Gandhi (film)

Gandhi is a 1982 film about the lawyer who became the famed leader of the Indian revolts against the British through his philosophy of non-violent protest. Directed by Richard Attenborough. Written by John Briley. His Triumph Changed The World Forever. - taglines Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi I was called to the bar in London, and enrolled at the High Court of Chancery. I am, therefore, an attorney. And, since I am in your eyes coloured, I think we can deduce that there is at least one coloured attorney in South Africa. In this cause, I too am prepared to die, but my friends, there is no cause for which I am prepared to kill. Whatever they do to us, we will attack no one, kill no one. They will imprison us; they will fine us; they will seize our possessions; but they cannot take away our self-respect if we do not give it to them. I am asking you to fight against their anger, not to provoke it. We will not strike a blow, but we will receive them; and through our pain, we will make them see their injustice. And it will hurt, as all fighting hurts. But we cannot lose. They may torture my body, break my bones, even kill me-then they will have my dead body, not my obedience. Whenever I despair, I remember that the way of truth and love has always won. There may be tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they may seem invincible, but in the end, they always fail. Think of it: always. An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind. We think it is time that you recognized that you are masters in someone else's home. Despite the best intentions of the best of you, you must, in the nature of things, humiliate us to control us. General Dyer is but an extreme example of the principle... it is time you left. I am a Muslim and a Hindu and a Christian and a Jew and so are all of you. The function of a civil resistance is to provoke response and we will continue to provoke until they respond or change the law. They are not in control; we are. If you are a minority of one, the truth is the truth. (dying words) Oh God. Others Lord Irwin, Viceroy: Mr. Gandhi will find that it takes a great deal more than a pinch of salt to bring down the British Empire. Edward R. Murrow: [at Gandhi's funeral] The object of this massive tribute died as he had always lived - a private man without wealth, without property, without official title or office. Mahatma Gandhi was not the commander of great armies nor a ruler of vast lands. He could not boast any scientific achievement or artistic gift. Yet men, governments and dignitaries from all over the world have joined hands today to pay homage to this little brown man in the loincloth who led his country to freedom. In the words of General George C. Marshall, the American Secretary of State, "Mahatma Gandhi had become the spokesman for the conscience of all mankind. He was a man who made humility and simple truth more powerful than empires." And Albert Einstein added, "Generations to come will scarce believe that such a one as this ever, in flesh and blood, walked upon this Earth." Dialogue Gandhi: [in South Africa] You mean you can appoint Mr. Baker as your attorney but you can't walk down the street with him? Khan: Well, I can, but I risk being kicked into the gutter by someone less holy than Mr. Baker. Vince Walker: You're an ambitious man, Mr. Gandhi. Gandhi: I hope not. Colonel: [moments before the Amritsar Massacre] Should we issue a warning, sir? Gen. Dyer: They've had their warning. No meetings. [pause] Fire! Government Advocate: General Dyer, is it correct that you ordered your troops to fire at the thickest part of the crowd? Gen. Dyer: That is so. Government Advocate: 1,516 casualties with 1,650 bullets. Gen. Dyer: My intention was to inflict a lesson that would have an impact throughout all India. Indian Barrister: General, had you been able to take in the armoured car, would you have opened fire with the machine gun? Gen. Dyer: I think, probably – yes. Lord Hunter: General, did you realise there were children – and women – in the crowd? Gen. Dyer: I did. Government Advocate: But that was irrelevant to the point you were making? Gen. Dyer: That is correct. Government Advocate: Could I ask you what provision you made for the wounded? Gen. Dyer: I was ready to help any who applied. Government Advocate: General, how does a child, shot with a .303 Lee Enfield, "apply" for help? Kinnoch: With respect, Mr. Gandhi, without British administration, this country would be reduced to chaos. Gandhi: Mr. Kinnoch, I beg you to accept that there is no people on Earth who would not prefer their own bad government to the good government of an alien power. Brigadier: My dear sir! India is British. We're hardly "an alien power"! Sardar Patel: Bapuji, the