Lord Mountbatten: The Last Viceroy (1985) Reviews

This miniseries tells of the founding of an independent India as seen (mostly) through English eyes, but does so with great sympathy and admiration for the Indian people. Nicol Williamson is superb as the genial but shrewd Mountbatten, and is supported by a marvelous cast: Janet Suzman as his compassionate, strong-willed wife, Edwina; Ian Richardson as the great Hindi statesman, Jawaharal Nehru; Sam Dastor as the spiritual and moral father of modern India, Mohandas K. Gandhi; and Vladek Sheybal as the earnest but cunning first prime minister of Pakistan, Mohammed Ali Jinnah. The exhileration and heartbreak of Indian independence is captured magnificently, and the length of the production gives the intricate politics of this tumultuous time full shrift. The film makes an excellent companion piece to "Gandhi".
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Somehow, I missed this PBS production, but I am thrilled to have caught it at last. Lord Mountbatten was the larger-than-life "can do" man for both King George VI and Queen Elizabeth II. He was the uncle of Prince Philip, and Prince Charles called him "honorary grandfather." Before his assassination. Mountbatten accomplished much for Britain, but his most difficult role was Viceroy of India prior to the nation's independence. Nicol Williamson does a marvelous job in the title role, but my favorite actors in this series are Janet Suzman as his wife Edwina and Ian Richardson as Nehru, with whom she has a romantic relationship. These two performers really scintillate!
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