Slumdog Millionaire Flashcards
Who is Salim Malik?
Antagonist, orphan, materialist, money as top priority, protective, dominant
Who is Jamal Malik?
Protagonist, honesty, strong personality, courage
Who is Latika?
Love of Jamal, a strong female character, “She could be the third musketeer.”
Who is Maman?
Gang leader, possible father figure for the two boys, shot during the boys’ escape
Who is Javed Khan?
Crime lord who learns of Salim’s betrayal through the tv show
What is a Slumdog?
A person who lives in an overcrowded and very poor area of a city
What is ‘Who wants to be a Millionaire’?
Popular game show played in different countries across the world
What are Musketeers?
Characters from classic French literature the boys are compared to by the teacher
What happens at the Orphanage?
The boys have to stay there after their mother’s death in cruel conditions
What happens at the Taj Mahal?
The place the boys work as “undercover guides” to make a living
Where is the setting of the film?
Mumbai
What does the phrase “It is written” mean?
The phrase used to describe the inevitable fate that lead to the success in the game show
Who is the Director?
Danny Boyle
When was the film released?
2008
When was the film set?
2006
Who is the writer?
Simon beaufoy
Which slum is the film set in?
Dharavi Slum
What is the Dichotomy of India?
Where young children are exploited while others enjoy the luxuries of life
Watch these.
‘Opening Sequence’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeeR0ieqQvE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_4EFVfaUig
Sequence 2 ‘Cesspit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZ_8fsG8Q1A
Give some examples of Cinematography
- The opening sequence uses canted shots of the quiz studio, creating confusion and reflecting the feelings of the protagonist, Jamal Malik. The audience are positioned with Jamal’s perspective from the start.
- Monochromatic colour is used to signify the ‘current’ strand of the narrative. A yellow tint is used in police scenes to establish this thread of narrative in contrast to other scenes.
- Hand-held cameras taking the audience into the slums and add to the frenetic pace and feel of the chase in the second part of the opening.
- Boyle changed equipment after the beginning of shooting. The change from bulky, traditional 35mm cameras to smaller digital cameras was partly to avoid the masses of spectators impacting filming and also to allow filming within the confines of the slums, making the audience feel as though they are actually there
Give some examples of Editing
- Using 11 frames per second creates the slow-motion aspect to the film, for example in the opening sequence. This creates a dream-like feel at times, especially in regard to the character of Latika.
- Flash cutting is used in the opening sequence to create a sense of confusion between threads of narrative. Also used to great impact in panning out from the slums, having shown the life going on within the cameras pulls away in an aerial bird’s eye view, showing the scale of the slums.
- Crosscutting in the opening sequence shows us the different strands of narrative (Jamal, Salim, and Latika) • The film won the 2009 Academy Award for Best Film Editing
Give some examples of sound
- The use of diegetic sounds from the TV studio, along with the show’s leitmotif, indicate the setting and the link between the film and the global TV export, Who Wants to be a Millionaire?
- Sound bridges are used to connect the different elements of narrative
- Urban soundtrack by A. R. Rahman featuring MIA (controversial female British Sri Lankan artist) reflects the gritty realism and the film’s Mumbai/Western fusion
Give some examples of Mise en scene
- The studio setting (glossy surfaces, lighting, dress) contrasts with the grimy and gritty setting within the police station and the slums.
- Use of titles to frame the link to the television quiz with an opening question. • Subtitles add to sense of realism in regards to language
Give some examples of social context
- Boyle and Beaufoy both have stated they wished to transport Western audiences to the slums of India to portray the energy and community to try and challenge some of the more traditional representations of poverty-stricken slum dwellers often seen in documentaries and campaigns.
- Controversy surrounded the film both in regard to how to cast/crew were paid/acknowledged and in regard to the representations within the film.
- Casting - Dev Patel (British) was cast as an antithesis to the traditional Bollywood male (strong/handsome/hero) from his role on C4 TV show Skins
