Slumdog Millionaire was more than just a great movie; it was a slice out of Indian reality. After spending time volunteering in the slums of India last year the reality of this movie pulled strongly on my heart strings. I was very impressed with the plot of the movie, how the characters developed as they grew up, and how the directors incorporated the “Bollywood” film industry characteristics; most clearly scene at the end of the film when the actors did the traditional Bollywood dance style. I found it interesting through the readings that actual children from the slum were cast for half of the parts. It is also evident that the directors did a very thorough job of researching the Indian slum lifestyle. It was very helpful that one director was trained to do documentaries; very useful skills in this situation.
An interesting side note: India claims not to have a “class” or “cast” system, but this movie showed just how untrue that statement is. If it would have been an upper cast person to win the million dollars, no one would have thrown a fuss about “how” he attained all of the knowledge needed to answer the questions. Since Jamal was of the lowest cast, the government did not want him to have the lifestyle of an upper cast man. I learned that the cast system is so deeply intertwined into the Indian culture that unless every one completely dropped their last names, the “cast” system will never leave India. I say that because you can tell which cast a person is in by their last name and how it begins and ends. It is very interesting, but also poses quiet a challenge to society and those trying to instigate change.
Throughout our lives we always hear that our life experiences make us into the people we are. This was very true for Jamal in Slumdog Millionaire. In the Indian version of “Who Wants to be a Millionaire” Jamal did not correctly answer the questions that eventually earned him a fortune because of a fancy high class education or some gift of genius he had been blessed with at birth; he knew the answers because of series of unfortunate life events that he was forced to endure as an orphan in the ghettos of India. From Jamal’s point of view it honestly made me stop and ask, “what is a million dollars worth?” Is it worth losing your mother to a religious outburst? Is it worth living in landfills and digging through other’s fecal matter to find scraps of food to nourish you as a growing child? Is it worth the violence that you were forced to witness and watching your brother fall captive to the mob’s world? I would say no amount of money could ever justify that horrific childhood. The injustices that youth around the world face are so unnecessary as there are countless organizations worldwide that are more than willing and eager to help these children to build a good life. As we look at the world today, the reasons that these organizations aren’t allowed into the countries are ridiculous and it becomes a way of a ruler showing that they still control the people. For example look at the current situation in Darfur. Just this past week the leader of the country forced all NGO’s out and has suspended all foreign humanitarian efforts. Why: simply to prove a point, while at the same time completely disregarding the actual needs of the people. This too is seen in India and other developing countries and it is a shame.
It is shocking that this incredible film was almost not showed in theaters in the US. To be completely honest, I didn’t even realize that I had to read subtitles for a portion of the film; the movie as a whole tells an incredible story that engulfs you in the moment. I have attached some pictures from my trip to India, just a look at how realistic the movie truly is.
An interesting side note: India claims not to have a “class” or “cast” system, but this movie showed just how untrue that statement is. If it would have been an upper cast person to win the million dollars, no one would have thrown a fuss about “how” he attained all of the knowledge needed to answer the questions. Since Jamal was of the lowest cast, the government did not want him to have the lifestyle of an upper cast man. I learned that the cast system is so deeply intertwined into the Indian culture that unless every one completely dropped their last names, the “cast” system will never leave India. I say that because you can tell which cast a person is in by their last name and how it begins and ends. It is very interesting, but also poses quiet a challenge to society and those trying to instigate change.
Throughout our lives we always hear that our life experiences make us into the people we are. This was very true for Jamal in Slumdog Millionaire. In the Indian version of “Who Wants to be a Millionaire” Jamal did not correctly answer the questions that eventually earned him a fortune because of a fancy high class education or some gift of genius he had been blessed with at birth; he knew the answers because of series of unfortunate life events that he was forced to endure as an orphan in the ghettos of India. From Jamal’s point of view it honestly made me stop and ask, “what is a million dollars worth?” Is it worth losing your mother to a religious outburst? Is it worth living in landfills and digging through other’s fecal matter to find scraps of food to nourish you as a growing child? Is it worth the violence that you were forced to witness and watching your brother fall captive to the mob’s world? I would say no amount of money could ever justify that horrific childhood. The injustices that youth around the world face are so unnecessary as there are countless organizations worldwide that are more than willing and eager to help these children to build a good life. As we look at the world today, the reasons that these organizations aren’t allowed into the countries are ridiculous and it becomes a way of a ruler showing that they still control the people. For example look at the current situation in Darfur. Just this past week the leader of the country forced all NGO’s out and has suspended all foreign humanitarian efforts. Why: simply to prove a point, while at the same time completely disregarding the actual needs of the people. This too is seen in India and other developing countries and it is a shame.
It is shocking that this incredible film was almost not showed in theaters in the US. To be completely honest, I didn’t even realize that I had to read subtitles for a portion of the film; the movie as a whole tells an incredible story that engulfs you in the moment. I have attached some pictures from my trip to India, just a look at how realistic the movie truly is.
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