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Essay / Gandhi Movie Analysis - 1087
as a well-known Indian peaceful protester who made a substantial impact in the early to mid-1900s. Director Richard Attenborough developed a film about the famous Indian leader titled "Gandhi". The film presents a biography of Gandhi's life, emphasizing the importance of the fact that he was a normal human being trying to find himself through introspection while maintaining a friendly sense of humor. The film did a great job of introducing audiences to a side of Gandhi that the public was not aware of, such as how he impacted India through peaceful protests without losing hope. Although Gandhi was peaceful, his words had such power that they strengthened his moral strength. The film introduces Gandhi to audiences as a remarkable leader who inspired change through non-violent means. He even addresses the Brigadier of the British Empire, declaring that they are not wanted in India, saying: “Mr Kinnoch, I beg you. accept that there is no people on Earth who would not prefer their own bad government to the good government of a foreign power” (IMDB, 1990). The brigadier is in shock because in his mind, India is “British”. The irony of this statement is that Gandhi believes that India is nothing but India and that if India were truly British, they would not be treated like true British citizens. He compares the treatment by the British to slavery, as seen when an old farmer asks Gandhi for help because his crops cannot be sold. About ninety-five percent of India's population is engaged in agriculture. Many Indian citizens are lower class; thus, Gandhi is from the lower socio-economic class to make a statement. The claim is that they should get rid of the caste system, a Hindu class structure that determines which part of the system an individual is stuck in for their entire life based on their parents. Gandhi wants to eliminate the system of the lowest castes, the untouchables, by acting as such himself. This is just part of his way of showing that everyone in India needs to come together if they want to win. Gandhi is known for his wit and symbolic movements. Every peaceful protest he leads leaves the British Empire stunned. Despite multiple arrests aimed at putting an end to his demonstrations, the Indian population remains united with him. This powerful movement left the British with few options, because the Indian population respected their leader, Gandhi, just as the British respected the queen. Although there are scenes in the film where Gandhi faces difficult situations, such as when he starves himself to stop the riots in India, he remains steadfast. In one particular scene, a man named Nahari confesses to Gandhi that he killed a child. Gandhi responds with some after-thought advice: “I know a way out of hell. Find a child, a child whose mother and father were killed, and raise him as your own. Just make sure he's Muslim and you're raising him. as one" (IMDB, 1990). This response shocks the audience, because Gandhi is known to be a man of peace and forgiveness, and this scene shows his ability to find a solution to even the most difficult problems..