Slumdog Millionaire
This film was not what I expected it to be, at all. I thought it would be about a poor kid going from rags to riches, but it was much deeper than that. This film was very touching and an eye opener to how different people’s lives are, depending on where they were raised. I really enjoyed this film because of the underlying storyline. Jamal and Salim were two young boys who were forced to raise themselves, in the slums of a third world country. These boys went through so many trials and tribulations, which shaped them into the people they were. Jamal chose to live a respectable life, while his brother, Salim, gave into the pressures of crime and injustice. My favorite part of this film was the relationship between Jamal and Latika because it was so unique. Despite all odds these two were able to find each other, several times, and continue their relationship. Jamal was dedicated to finding Latika throughout the film, which proved that his only true interest was to be with his childhood friend and love. It was a very sad, yet sweet, story of these kids’ struggles.
At the beginning of the film I was slightly confused because Jamal was being beaten and I wasn’t sure why. However, as the film progressed and the story built up, everything became clear. This entire film was constructed in a backwards fashion. The film began at the end of Jamal’s million dollar win and it progressed to the beginning of the show and the beginning of his life. Each scene included a flashback to Jamal’s earlier years before the show, which helped to build the story, create the characters, and the characters relationships. Each flashback was significant to Jamal’s life leading up to his million dollar win. The flashbacks were also crucial to how Jamal was able to win the show.
While Jamal was playing the game, he used previous memories of his past to help answer each question correctly, except the final question. The experiences that Jamal had been through, during his childhood, had ingrained specific memories into his mind. For every question that was asked, Jamal was able to recall a moment in his life which pertained to the question and the answer. Unfortunately, most of Jamal’s memories were negative, but I think that maybe why he was able to remember them so clearly.
The last question, for the million dollar win, was the only question that Jamal was unsure about. The show asked ‘who is the third musketeer’. Well, Jamal and his brother, Salim, considered themselves the two musketeers and Jamal wanted Latika to be the third, but they never knew the name of the third musketeer. I think that this question symbolized how Latika and Jamal would be united, once again, and they would finally be the complete trio. During this question Jamal used a life line, phone a friend and Latika answered. Through this call, Jamal was able to hear that Latika was safe and searching for him. The only thing that Jamal cared about was Latika and being with her. After he heard her voice, he randomly guessed the answer and unexpectedly got it right. This truly showed what Jamal’s intentions where and what he cared about in life.
Jamal, Salim, and Latika had very complex and interesting relationships with one another. Jamal and Salim were dedicated to one another and they had a strong brotherly bond. They were there for each other throughout the film, but they both developed into very different people. Jamal was interested in the well being of all of them and Salim more was interested in protecting himself. Salim was selfish and self centered, which was the complete opposite of Jamal. Jamal had a very strong connection with Latika and he felt obligated to care for her. Jamal took Latika under his wing and Salim resented him for that. Salim felt threatened by Latika and Jamal’s relationship, which eventually lead to him turning against his own blood. The relationship between Jamal and Latika endured despite all of the problems they encountered. They both lead separate lives, but they soon reunited and I think that their relationship was destined to be.
Overall, I really enjoyed every aspect of this film. It incorporated so many different emotions that are common within all of our lives, which made it easy to make a connection to one of the characters or one of their experiences. We were able to see hostility, happiness, sadness, disappointment, fright, madness, regret, love and many other emotions. These are things that we have all experienced at one time or another, so while watching the film, I felt that I was able to understand how the characters were feeling based on my own experiences. This film was much more than the title makes it sound and I would definitely recommend this film to everyone.
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