---
title: "Gandhi"
year: 1982
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/gandhi"
fi1m_id: "gandhi"
imdb_id: "tt0083987"
tmdb_id: 783
wikidata_id: "Q202211"
fi1m_score: 73
critics_score: 63
critics_reviews: 10
published: "2026-09-15"
updated: "2026-09-18T08:38:35.370142+00:00"
region: "US"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Gandhi (1982)

Directed by Richard Attenborough · 3h 12m · MPA PG · Drama, History

## Identity

Gandhi

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/gandhi
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** gandhi
- **IMDb ID:** tt0083987
- **TMDB ID:** 783
- **Wikidata ID:** Q202211
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083987/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/783, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q202211

**Fi1m score: 73** · Critics 63 from 10 reviews

*In a sentence:* We came prepared for a history lesson and ended up watching Ben Kingsley’s face

> Richard Attenborough’s *Gandhi* is respectful to a fault, but Ben Kingsley gives it enough life to justify the long evening. We recommend it for the performance, with patience required for the thin supporting roles and stately pace.

## Synopsis

Mahatma Gandhi (Ben Kingsley) is the central figure in Richard Attenborough’s historical drama, which follows his life against the struggle for Indian independence. The people around him include Kasturba Gandhi (Rohini Hattangadi) and Reverend Charlie Andrews (Ian Charleson), while Candice Bergen plays Margaret Bourke-White and Martin Sheen plays Vince Walker. Edward Fox appears as General Dyer, John Gielgud as Lord Irwin and Trevor Howard as Judge Broomfield. Written by John Briley, the film moves between Gandhi’s personal life and public role, with a supporting cast that also includes John Mills as Lord Chelmsford.

## Review

Richard Attenborough’s *Gandhi* is worth the long evening, chiefly because Ben Kingsley makes its central figure interesting even when the film seems content to make him admirable. At 192 minutes, this is a patient, conventional historical drama, and its reverence can be tiring. John Briley’s screenplay wants us to understand why Gandhi matters, but is less willing to make us uncertain about him. The smaller encounters give Kingsley room to supply some of the curiosity the writing lacks.

Kingsley is the reason that approach does not become intolerable. His Gandhi has dignity without seeming beyond conversation, and there is a liveliness to his attention that stops the solemnity from settling over every scene. We were moved by the quiet exchanges, because Kingsley makes Gandhi seem to be considering the person beside him rather than delivering another lesson. Attenborough trusts the performance enough to let these modest passages count, even within such a broad account of a life.

Billy Williams and Ronnie Taylor’s cinematography makes the large set-pieces easy to take in, without making them the only reason to watch. We can appreciate the organisation of the spectacle and still prefer the intimate scenes, where there is time to study a face. Robert W. Laing and Stuart Craig’s production design helps the big public scenes feel inhabited. The surroundings remain convincing even when the people passing through them have scarcely been introduced.

That is the larger weakness. Rohini Hattangadi’s Kasturba Gandhi, Ian Charleson’s Reverend Charlie Andrews and the other supporting figures have to compete with a screenplay whose interest keeps returning to the man at its centre. An extensive cast gives the film plenty of company, but not enough of those people acquire lives that feel independent of Gandhi’s. Briley’s concentration is understandable; over this length, however, the shortage of developed relationships begins to limit what Kingsley can reveal about him.

John Bloom’s editing keeps the story comprehensible, though it cannot prevent some of the movement through history from feeling dutiful. Some passages take us further through Gandhi’s life without helping us know him any better. Ravi Shankar and George Fenton’s music lends feeling to the solemn passages, sometimes more insistently than Kingsley’s performance needs. The quieter scenes suggest that Attenborough could have trusted his audience to be moved without quite so much encouragement.

Screen biographies often run into this difficulty when they treat admiration as sufficient reason for a long film, and *Gandhi* does not escape it. Most critics disagree with us, finding the reverence too stifling to forgive. We think Kingsley’s alertness and the care of the intimate scenes make that judgement too harsh. Attenborough’s caution limits the drama, but it does not cancel the pleasure of watching an actor give such close attention to the person he is playing. Set aside the evening for Kingsley, but do not expect everyone else to receive the same attention.

