1982's Oscar-winning Gandhi as great as advertised (and curiously inspiring)

I know that I saw at least the opening scene when I was pretty young, but I have no memory of the rest of the movie. Maybe it was on TV and either I wasn't interested or I wasn't allowed to watch it - whatever the story, I know the beginning. 

The rest of the movie was excellent, which isn't always a given when talking about a Best Picture winner. Kingsley really was terrific in the role, and the surrounding cast supported him wonderfully (including a young Daniel Day-Lewis, who I wouldn't have recognized without seeing his name in the credits). Seeing John Gielgud and Ian Charleson pop up after having just watched them in Chariots of Fire was fun.

It is a stoic, station-to-station kind of biography storytelling, which is befitting of a man with such patience and resolve. 

And what did I feel like doing right after watching?

Well, that would be playing a game of Civilization Revolution on the Xbox 360 as Gandhi, naturally. I played it in as non-violent a manner as possible - no attacking (not even barbarians), just defending as needed. I panicked a bit towards the end because the Japanese were approaching an Economic Victory so I beat them to it, but I had time and I should have won a Cultural Victory. Seems more fitting.

At least the English were in on this game so I managed to outplay them, too.