I’ve been bach’ing it for the last few nights as Shannon is in Hastings. This always gives me a chance to eat some foods she doesn’t care for, like oyster stew, and maybe watch a movie or two that she might not care to watch. A couple nights ago I watched Gandhi, the epic 1982 film that won multiple awards and was praised for, among other things, it’s authenticity.
It’s a great film. I’ve read two biographies of Gandhi and the film did gloss over a few of his not-so-likable traits and failures, but overall it did capture the essence and importance of the man. It’s an amazing story and I highly recommend the film.
It was filmed on location in India and, as I mentioned, one of the things that the film was praised for was it’s accurate portrayal of India during the 1930’s and 40’s. One of the things that struck me so much is that while it portrayed India of 80 years ago so well, so little has changed from the India I’ve visited for the last two years. The film depicted incredible poverty. People were shown getting around with oxcart and bicycles that are rattly and barely held together. Men with power and money were shown taking extreme advantage of the poor and the untouchables were treated with cruelty. The poor were usually dressed in little more than rags. Many building are shown in such a state that it is hard to tell whether they are under construction or whether they are in the process of being torn down. Even though great progress has been made in India, all of these things are still prevalent today.
I’ve often thought that when the British pulled out of India, the country kept the worst of it’s own traditions, like the caste system and god’s that provide no hope, and took on the worst of the West, namely it’s aptitude for godless capitalism which puts profit above all else, including human dignity. Watching this film re-enforced this thinking.
It also re-enforced my love for that country and it’s people and my desire to return.