*Fi1m score 73, published 15 September 2026.*

## Straight answers

**Is Gandhi worth watching?**

*Gandhi* is worth watching for Ben Kingsley's performance, and we scored it 73. Richard Attenborough's 192-minute historical drama is respectful to a fault, with a stately pace and supporting roles that never acquire lives of their own. Set aside the evening for Kingsley, whose quiet, attentive scenes moved us, and be prepared for the solemnity around him.

**How long is Gandhi, and what is it rated?**

*Gandhi* runs 3h 12m and is rated PG by the MPA in the US. It is a drama and history film.

**Where can I watch Gandhi in the US?**

*Gandhi* is streaming on Amazon Prime Video in the US, and it is also available to rent from Amazon Prime Video from $3.99. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How does Gandhi compare to Selma?**

*Gandhi* and [*Selma*](https://film.one/film/selma) both follow a leader of a non-violent movement, but *Selma* is the livelier film. Ava DuVernay makes the practical business of organising other people gripping, and David Oyelowo finds the strain beneath King's authority, where Attenborough's reverence keeps Gandhi admirable rather than uncertain. Choose *Gandhi* for Ben Kingsley's performance; choose *Selma* for drama.

**What should I watch after Gandhi?**

After *Gandhi*, try [*Selma*](https://film.one/film/selma) (2014, Fi1m 84): For political conviction tested through the practical business of organising other people. Then [*The Last Emperor*](https://film.one/film/the-last-emperor) (1987, Fi1m 80): Another expansive life story, with more room for uncertainty about its subject; and [*The Passion of Joan of Arc*](https://film.one/film/the-passion-of-joan-of-arc) (1928, Fi1m 94): For another historical figure made immediate by the attention paid to a face.

### Reviews we read (10)

- **The Telegraph** (90/100, inferred): The critic calls the film an amazing epic that tells one of the 20th century's most remarkable stories through non-violent protest. Ben Kingsley is singled out for superb praise as he ages 50 years on screen and transforms from lawyer to ascetic, though some historical details are noted as dubious. [Read](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/filmreviews/11528461/Gandhi-film-review-amazing-epic.html)
- **Variety**, Variety Staff (90/100, inferred): The film is a triumph for director Richard Attenborough and a technically exquisite epic that captures the spirit of Gandhi and his times through sweeping, powerful scenes of India's independence struggle. Ben Kingsley's magnetic portrayal anchors the grand, thorough biopic despite its length. [Read](https://variety.com/1982/film/reviews/gandhi-1200425305/)
- **IndieWire**, Jim Hemphill (80/100, inferred): The critic praises the film's enduring strengths as a literate, balanced epic that blends character study and spectacle effectively despite its length. They highlight Ben Kingsley's transformative performance as Gandhi and Attenborough's command of craft after years of preparation. [Read](https://indiewire.com/features/commentary/richard-attenborough-gandhi-4k-uhd-1235120812)
- **The Guardian**, Philip French (80/100, inferred): The critic finds the film an honourable, honestly affecting and carefully crafted biopic that plays fairly safe with its subject. Ben Kingsley's performance as Gandhi is singled out as one of the cinema's great historic portraits, with praise also for the handling of major set-pieces. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/1982/dec/05/features.philipfrench)
- **The New York Times**, Vincent Canby (70/100, inferred): Attenborough's sincere, panoramic film is most effective in its plain, intimate vignettes of Gandhi's life rather than its large spectacles, with Ben Kingsley's lively, searching performance as the standout that holds the long epic together and makes it moving. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/1982/12/08/movies/ben-kingsley-in-panoramic-gandhi.html)
- **Time Out**, FD (70/100, inferred): The film must be considered one of the major British films of the year due to its subject and production effort. Kingsley's performance in the central role is outstanding, though the film raises more questions than it answers. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/gandhi)
- **Slant Magazine**, Fernando F. Croce (40/100, inferred): The critic finds the film a safe, conventional epic that lacks nuance or contradiction in its portrayal of Gandhi. Kingsley’s performance is singled out for bringing gravity and dignity to the role despite the material’s limitations. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/dvd/gandhi-dvd/)
- **Empire**, Ian Nathan (30/100, inferred): The film is a talky, slow biopic that lacks the excitement of other epics despite its grand scope and intelligent script. Ben Kingsley's central performance is the standout element that makes the film worth seeing. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/gandhi-review/)
- **The New Yorker**, Pauline Kael (30/100, inferred): The reverential, conventional film lacks a dramatic center and feels like an empty schoolbook hero-worship exercise that tidies up history and is ultimately unaffecting beyond its spectacle scenes. Attenborough's infatuation with Gandhi results in a respectable but uninvolving three-hour-plus epic. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1982/12/27/tootsie-gandhi-and-sophie)
- **Eye for Film**, Amber Wilkinson (50/100, inferred): The critic finds the film informative and enjoyable as an education on Gandhi's life but difficult to engage with due to its epic scope leaving subsidiary characters underdeveloped and one-dimensional. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/gandhi-film-review-by-amber-wilkinson)

