Reviews

Movies

Gandhi

Directed by Richard Attenborough, starring Ben Kingsley, Roshan Seth

At the beginning of Gandhi, a few lines of text flash up on the screen telling us that while it is the filmmakers' belief that no man's life can be condensed into one movie, they will give it their best college try. It serves almost as a disclaimer but it also tells us how important the project is to the director Richard Attenborough. At a little over three hours long, many viewers may think that they actually see quite a lot of Gandhi's life, even if they don't get any closer to understanding what made the great pacifist tick.

The injustices against his people are made clear though, as the film features various scenes in which both the South African and British governments unleash all sorts of brutality on Indian peasants. Passive resistance is resistance nonetheless, which imperialists tend to greet with force.

Too large a film to ever really penetrate beneath the ideologies of Gandhi, Attenborough's greatest achievement here, as it was in A Bridge Too Far, is his scope and handling of a literal cast of thousands. The director also successfully ties together more than five decades of Gandhi's endeavors - from his time as a young crusading lawyer to his assassination by a fanatic.

As Gandhi, Ben Kingsley not only looks uncannily like the figure he portrays, he also subtly approaches his role and avoids grandstanding. However, even with this fine performance, the film is hardly a rigorous analysis of the man himself but rather an elongated newsreel filled with his extraordinary deeds. Ben Davey

Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

Directed by Kenneth Branagh, starring Kenneth Branagh, Robert De Niro

A voiceover at the beginning of Kenneth Branagh's adaptation of this classic horror tale tells us to prepare for a story that will curdle the blood and quicken the heart. What then follows is a movie about a troubled romance and an articulate monster that doubles as his creator's conscience, all of which left my blood rather un-curdled while my pulse stayed regular. There are moments of horror here but really the director's aim is to portray the monster in a sympathetic light and show how unbridled ambition can lead to all sorts of strife.

For those unfamiliar with the Frankenstein story written by 19th century British authorMary Shelley (pictured right), here goes: A young man whose mother dies giving birth to his brother undertakes medicine and vows to find a way to cheat death. He collects a bunch of body parts, stitches them together, adds lightning and reanimates the cadaver. But the cadaver is not so pretty and has a hard time making friends so it chases down its creator who has fled to the arms of his love. Hearts then get broken, some ripped out by hand.

This is a retelling that's gothic without being eerie, philosophical without being all that deep and ever so melodramatic. Branagh seems intent to treat every line he delivers as if they are the last words he will ever utter as an actor, while his love interest played by Helena Bonham Carter is far too flighty to give two hoots about. Robert De Niro does bring sadness to the monster he plays, but a creature that incessantly weeps and brow beats can also be a kind of drag. It's actually a bit of a relief when he finally attends to the business of killing. BD

(China Daily 07/19/2007 page20)