Gandhi [25th Anniversary Collector's Edition] [2 Discs]

MOVIE DESCRIPTION:

It was Richard Attenborough's lifelong dream to bring the life story of Indian political and spiritual leader Mahatma Gandhi to the screen. When it finally reached fruition in 1982, the 188-minute, Oscar-winning Gandhi was one of the most exhaustively thorough biopics ever made. The film begins in the early part of the 20th century, when Mohandas K. Gandhi (Ben Kingsley), a British-trained lawyer, forsakes all worldly possessions to take up the cause of Indian independence. Faced with armed resistance from the British government, Gandhi adopts a policy of "passive resistance," endeavoring to win freedom for his people without resorting to bloodshed. In the horrendous "slaughter" sequence, more extras appear on screen than in any previous historical epic. The supporting cast includes Candice Bergen as photographer Margaret Bourke-White, Athol Fugard as General Smuts, John Gielgud as Lord Irwin, John Mills as the viceroy, Martin Sheen as Walker, Trevor Howard as Judge Broomfield, and, in a tiny part as a street bully, star-to-be Daniel Day-Lewis. Gandhi won eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Director. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

DVD FEATURES:

• Region: 1
• Number of Discs: 2
• Subtitle: Eng/Ko/Por/Spa
• Screen: Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 (Cinemascope)
• Audio: Dolby Surround
• Features:
  • Introduction with Richard Attenborough
  • Vintage newsreel footage
  • 9 featurettes:
  • "In Search of Gandhi"
  • "Shooting an Epic in India"
  • "Reflections on Ben"
  • "Designing Gandhi"
  • Madeleine Slade: An Englishwoman Abroad"
  • "From the Director's Chair:
  • The Words of Mahatma Gandhi"
  • "The Funeral"
  • "Looking Back"
  • Director's commentary with Richard Attenborough
  • Sir Ben Kingsley Talks about Gandhi interview

AWARDS

• Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

•     Won Best Actor - 1982 (Ben Kingsley)
•     Won Best Art Direction - 1982 (Stuart Craig, Bob Laing, Michael Seirton)
•     Won Best Cinematography - 1982 (Billy Williams)
•     Won Best Costume Design - 1982 (Bhanu Athaiya, John Mollo)
•     Won Best Director - 1982 (Richard Attenborough)
•     Won Best Editing - 1982 (John Bloom)
•     Won Best Original Screenplay - 1982 (John Briley)
•     Won Best Picture - 1982 (Richard Attenborough)
•     Nominated Best Cinematography - 1982 (Ronnie Taylor)
•     Nominated Best Makeup - 1982 (Tom Smith)
•     Nominated Best Original Score - 1982 (Ravi Shankar, George Fenton)
•     Nominated Best Sound - 1982 (Simon Kaye, Jonathan Bates, Gerry Humphreys, Robin O'Donoghue)

• British Academy of Film and Television Arts

•     Won Best Actor - 1982 (Ben Kingsley)
•     Won Best Director - 1982 (Richard Attenborough)
•     Won Best Picture - 1982 (Richard Attenborough)
•     Won Best Supporting Actress - 1982 (Rohini Hattangady)

• Directors Guild of America

•     Won Best Director - 1982 (Richard Attenborough)

• Hollywood Foreign Press Association

•     Won Best Director - 1982 (Richard Attenborough)
•     Won Best Foreign Film - 1982
•     Won Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama - 1982 (Ben Kingsley)
•     Won Best Screenplay - 1982 (John Briley)
•     Won New Star of the Year - Male - 1982 (Ben Kingsley)

• Los Angeles Film Critics Association

•     Won Best Actor - 1982 (Ben Kingsley)

• National Board of Review

•     Won Best Actor - 1982 (Ben Kingsley)
•     Won Best Picture - 1982

• New York Film Critics Circle

•     Won Best Actor - 1982 (Ben Kingsley)
•     Won Best Picture - 1982

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Cast:

  
       Ben Kingsley - Mahatma Gandhi
       Candice Bergen - Margaret Bourke-White
       Edward Fox - Gen. Dyer
       John Gielgud - Lord Irwin
       Trevor Howard - Judge Broomfield
       John Mills - Lord Chelmsford
       Martin Sheen - Walker
       Rohini Hattangady - Kasturba Gandhi
       Ian Charleson - Charlie Andrews
       Athol Fugard - Gen. Smuts
       Saeed Jaffrey - Sardar Patel
       Geraldine James - Mirabehn
       Alyque Padamsee - Mohamed Ali Jinnah
       Amrish Puri - Khan
       Roshan Seth - Pandit Nehru
       Ian Bannen - Senior Police Officer
       Michael Bryant - Principal Secretary
       John Clements - Advocate General
       Richard Griffiths - Collins
       Nigel Hawthorne - Kinnoch
       Bernard Hepton - G.O.C.
       Michael Hordern - Sir George Hodge
       Peter Harlowe - Lord Mountbatten
       Jane Myerson - Lady Mountbatten
       Avis Bunnage - Colin's Mother

• Director:

  Richard Attenborough

• Producer:

  Richard Attenborough, Terence A. Clegg, Michael Stanley-Evans

• Screenwriter:

  Robert Bolt, John Briley

• Cinematographer:

  Ronnie Taylor, Billy Williams

• Composer (Music Score):

  Ravi Shankar

• Editor:

  John Bloom

• Production Designer:

  Stuart Craig, Robert Laing

• Art Director:

  Norman Dorme, Ram Yedekar, Bob Laing

• Co-producer:

  Rani Dube

• Executive Producer:

  Michael Stanley-Evans

• Set Designer:

  Michael Seirton

• Costume Designer:

  John Mollo, Bhanu Athaiya

• Sound/Sound Designer:

  Simon Kaye, Robin O'Donoghue

• Special Effects:

  David Hathaway

• First Assistant Director:

  David Tomblin

• Camera Operator:

  Govind Nihalani

• Additional Music:

  George Fenton

• Second Unit Director:

  Govind Nihalani

• Sound Editor:

  Jonathan Bates

• First Assistant Camera:

  A.K. Bir

REVIEW:

• Gandhi is a worshipful tribute to one of the 20th century's greatest leaders with Ben Kingsley giving a superb performance in the title role. Produced and directed on a grand scale by Richard Attenborough, the film sacrifices the complexities of history for an inspirational focus on its subject. Critics frequently cite the film's dismissal of supporting character development among its weaknesses, with the strongest objections reserved for Candice Bergen's miscast performance as photojournalist Margaret Bourke-White. Nonetheless, the film transcends the typical biopic with vivid recreations of important incidents from Gandhi's life. More than 300,000 extras, most of them unpaid volunteers, are said to have taken part in the funeral sequence, which occupies only slightly more than two minutes of the film. As was widely predicted, the film swept the Oscars, winning eight, including Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Director. ~ Richard Gilliam, Rovi