whole country is moving. Gandhi: Yes. but in what direction? Vince Walker: I met him once. Collins: You mean Gandhi? Vince Walker: Yeah, in South Africa, a long time ago. I wonder if he'll recognise me. Collins: What was he like? Vince Walker: He had a full head of hair then. We were a bit like college students, trying to figure everything out. Collins: Well, he must have found some of the answers! Mohammed Jinnah: [After the Hindu-Muslim rioting all over India] You are the father of the nation. Gandhi: Today, I see no ground in that for anything but shame. Nahari: I'm going to Hell! I killed a child! I smashed his head against a wall. Gandhi: Why? Nahari: Because they killed my son! The Muslims killed my son! Gandhi: I know a way out of Hell. Find a child, a child whose mother and father were killed and raise him as your own. Only be sure that he is a Muslim and that you raise him as one. Gandhi: You're a temptress. Margaret Bourke-White: Just an admirer! Gandhi: Nothing is more dangerous, especially for an old man. Taglines His Triumph Changed The World Forever. The Man of the Century. The Motion Picture of a Lifetime. A WORLD EVENT It took one remarkable man to defeat the British Empire and free a nation of 350 million people. His goal was freedom for India. His strategy was peace. His weapon was his humanity. Cast Ben Kingsley - Mahatma Mohandas K. Gandhi Roshan Seth - Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Candice Bergen - Margaret Bourke-White Edward Fox - Gen. Reginald Dyer John Gielgud - Lord Irwin Trevor Howard - Judge Broomfield John Mills - Lord Chelmsford Martin Sheen - Vince Walker Ian Charleson - Rev. Charlie Andrews Athol Fugard - Gen. Jan Christiaan Smuts Günther Maria Halmer - Dr. Herman Kallenbach Saeed Jaffrey - Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Geraldine James - Mirabehn Alyque Padamsee - Muhammad Ali Jinnah Amrish Puri - Kahn Quotes about I liked certain things, and I disliked other things about it...It's falsification of history. I was rather puzzled by the simplifications. For instance, it would have made a better film if the genuine historical relationship between Gandhi and Nehru was allowed to be portrayed. Their relationship was first of all a relationship between equals. Secondly, it was an explosive relationship. They argued about the future of India. And, in fact, that argument is central to independence-homespun vs steel mills. And by and large India chose Nehru. It may have emotionally chosen Gandhi, but practically it chose Nehru. That dispute would have added a great deal of drama to the film. Instead, Nehru is being made into a disciple of Gandhi-sits at Gandhi's feet and says "Haan bapuji, nahi bapuji," cries when Gandhi goes on a hunger strike. I think that made the film rather silly. And I did find it very odd that Subhash Chandra Bose was left out. I know they couldn't put in everybody, which is their defence; but Bose seems like a huge omission. All right, they didn't put in Tagore or Sarojini Naidu. (ST: They did have her.) SR: Really? Of course, the Dandi March. But not having Bose is a great distortion of the reality of those times. There are also peculiar things-like the killings in Calcutta have been shown after the partition-whereas a schoolboy could have told you that it happened in 1946. Deification of public figures is an Indian disease. We've done it to all sorts of people all the time. Why should Attenborough do it? Gandhi was a sharp, crafty, streetfighting Gujarati lawyer who was a brilliant politician. He didn't win because he was a saint. In that generation they weren't saints. They were brilliant politicians. Tough men. And to present them as these kinds of reborn Christs may conform to a desire in the west for re-makes or new versions of Bible epics, but it seems to me an insufficient film about Gandhi. And the sad thing is that it makes sure that there won't be a good film now about Gandhi. Salman Rushdie 1983 interview included in Conversations with Salman Rushdie edited by Michael R. Reder (2000) External links 0083987 Gandhi gandhi Gandhi Category:1982 British films Category:1982 Indian films Category:British drama films Category:Biographical films Category:Epic films Category:Best Picture Academy Award winners Category:Films set in the 1890s Category:Films set in the 1910s Category:Films set in the 1920s Category:Films set in the 1930s Category:Films set in the 1940s Category:Films set in London Category:Films set in England Category:Films set in South Africa Category:Films set in India Category:British World War II films Category:Films set in the British Empire Category:Films about racism Category:Films directed by Richard Attenborough Category:Films about activists Category:Films whose writers won Best Original Screenplay Academy Award