Sardar Udham

It is interesting to watch this film now, in a week where a British MP has been brutally stabbed to death doing his job, and to maybe ask ourselves a question. What has the killing of a man ever actually achieved? It never makes anything any better. It serves to galvanise both sides and retrench enmities and bitterness that can take many years to wain. This film depicts one such story. That of a man who also passionately believed it was acceptable to take a life. His motives appear demonstrably justifiable as we watch this beautifully shot, frequently harrowing, depiction of the lead up to…

It's quite the captivating story. Sadly, humanity seems to learn nothing from history, and so we are doomed to the fatal repetition of the past. This is one story that should have taught us a lesson, yet governments all over the world suppress and repress the truth. The non-linear film seems a little scattered in organization but picks up all the dangling pieces by the final reel.

My title is meant to be twofold. The atrocities of the British are unreal and this is an extremely important film. The massacre in particular is brought to live vividly and that scene in itself is classic. It'a a very powerful film indeed. My only criticism are the parts where Udham interacts with O'Dwyer. Udham Singh has indeed had multiple opportunities to kill O'Dwyer throughout the years but as far as we know he's never even had a conversation with him. So why add this air of unrealism to an otherwise almost perfect depiction? Don't let that deter anyone from watching though.