Gandhi [Blu-ray] [2009] [Region Free]

A momentous subject, powerfully presented by a cast of very fine actors.Uncomfortable to watch in places but then the historical events portrayed were at times shocking and shameful.

A most informative and superbly acted filmA truly classic film

It is a superb production that captures the adult life and times of a rare, enlightened man.This was my third time watching the film since its initial release, and every time, it is still an uplifting experience.An illustration of Henry David Thoreau's principle of "civil disobedience" and non-violence which Gandhi pursued to change the lives of hundreds of millions of Indians and free them from the yoke of British rule. An inspiration to Martin Luther King among others who have dared to follow this path.Highly recommended.

Having watched the film 21st years ago as a young child in India, when it first came out, I was more than keen to acquire it on DVD for keeps. The eulogistic tone of the other reviews may make my review look rather sour, but my review encompasses both the DVD and the film.The film itself is brilliantly shot and technically flawless, even where the minor creative hand of the director is obvious (the judge Trevor Howard standing in deference to the prisoner, for instance). 20 years in the making, the ensemble of the greatest British and Indian stage actors itself is worth every penny. I wonder how they must have felt working alongside so much greatness and talent..Watching it again as an adult working in policy and politics, I was almost moved to request Amazon editors to retract my review of Bill Clinton's autobiography as that of the consummate politician. Gandhi was the original politician - complete with a set of unquestionable ideals in truth, violence, women's rights and secularism, a superb delivery, a populist touch and a deep understanding of (and to a large extent, as seen in his many fasts-unto-death, exploitation of) his emotional power over the hoi polloi.This DVD however did disappoint me in some ways. Some brilliant shots with enormous symbolism have suffered the editor's scissors. E.g. the shot where Gandhi lets float his loincloth to let a poor woman cover her body, shots of the funeral. I remembered them vividly from my childhood and was a tad disappointed.. The newsreel and an original talkie interview are interesting though. Also some dialogue is ironically more effective in the Hindi-dubbing as some viewers might know.All in all I give it 4 stars for the small disappointments mentioned.. However buy it - it is the only true epic of the 20th century.

Excellent film, equally as good a watch second time around

Watching a nearly three-hour movie in one sitting was easy. It tells a beautiful story about a peace-loving leader. Nowadays, politicians can learn a lot from him. I appreciate Gandhi's philosophical comments.

This is the review I would have liked before buying this blu-ray title. I was put off by the "Blu-ray/Upscale Comparison" review but wanted the disk so much I took the risk.I do not understand how that reviewer could detect "little difference" between the blu-ray and DVD versions. Upscaling cannot produce detail which is not in the video signal, only interpolate to make the picture smoother.Ghandi benefits from high definition detail in a variety of types of scene:1) Close-ups of actors faces when delivering great performances. This movie is an epic and was a phenomenon in its time. Its 8 oscars are an indication that it wasn't just because of its historical importance - there are some great performances. High definition really brings this to life: you see every strand of hair and skin pore. The eyes and muscle tone in the face make performances utterly engaging. For example, the tension in the debriefing scene with Edward Fox after the massacre is positively palpable.2) Wide vistas (sumptuous, colonial interiors and sweeping, panoramic exteriors) with characters in the distance. Blu-ray enables you to see the actors' performance while on DVD you just know they are there and hear them talking.3) Complex scenes, such as the opening funeral with a crowd of 400,000 people (how do you upscale that from 720x480?), lavishly ornate colonial interiors and exteriors, and lush Indian landscapes and panoramas.I was concerned about the age of the film. The opening scene was grainy and my heart sank. However, it was shot in low-light and there's only a handful of shots in the whole 3-hour epic that suffer in this way, a record which is substantially better than films many years younger than Ghandi. Colour is superb, with the sets, costumes and beautiful use of light by Attenborough making Ghandi a visual feast.This is a wonderful movie and a stunning demonstration of what blu-ray can do. I commend it whole-heartedly to anyone with a blu-ray player.