Matrixston Wow! Such a good movie.

Fluentiama Perfect cast and a good story

Lucybespro It is a performances centric movie

BallWubba Wow! What a bizarre film! Unfortunately the few funny moments there were were quite overshadowed by it's completely weird and random vibe throughout.

JohnHowardReid A Mark Robson (Red Lion) Production, filmed on location in Delhi, Bombay, Poona, Nasik. Copyright 31 December 1962 by Red Lion Productions. Released through 20th Century-Fox. New York opening at the Astor: 3 April 1963. U.S. release: April 1963. U.K. release: 24 March 1963. Sydney opening at the Century. 11,240 feet. 125 minutes.SYNOPSIS: At 8 a.m. on the morning of 30 January 1948, Naturam Godse (Horst Buchholz) and Narayam Apte (Don Borisenko) awaken in a retiring room of the second floor of the railway station in Delhi, India. The two are hoping to hide out until 5 p.m. when they plan to assassinate Mahatma Gandhi as he arrives at a prayer meeting in the garden back of the home of Indian industrialist G. D. Birla. They are awaiting the arrival of a conspirator, who does not know who they are or when they will do the deed.But the confederate does not show up. He is arrested by Gopal Das (José Ferrer), superintendent of police, who is sure an attempt will be made on Gandhi's life. But he is not certain of time or place or who intends to commit the murder. He is determined to save Gandhi whom he believes to be India's greatest man.COMMENT: You can malign most historical figures as much as you like. Of course the further removed they are in time, the better. A hundred years, for instance, and you're safe. You can be mischievously malicious, and most people won't give a damn. The cardinal exception of course is for religious icons. A lot of people are going to get mighty upset if you portray Confucius, Buddha, Mohammed, the Christ, or Moses in anything but the most adulatory way. In fact, some folk aren't going to like it period.Mark Robson has broken both rules in "Nine Hours to Rama". His subject matter is too recent and has too much religious significance. The Indian government which co-operated in the making of the film, banned it. Not that our fellow colonists were missing out on a treat. For although it starts off most promisingly, "Nine Hours to Rama" is a stodgy affair, lumbered with flashbacks of its unsympathetic hero (glumly but nonetheless camera-hoggishly played by Horst Buchholz). These were better left on the cutting-room floor. (The only loss would be of Miss Valerie Gearon whose film roles would thus be reduced from this one to nil). The "present" story is highly suspenseful, even though we already know the terrifying outcome. We don't need to have the past of the ant- hero filled in. We hate him, we loath him, he bores us and disgusts us. Away with him! Give us more India, more Gandhi!

Neil Doyle So little is heard of this film these days, that it has almost slipped into obscurity. And that's a shame. It has a fascinating story at the core--but the drawback seems to be a series of flashbacks that could have been edited to omit too much emphasis on the love interest between the assassin (HORST BUCHHOLZ) and VALERIE GEARON.The flashbacks explaining the youth of the future assassin are interesting enough and there's a lot of local color in the splendid Indian backgrounds to give the story an authentic feel. But the romance takes up too much time that cuts into the suspenseful angle of a tale that lacks the taut excitement generated by that other famous assassination attempt depicted in THE DAY OF THE JACKAL.Jose Ferrer and Robert Morley are the only other notables in the cast, with the exception of DIANE BAKER (whom I almost didn't recognize as the dark-skinned Indian girl that shares an intense scene with Buchholz in which she gets slapped around pretty badly).Two hours of running time is a bit of a stretch for this tale, which is still absorbing enough to watch under Mark Robson's forceful direction. HORST BUCHHOLZ carries the film with a very intense performance that gives the film almost all of its edge.For an even more exemplary example of this type of film, I highly recommend THE DAY OF THE JACKAL for tighter suspense.

flolebus I remember seeing this movie broadcast on television as young boy and being fascinated by the beautiful and exotic photography. I didn't even know who Ghandi was at that young age but was intrigued enough to watch the entire movie without really planning to. At that age I was watching sports on television mostly. I don't know much about the assassin, his motives and what happened after Ghandi's death. I would like to see if the movie is as good as I seem to remember it being today. With the increasing violence between India and Pakistan and terrorism in general, I would like to revisit this movie if possible. I am rather surprised that this movie made United States television considering how provincial and narrow-minded Americans tend to be about the rest of the world etc...

hedgehog-10 A film which builds up to a climax is spoilt by some unconvincing performances, especially Harry Andrews' Indian Officer and Robert Morley. Despite this, the direction is reasonable and the film worth seeing as there seem so few films about this subject.