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Altruism
is the attempt to provide help where it is needed with no regard to one's
own interests. The excellent film Gandhi portrays an ultimately
humble man that made very admirable efforts in the name of altruism and
as a consequence led an entire nation to independence through virtuous
methods. This portrayal of what could possibly be the most noble
goal in life is in itself a masterpiece of motion pictures; a winner of
nine Academy Awards (Best Picture, Director, Actor, Screenplay Written
Directly for the Screen, Cinematography, Film Editing, Art Direction, Costume
Design, and Sound), this epic took two decades to make, further indicating
the quality for which the film strove. Mahatma Gandhi himself is
often referred to as the man of the century because of his apparently selfless
ideals. Einstein quite appropriately said at the time of Gandhi's
death, "Generations to come will scarce believe that a man such as this
ever in flesh and blood walked upon the Earth." The cover of the
videocassette states, "In stirring detail, Gandhi's life, principles and
power explode on the screen with vivid scenes such as the horrific massacre
at Amristar where the British opened fire on 15,000 unarmed men, women
and children, and the dramatic march to the sea where Gandhi led thousands
of his fellow Indians to prove that sea salt belonged to all and was not
just a British commodity. A distinguished cast of characters surround
Academy Award-winning Ben Kingsley as Gandhi, including Candice Bergen,
Martin Sheen, John Gielgud and Trevor Howard. A vision of the heart
and soul of a man, Gandhi is a classic epic as timeless as Gandhi
himself."
Although
one might be suspicious of the bias inherent in this quote, the experience
of watching the film proves it to be accurate. The film itself is
so well done and inspiring that it becomes easy to believe that altruism
is indeed the means by which we should achieve the ultimate goal in life:
to improve the conditions of life itself. Of course, whether or not
this is the case remains open to debate (especially if one has not seen
the film yet). Why should anyone risk their own survival or happiness
in an attempt to help others? Can it be demonstrated that there is
absolutely no self-serving motivation behind acts of altruism? Gandhi
certainly flirts with death when he resolves to fast until his own countrymen
cease fighting among each other and end their hatred based on religious
divisions. Because he strove to transcend violent protest did not
mean he was not vulnerable to violence. In the movie, Gandhi claims
he is not a "pacifist;" he seeks activist means of protest that are peaceful.
Somewhat ironically, his peaceful approach gave those who made him their
enemy no reason to kill him. There was even reason not to kill him;
he would become a martyr, inspiring many others to take up his cause.
Gandhi certainly demonstrated that his means were effective and apparently
led a transcendently satisfied life by achieving the goals he valued.
He took great risks, indicating a great faith in the meaning of life truly
being the improvement of life's condition, optimally achieved through altruism.
