Every Best Picture Oscar Winner Ranked Worst To Best

There are plenty of issues plaguing Richard Attenborough’s towering biopic Gandhi, from its stiff direction, too simple script, and overwrought runtime, but its flaws are frequently overshadowed by Ben Kingsley’s transformative central performance.

In the eponymous role, the then-unknown Kingsley is calm and quietly devastating, elevating Attenborough's by the numbers drama at every turn. It's remarkable stuff, even if the rest of the film - vital and eye-opening as it may be - never dares to reach his level.