Carinadust’s Weblog

The first scene which impressed me is the one where the young Gandhi travels by train and another passenger incriminates him not to be a lawful passenger. The guard and the passenger as well don´t believe that Gandhi is a lawyer because from their point of view a coloured person respectively an Indian cannot be a lawyer in South Africa not to mention travel first-class. Gandhi shows them his documents as well and tells them that there is now at least one Indian lawyer in South Africa but they negate and Gandhi is kicked out off the train.

I think it´s really racist and rough but Gandhi stays diplomatic and calm. I think it´s a keyscene because he realizes how terrible the Indians are treated and he wants to change the situation and also be treated equal. He tries to change something by burning the documents and that´s also very impressing because he still tries to burn the documents although he is already hurt. I guess the „train-situation“ was one of the activators for Gandhi´s movement.

It´s the same with the opening scene- especially the funeral procession- you learn how wonderful Gandhi was and what he achieved by hearing the journalist´s commentary. He said that Gandhi became the speaker of the conscience of the whole human race and that´s really impressing also in combination with the shot of the procession where you can see the crowds of people mourning for Gandhi.

http://de.youtube.com/watch?v=jnByy_r2ZKk&feature=related The opening scene and the „train-situation“

The salt march scene is one of the key scenes as well because so many people shared the march it demonstrated how much Gandhi reached and was able to move. It´s also impressing because the non-violent resistance becomes very clear. The gate of the factory is closed and a lot of soldiers are standing in front of it but the Indians try to defeat them again and again without violence but also without success. But nevertheless it´s impressing because they try to defeat while knowing that their combatants got already hurt.

http://de.youtube.com/watch?v=u_Gasq6qfzU The salt march scene

There is also something special about the scene where we get to know that Gandhi´s fast nearly kills him: It becomes clear that he would die for India and how he changed the minds of the people because they stop the trouble. It´s so impressing how wise and strong he is although his body is so weak. He speaks to the man who killed a child and threw the head against a wall but Gandhi doesn´t convict him , he still tries to help him.