Biopic does justice to a great man

I can vaguely remember sitting in seventh-grade social studies watching Richard Attenborough's "Gandhi" in 40-minute installments over five days. I slept through half of it, passed notes during most of the rest and, in hindsight, had no idea what I was missing. For those who complain about movies just because they're long, your time and tastes might be better suited seeing "Wild Hogs" this weekend, but for anyone who wants to see the story of a great man's life done justice, however long it takes, "Gandhi's" got your number. \n"Gandhi" invites many favorable comparisons to David Lean's "Lawrence of Arabia" in terms of its epic length, sweeping cinematography, intensive development of the title character and a literal cast of thousands. Gandhi and Lawrence were men both cherished and reviled by many, though both men strove singularly and almost unarguably for good. Gandhi's funeral, which Attenborough immaculately recreates, is a key scene because it displays in sheer numbers how loved the man was. There are countless other scenes with impact that reaches beyond the film to argue that Gandhi's adherence to passive, nonviolent resistance was possibly the most pivotal movement in recorded global civil rights history. \nThis is Ben Kingsley's finest acting role, surpassing Itzhak Stern in "Schindler's List" simply because of the length of time he's on screen. He disappears into his character by exuding the same stoic grace and soft-spokenness that was Gandhi's trademark, winning the Best Actor Oscar despite a total lack of the gratingly emotional outbursts that Oscar always falls for. The film's supporting cast is given mostly thankless and underdeveloped roles, and the film's unerring focus directly on the actions and motivations of its title character help keep the waters of history and politics un-muddied. After all, a biopic should be the story of one life, not many. \nThe supplements on this two-disc 25th anniversary edition are more comprehensive than on the 2001 edition, including a brief introduction and a vital full-length commentary track from Attenborough, as well as a smattering of curious newsreel footage and nine mostly passable featurettes focusing on Gandhi, Kingsley and the director. A recent interview with Kingsley functions to enlighten us as to his method in portraying Gandhi, making his performance all the more impressive when we realize the depth of Kingsley's knowledge of and respect for the man he was lauded for playing. \nGandhi was assassinated in 1948, and like most great men cut down by the politically motivated hands of others, his presence and life loom larger now than they did when he was alive. The story of Mohandas Gandhi is really the story of India itself, and amazingly, Attenborough manages to well-serve both man and country in this film. Never since has one man of such slight stature and mild manner stood up to an empire and prevailed.