Slumdog Millionaire - what is all the fuss about?
Slumdog Millionaire is undoubtedly the movie of the moment with its endless awards and accolades. This rags to riches tale, where the slumdog hero Jamal wins Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, contains a powerful set of contradictions. It takes us on a journey from the heights of love, romance and wealth, to the depths of brutality, child abuse and poverty.
However, despite the unending rave reviews the film has also been the subject of much controversy concerning its portrayal of India. Is the film just “poverty porn” full of unrealistic clichés written from a blinkered Western perspective? Or does it in fact give a sensitive and insightful depiction of a world so alien to our own?
At the end of the day it is not a documentary, it is a film, intended to entertain. While much of it is harrowing and distressing, for me an overwhelming feeling of positivity emerges. This does not just come from Jamal’s story, it comes from the powerful demonstration of hope over adversity among the people in the Mumbai slums. A real sense of energy, life and community are apparent. In a recent interview with the Telegraph, the film’s young star Dev Patel has spoken out on this, saying “the most striking thing is how happy people are in the slums. They don’t seem depressed. They don’t pity themselves. They are communities that flourish on their own. Such a sense of community, all working together to make their slum a better slum.”
Ultimately, love it or hate it, controversy and acclaim work hand in hand with Slumdog to make it well worth watching.
Tags: Dev Patel, Mumbai slums, poverty porn, Slumdog Millionaire
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Comments (1)
March 18th, 2009 at 12:23 pm Posted by Beth
Well written
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