analysis of slumdog millionaire BY faith oniyide

ANALYSIS OF SLUM DOG MILLIONAIRE

Slumdog Millionaire is a 2008 British film directed by Danny Boyle, screenplay written by Simon Beaufoy, and co-directed in India by Loveleen Tandan. It is an adaptation of the novel Q & A (2005) by Indian author and diplomat Vikas Swarup. Set and filmed in India, the film tells the story of a young man from the slums of Mumbai who appears on the Indian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? (Kaun Banega Crorepati in the Hindi version) and exceeds people's expectations, thereby arousing the suspicions of the game show host and of law enforcement officials.
After its world premiere at Telluride Film Festival and later screenings at the Toronto International Film Festival and the London Film Festival, Slumdog Millionaire initially had a limited North American release on 12 November 2008, to critical acclaim. It later had a nationwide grand release in the United Kingdom on 9 January 2009 and in the United States on 23 January 2009. It premiered in Mumbai on 22 January 2009. It was released on DVD and Blu-ray in the United States on 31 March 2009.
Slumdog Millionaire was nominated for ten Academy Awards in 2009 and won eight, the most for any film of 2008, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay. It also won seven BAFTA Awards (including Best Film), five Critics' Choice Awards, and four Golden Globes. Slumdog Millionaire has been criticised concerning language use, its portrayals of Indians and Hinduism, and the welfare of its child actors.
THE PLOT
The film opens in medias res in Mumbai with a policeman torturing Jamal Malik (Dev Patel), a former street child from the Juhu slums.
In the opening scene, Jamal has been a contestant on the Indian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, hosted by Prem Kumar (Anil Kapoor). He has already won Rs.10,000,000 and has made it to the final question, for Rs. 20,000,000, scheduled for the next day. Following up on a tip-off from Kumar, who is jealous of the attention being paid to the contestant, the police now suspect Jamal of cheating.
Jamal explains that he knew the answers to most of the questions merely by chance, because of things that had happened in his life, events conveyed in a series of flashbacks to his childhood. These include the death of his mother during anti-Muslim violence (rekindling memories of the 1993 anti-Muslim attacks in the Bombay slums), and how he and his brother Salim befriended the girl Latika (played by Rubina Ali as a child). He refers to Salim and to himself as Athos and Porthos, two of the Three Musketeers. Latika is the third, whose name they never learn.
THEMES
The theme of slumdog millionaire can be called ‘destiny of live’. This film is abot 2 individuals that have been detined for each other. In the story line, Jamal was constantly in a search for Hatika. The Destiny idea of the film is shown through rthe film.
• The theme of Hope: - the theme of hope is evident in Jamal persistency. He went to play the millionaire game.
• The theme of Forgiveness: - Jamal forgave his brother, despite all he did to him, taking Latika away, deflowering her. Etc
• The theme of cruel absurdity of bthe world: - the world of Jamal, Salim, Latica was so absurd. They did not grow up with their parents, they were left with their parents, and they were left to fend for themselves.
NARRATIVES
There are two narratives embedded in one. The first is Jamal, quiz show and Jamal’s flash back. The two was brought together without any conflict. Right on the show, there was flask backs. The flash back made the second narratives.
EXPECTATIONS
Jamal will always get the answers to the questions. Right from the beginning, he always had an experience to match up with the questions.
Salim is not expected to join frauds. Despite the fact that he has the tendency, evil is not supposed to triumph over good. This group also led to his death.
The scenario of Salim’s death is a cheated expectation.
Jamal eventually re united with Latika and he also won the quiz competition.
Jamal’s reaction towards the death of his brother was not shown.
EMOTIONS AND FEELINGS
love, pity, sadness, sympathy, sorrow and pain. They were all evident in the film. Jamal had the passion of love towards Latika and he always expressed it by coming back for her.
CAUSES AND EFFECT
The major cause of effect was the experience Jamal had and his ability to answer the questions. The film was very consistent; one scene was linked to the other. One event let to the other which is peculiar to every narrative.
SIMILARITY AND REPITITION
Right from the point Jamal and Latika met there was consistently where Jamal is shown and the next scene Latika is shown.
There is also yellow clothing on Latika from her young, teenage and adult age. Salim also showed a consistency on some one that is villain. The rescue of Latika was also expected severally. The anchor of the film was written and shown at the beginning and end of the film. The same shot of Latika being at the train station was also expected severally. The sight of seeing Jamal smiling was also repeated.
DIFFERENCE AND VARIATIONS
The lives of Jamal and Salim are different. The slum when they were quite young ended up to a mega city when they were grown. Jamal never had the intention of winning the quiz; he only wanted to be seen.
DEPTH OF STORY TREATMENT
Jamal when he was thinking of throwing his brother over from the boundary. Moreover, the whole film is built on this dept of story treatment.
FUNCTIONS OF ELEMENTS (motives)
• The killing of Jamal’s mother was not necessary.
• The part where Jamal was tortured for getting answers was also not needed.
• Attitude of the host was also out of the ordinary for hating Jamal answering the questions.
• Why did Salim go that bad?
CINEMATOGRAPHY
• Fast cutting (transitions)
• At some points, there was jarring of the camera/visuals.
• The use of close up shots was much on the actors. Close up shots, helps the viewer identify with the actor. The music was rhythmic.
• There was different directional angle of characters. These techniques will not help the audience identify more with the actors.
• Crane shots were used in showing the roofs of houses in the slum.
• There was also rare projection, where a background brought closely to the foreground.