What is the best method to judge this film's popularity ?

Gandhi (1982) directed by Richard Attenborough

There is no doubt that this motion picture about Gandhi will always remain a monumental achievement for two Englishmen namely its director Sir Richard Attenborough who despite utter lack of assistance and cooperation from successive Indian governments,doggedly pursued an obsessive idea of making a film about one of the most famous Indians ever known to mankind and unknown actor Ben Kingsley who plays his part with such great perfection that people who personally knew Mohandas Gandhi claimed that they have seen a reincarnation of Gandhi in him.These facts are the only positive aspects of this film as its importance has never been properly assessed in India,a land where Gandhi was born.Each Indian viewer is familiar with the fact that this film is shown every year on 2nd October on India's national television network as a holy ritual to make people aware of this great man's importance.This proves that this film's popularity means different things to different viewers.For a non Indian it is a great visual document about Gandhi whereas for Indian people,it remains by and large a work which they are forced to watch out of compulsion for their country.It is also interesting to note that since some years Gandhi has become a fashion statement for Indian people.This is the reason why at least three films have been made in recent past by Hindi filmmakers about him.This was not happening around 1982 when this film was released globally.Would some serious viewer take a note of this anomaly ?

A complete Steven Spielberg Film : No doubt about it.

Munich (2005) directed by Steven Spielberg

If one looks closely at Spielberg's cinematographic career, one would find that he has booked a special slot for controversial films which are even thought provoking to some extent.He achieves this hidden effect by choosing themes about which people are bound to have diverse opinions. This is the reason why Spielberg has complete hold over his work as someone like Richard Attenborough had for his film Gandhi (1982).Munich is one of a kind film which must be watched with an open mind as a biased viewer might spoil his own viewing pleasure.There is no need to take sides as nothing is shown neither in black nor in white. Although some of the situations featuring an ensemble cast of talented actors are truly spectacular there are certain confrontation scenes which defy logic.Although Munich tackles the same Jewish question as Schindler's List,it is very different from that film because of its insistence on color and an elaborate cast of actors.It is one of those rare American films completely dominated by French actors especially Mathieu Amalric.He is the only shining light of this somber drama.