What It's About:

Returning to India from South Africa in the early 20th century, British-trained attorney Mohandas K. Gandhi (Kingsley) elects to forsake all worldly possessions and devote himself to the cause of Indian independence. Adopting a strategy of passive disobedience, Gandhi becomes a spiritual guru to his fellow countrymen and a formidable political foe in the eyes of the British imperial forces, as he guides Indians in their historic, nonviolent struggle for autonomy.

Why I Love It:

The multiple-Oscar-winning "Gandhi" explores the life and principles of an extraordinary man who became an enduring example of holiness, humility, and humane resistance. Ben Kingsley inhabits his role with saintly authority, brilliantly conveying Gandhi's charisma and unwavering courage, while Candice Bergen (as photographer Margaret Bourke-White) and John Gielgud (as Lord Irwin) also shine in their respective roles. Melodramatic epic sequences - especially the Salt March and massacre scenes, which required Attenborough to direct 300,000 extras - are handled with graceful verisimilitude. A deeply moving, masterful epic.