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In Search of Gandhi
Book by Attenborough, Richard
240 pages, Hardcover
First published December 2, 1982
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
December 31, 2021
A good pictorial record of the background to creating a very good biopic of one of the 20th century's most famous individuals.
It took 20 years for Richard Attenborough to bring this great work to screen. From the first approach by a Gandhi devotee to an untried film director, though successful actor, through stubborn persistence to adoption by film industry moguls. Bruising encounters with the latter, behaving like Shylock, would have crushed a lesser mortal. However, like his brother, David, he was brought up to believe in fighting for the truth; indeed the early chapters were of more interest, and were better penned, regarding his upbringing and belief systems.
The photographs are liberally spread throughout the book but the record of shooting the film reads more like entries from a calendar, ceasing abruptly when the film was finally finished and sold for worldwide distribution. This devalued the book in my opinion. It needed another chapter on the response to the film, and its aftermath, to enhance its capability as a useful record of a mammoth artistic endeavour.
It took 20 years for Richard Attenborough to bring this great work to screen. From the first approach by a Gandhi devotee to an untried film director, though successful actor, through stubborn persistence to adoption by film industry moguls. Bruising encounters with the latter, behaving like Shylock, would have crushed a lesser mortal. However, like his brother, David, he was brought up to believe in fighting for the truth; indeed the early chapters were of more interest, and were better penned, regarding his upbringing and belief systems.
The photographs are liberally spread throughout the book but the record of shooting the film reads more like entries from a calendar, ceasing abruptly when the film was finally finished and sold for worldwide distribution. This devalued the book in my opinion. It needed another chapter on the response to the film, and its aftermath, to enhance its capability as a useful record of a mammoth artistic endeavour.
June 16, 2013
The pictures in this book are wonderful. It is truly amazing how much time and effort and wheeling and dealing (almost 20 years) went into the making of the movie “Gandhi”. There were so many plane rides to India and the U.S.A. from London that this alone must have consumed an enormous amount of money.
But Mr.Attenboroughs’ first dream and priority was not money, but to make the movie. And really what a movie it is! It is definitely one of the true classics of all time. It entertains, it teaches, it inspires! I just wish more of the story of the actual making of the movie would have entered this book. Interestingly enough the actual filming in India took only 120 days.
for movie trailer
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083987/?...
But Mr.Attenboroughs’ first dream and priority was not money, but to make the movie. And really what a movie it is! It is definitely one of the true classics of all time. It entertains, it teaches, it inspires! I just wish more of the story of the actual making of the movie would have entered this book. Interestingly enough the actual filming in India took only 120 days.
for movie trailer
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083987/?...
February 28, 2017
A wonderful 'adult picture book' of photos and story of Richard Attenborough's making of the massive movie about Mahatma Gandhi's life. Now I would like to read more about Gandhi and I would like to re-view the movie. Gandhi has always been a hero but I didn't realize how much of one.
It's an older book so I am not sure it will be found places other than thrift shops, but if you come across it, pick it up!
It's an older book so I am not sure it will be found places other than thrift shops, but if you come across it, pick it up!
January 10, 2009
sir richard attenboroughs book about his experiences before and after his film gandhi
May 25, 2016
I recently found this book on my bookshelf and I'm glad I decided to finally read it. Attenborough gives a very readable account of the 20 odd years it took him to get the film into production. It was an amazing story of perseverance and luck told in a lively manner. The book is full of pictures from the film as well as archival photos of Gandhi. It reminded me of how moved the audience was when the film was shown in Vancouver. Usually as people file out of a film everyone is discussing what they just viewed, but that night you could hear a pin drop as people silently and reverently got up from their seats. We should never get tired of reading about men like Gandhi who devote their lives to the betterment of mankind.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews