Slumdog Millionaire

In the film ‘’Slumdog Millionaire’’ there are many themes used. Some of the themes used include Love, hate, poverty, wealth and racism. These are all very clearly portrayed and noticeable throughout the film.
The movie shows what is really happening in India. Not everyone is shown what really happens and the movie gives you an insight. Religion in India splits its people and country. The movie shows that no matter how old or how wealthy you are, religion will always limit you to some extent.
In the movie young children are hurt mentally, emotionally and left disfigured. The children are disfigured because if a child is handicapped in some way, then they will earn more money out on the street begging. It also shows that money is greed and people will do anything to get what they want and do anything to live. Survival is the number one thing on peoples mind.
Slumdog Millionaire shows that life can change no matter what. Even if life isn’t so great, later on in life what you have learnt through the good and bad can have a positive effect on how your life turns out in the future. But also what happens during the times when it is hard, it can have a negative effect on your life and how you view it.
It showed me that everyone wants to believe in destiny, but because no one can control life, destiny can’t really exist. By changing something in your life, you alter your destiny, you change it in some way. If destiny is already written, then way are people still trying to write it?
The movie really draws you in and makes you want to watch it more and more. For me, the film gives you a real insight to what really happens in people’s lives every day. Almost like it is just the normal way to live. The movie holds fact and also some fiction.
Because the movie is so real, people can relate to it, which gives it a plus side in some way. Because some people can relate to it, it makes them emotionally involved with the film, which is one of the main aims. The people watching movies need to have some kind of emotional or mental connection, something that they can relate to.
I think the movie isn’t just one that you can watch and forget about. It is one of those films that you will remember because of its realism to some people’s lives and situations. It makes you think and also realise what is going on around you in other places. But it also shows you how little you really can do to change any of it.

Elements in the film:

Close up
A close up is used in the beginning of the film. This may be used to show the intensity of the film and shows you any emotion that may be present in the scene. The close up of his face as he sits in a seat shows the feelings that she is showing physically and also emotionally.
This is effective because if the close up was not used, then you wouldn’t really get the same sense of what he is going through during that scene. This helped show that he was going through mental and physical pain as he tried to maintain his innocence to people who couldn’t believe him. Because he looked mentally and physically drained, it looked like he was ready to let it all go and give up. But as he looks up, you see in his eyes that he isn’t ready to let them win and have that control over him.
The fast blinking as smoke is blowed into his face shows irritation. This shows that he is in some way irritated and fed up with the situation. But as he sits, is eyes drift down. This may show that he is tired of trying to maintain his innocence.
In the close up scene, it is light and not dark. If the room was dark, then there will be a whole new feeling added to the film and situation. Muddy colours are used.
He shows expressions that make him look worried and unsure about the situation he is in. It looks like he doesn’t know what to do or how to save himself from the one thing that may take him down, which may happen to be himself. This is similar to some of the shots used in the film ‘’Braveheart’’ During his speech he shows a certain self confidence and has a very convincing tone in his voice as he talks. But he also shows that he is in some way unsure about the outcome and the future.
Because in the movie ‘’Slumdog Millionaire’’ they all believe in destiny and say that it will take its rightful place, but if destiny was really going to take place, then Jamal wouldn’t be trying to get himself out of the situation that he is in. He would just let it all happen and that would be his destiny. But because he tries to get out and be free, he then starts and sets up a whole new destiny for himself. The close ups throughout the film show you this and give you a better understanding.

Music:
There isn’t music used in the starting of the film. This may be because it draws the audience in more and makes you concentrate on the scene and situation. It makes you become more engaged in the moment more. If music had been used, it may have been too distracting and made you drift away from what was happening in the scene and story. The only sounds used is the clicking sound used on ‘’who wants to be a millionaire’’ This adds intensity and the pressure of the situations that lay ahead in the film. Because pressure is added, you get a feeling of what it would be like to in that situation.
When music is added into a scene, it changes the mood and the feelings that are all part of that one scene in the film. Certain music can only be used in a certain scene to add feelings or emotion. I think if music had been added into the starting of the film then it would have taken away from the scene. The intensity and pressure makes you more involved and also makes you become in some way, emotionally connected.