Amazon Prime Video original film Gandhi was released December 6th, 1982.
#Gandhi made $52.7M at the international box office.
rottentomatoes: 89%
metacritic: 79
imdb: 8.0
oscars: 8 wins
golden globes: 5 wins
Mahatma Gandhi
Mohandes K. Gandhi is a lawyer in New Delhi, India.
Best Actor in a Leading Role
1 win: 1983
Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama
1 win: 1983
“Oh, God. Oh, God…”
“Tell me, do you think about hell? No, neither do I. But– but this man here is a Christian, and he’s written that in order to believe– uh… a week. Why, I– I have a ticket. A first-class ticket.”
“I sent for it in the post. I’m an attorney and I didn’t– no, no, no. Just a moment, please. You see? Mohandas K. Gandhi, attorney at law. I’m on my way to Pretoria to conduct a case for an Indian trading firm.”
“Sir, 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, colored, I think we can deduce that there is at least one colored attorney in South Africa. But I always go first class. I’ve traveled–“
“But you’re a rich man. Why do you put up with it? In England, I was a poor student. This is part of England’s empire. But that is very unchristian– you mean you employ Mr. Baker as your attorney, but you can’t walk down the street with him?”
“Well, then it must be fought. We are children of God like everyone else. I… I will write to the press, here and in England, and I will use the courts. We are members of the empire. And we come from an ancient civilization. Why should we not walk on the pavements like other men?”
“There’s the English reporter. I told you he’d come. No, I asked my wife to organize that. ‘Ladies and gentlemen, we have asked you to gather here to help us proclaim our right to be treated as equal citizens of the Empire. We do not seek conflict. We know the strength of the forces arrayed against us, know that because of them, we can only use peaceful means. But we are determined that justice will be done. The symbol of our status is embodied in this pass, which we must carry at all times, but which no European even has to have. The first step towards changing our status is to eliminate this difference between us.'”
“Hmm. ‘A high court judge has confirmed that Mr. Gandhi would have been within his rights to prosecute for assault since neither he nor Mr. Khan resisted arrest.’ I told you about English law. Yes? And I am glad to be back. Come.”
“Tomorrow I’ll tell you about my days in a police hospital. Just like proper English gentlemen, I’m proud of them. Will you take this off? It pinches me every time I speak. I’ve got it. Oh. I’m sorry. Some of it good, I hope. Would you care to walk? You’re a clergyman? Not anymore. At first, I was amazed, but when you’re fighting in a just cause, people seem to pop up, like you, right out of the pavement. Even when it’s dangerous or…”
“Doesn’t the New Testament say, ‘if your enemy strikes you on the right cheek, offer him the left?’ I’m not so sure. I– I have though about it a great deal, and I suspect he meant you must show courage, be willing to take a blow, several blows, to show you will not strike back, nor will you be turned aside. And when you do that, it calls on something in human nature, something that makes his hatred for you decrease and his respect increase.”
“I think Christ grasped that, and I have seen it work. Good morning. You’ll find there’s room for us all. I thought you were a man of God.”
Khan / Mr. Baker
“Yes, I am rich. But I am Indian. I therefore do not expect to travel first class. Oh, that was England. Mr. Gandhi, you look at Mr. Khan and you see a successful Muslim trader. Most South Africans see him simply as an Indian. And the vast majority of Indians, mostly Hindus like yourself, were brought here to work the mines and harvest the crops. Most Europeans don’t want them doing anything else.”
“Mr. Gandhi, in this country Indians are not allowed to walk along the pavement with a Christian. Well, I can. But I risk being kicked into the gutter by someone… less holy than Mr. Baker. Allah be praised. And what battalions will you call upon?”
“You will cause a great deal of trouble. Our position is– I rather like the idea of an Indian barrister I’m sure our community could keep you in work for some time, Mr. Gandhi, even if you caused a good deal of trouble. Especially if you caused a good deal of trouble.”
“You also said your article would draw a thousand people. At least some of the Hindus brought their wives. Some of them are leaving. You write brilliantly, but you have much to learn about handling men. We do not want to ignite the fear or hatred of anyone. But we ask you, Hindu, Muslim and Sikh, to help us light up the sky and the minds of the British authorities with our defiance of this injustice. We will now burn the passes of our committee and its supporters.”
“We ask you to put your passes on the fire with the conviction–“
Katsurba Gandhi / Gandhi’s family
“Let me go! As I told you about English policemen. We’re very pleased to have you back, papa. Mind your face. They’re boys, and they’re Indian. Papa says he’s got it.”
South Africa
“Excuse me, sir. How long have you been in South Africa? I don’t know how you got a ticket. Just what are you doing in this car, coolie? How did you get hold of it?”
“There are no colored attorneys in South Africa. Go and sit where you belong. I’ll take your luggage back, sir. Didn’t you hear me? There are no colored attorneys in South Africa. Smart bloody Kaffir. Throw him out. Just move your black ass back to third class, or I’ll have you thrown off at the next station.”
“Now? You bloody dog! Those passes are government property. And I will arrest the first man who tries to burn one. Take him away. You little… Sammy… bastard! Now… are there any more? If you want this kind of trouble, you can have it. Stop.”
“The London papers have arrived from the Cape, sire. Yes. The worst was the Daily Mail they said the burning of passes– ask Mr. Herzog to see me. The burning of passes by Mr. Gandhi was the most significant act in colonial affairs since the Declaration of Independence. Did they? Well, they will find we’re a little better prepared this time. Mr. Gandhi will find on a long hiding to nothing.”
“You’d be Gandhi. I thought you’d be bigger. No, that’s all right. My name’s Charlie Andrews, sir. I’ve come from India. I’ve read a great deal about you. Uh… yes, uh… I met some remarkable people in India. And when I read what you were doing here, I, um… I wanted to help. Does that surprise you?”
“Hey, look what’s coming. A white shepherd leading a brown Sammy. Uh, perhaps we should, um… well, I think perhaps the phrase was used metaphorically. I don’t think our Lord– get off the pavement, you bloody coon. Yeah, get off. Kaffir. Colin, what you doin’? Nothin’. Come out where I can see you. I said, what you doing? We were just trying to clean up the neighborhood a little. You’re late for work already. I thought you’d gone 10 minutes ago. Get on.”
“That was lucky. Well, I am, but I’m not so egotistical as to think he plans his day around my dilemmas. Oi, Kaffir.”
New Delhi, India
“…stay a couple more days in India, my God. Gotta see it. There are more than yesterday. There must be… he will be saying prayers in the garden. Just follow the others. He will be saying prayers in the garden. Just follow the others. He will be saying prayers in the garden.”
“Brother, Bapu is already late for prayers. Oh, God! Oh, God! Bapu! Bapu!”
“The object of this massive tribute died as he always lived: a private man without wealth, without property, without official title or office. Mahatma Gandhi was not the commander of armies, nor a ruler of vast lands. He could not boast any scientific achievement or artistic gift. Yet men, governments, 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 has 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.'”
