Gerald Gold (1927–2012)

100+ b&w photos, many full page, interspersed throughout a brief biography. Perhaps most interesting is the closing photo essay by Richard Attenbourough describing the his 20-year effort to film Gandhi's life. The pictures he provides are side by side historical photos and stills from the film to show the extent gone to to be accurate. For anyone who's seen the film, of course, Ben Kinsley's performance is eerie it's so spot-on, but here we see how this realism extended to other individuals and to major scenes such as the Salt March and the funeral procession, for which Attenborough brought in 300,000 Indian extras, including 85,000 from the countryside. What a thrill it must have been to Gandhi's countrymen to participate in such an event!

So, a keeper for my collection, and rewarding for anyone interested in Gandhi, or even Attenborough. The written biography would be a good starting point for older students and others looking for a basic text. It will almost certainly move the reader to rent the film, even if it's been seen before.… (altro)