi. I'd like to see a documentary and read some of his speeches. So maybe my history teacher did the right thing...it just took 20 years for the lesson to set in.