## Details

- **Director:** Richard Attenborough
- **Director:** Richard Attenborough
- **Writer:** John Briley
- **Cinematography:** Billy Williams, Ronnie Taylor
- **Editor:** John Bloom
- **Music:** George Fenton, Ravi Shankar
- **Production design:** Stuart Craig, Robert W. Laing
- **Costume design:** Bhanu Athaiya, John Mollo
- **Producer:** Richard Attenborough, Terence A. Clegg
- **Cast:** Ben Kingsley as Mahatma Gandhi; Candice Bergen as Margaret Bourke-White; Edward Fox as General Dyer; John Gielgud as Lord Irwin; Trevor Howard as Judge Broomfield; John Mills as Lord Chelmsford; Rohini Hattangadi as Kasturba Gandhi; Martin Sheen as Vince Walker
- **Runtime:** 3h 12m
- **Certificate (MPA):** PG
- **Release (the US):** 25 February 1983
- **Genres:** Drama, History
- **Also in:** [Best Picture winners](https://film.one/collections/oscar-best-picture.md) (Winner, 1982); [BAFTA Best Film winners](https://film.one/collections/bafta-best-film.md) (Winner, 1982)
- **Budget:** $22 million
- **Box office:** $78 million

## Where to watch in the US

- Amazon Prime Video: add-on, uhd
- Amazon Prime Video: rent $3.99, uhd
- Amazon Prime Video: buy $12.99, uhd

*Checked 2026-09-15.*

Also available in: AR, AT, AU, BE, BR, CA, CL, CO, DE, DK, ES, FI, FR, GB, IE, IL, IN, IT, JP, MX, NL, NO, NZ, PT, SE, TR, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## Awards

- Academy Awards 1983: Best Makeup and Hairstyling (nominated); Best Original Score (nominated); Best Sound (nominated); Best Actor (won); Best Cinematography (won); Best Costume Design (won); Best Director (won); Best Film Editing (won); Best Picture (won); Best Production Design (won); Best Writing, Original Screenplay (won)

## If you liked this

- *Selma* (2014), Fi1m 84: For political conviction tested through the practical business of organising other people — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/selma.md)
- *The Last Emperor* (1987), Fi1m 80: Another expansive life story, with more room for uncertainty about its subject — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-last-emperor.md)
- *The Passion of Joan of Arc* (1928), Fi1m 94: For another historical figure made immediate by the attention paid to a face — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-passion-of-joan-of-arc.md)
- *The Battle of Algiers* (1966), Fi1m 93: For an independence struggle filmed with less reassurance and far more political friction — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-battle-of-algiers.md)
- *The Music Room* (1958), Fi1m 88: For a more intimate historical drama, with pride allowed to become destructive — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-music-room.md)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/gandhi