Another episode of Highbrow! Lowbrow? is ready for your listening pleasure. Every two weeks or so, Jesse and Shaun review the Best Picture Academy Award Winner and top box office earner of the same year. We're getting in touch with our 80's children selves with the year 1982 and the films Gandhi (Highbrow) and ET The Extra Terrestrial (Lowbrow).
Gandhi, directed by Richard Attenborough, stars Ben Kingsley as he transforms into Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi the leader of a nonviolent movement to free India from British Rule. The film is fairly long passing the 3 hour mark which is somewhat justified for a man of Gandhi's cultural and societal importance. Ben Kingsley is really exemplary as Gandhi, taking on the role in every facet, from the way he looks as Gandhi becomes more frail and weak in his years, and the way he acts shows Gandhi's unique sense of humor and happy way of approaching life. The story of Gandhi is quite beautiful in how he defied insurmountable odds with peace and nonviolent resistance, showing that peace and decency has a strength of its own. The film feels so grand and epic in scope from the scenic views of India to the massive throngs of people utilized to show the resistance Gandhi inspired. Gandhi is an important movie to see due to Gandhi's effect on the world, but at times the execution of the film can be trying to watch in its entirety.
E.T. The Extraterrestrial, directed by Steven Spielburg, tells the tale of young Elliot as he discovers the mysterious alien, ET, who he tries to help find his way home. This film is a crowd pleaser overall, but it does have some scary elements like when ET grows sick and the authorities invade Elliot's home in such an ominous manner. The film is shot very mysteriously with man's face being hidden from view and most of the movie being veiled in fog and night. As the film ramps to it's finale, it's very exciting as ET and Elliot evade the authorities with help of his brother, Michael. There's a unique sense of realism in how the characters interact, displaying an honest portrayal of family life in the 80's, something that Spielburg tends to execute well in his films. Henry Thomas is a strong child actor in the film really bringing home the final scenes that Elliot and ET share, bringing restraint and sincerity to a very quiet moment. The new effects and CGI brought in the special edition are fairly jarring, because they don't feel organic to the film, leaving us wondering if it may have been better retaining the effects they originally had. ET is a magical, fun yet scary film that still manages to charm us with its mystery, excitement and innocent sense of adventure.
So which film did we end up choosing? The world event that is Gandhi or the magical mystery of ET? Tune in to the next Highbrow! Lowbrow? to find out.
