Reply to this post to write your thoughts on Salaam Bombay (and to discuss the film with others). If you're writing *before* we finish watching the film, you might consider writing about any of the following:
--how the film pictures/represents the slums
--how the film draws you into the lives of these characters, and how you've responded so far
--how/what a particular scene made you feel/think
If you're writing *after* we finish watching the film, you might write about any of the above and/or the following:
--your response to the ending of the film (and the film as a whole)
--your thoughts on how the film as a whole compares to "Slumdog Millionaire," if you've seen it
--your thoughts on how the ending of the film (and the film as a whole) compares to a typical Hollywood film. (How might Hollywood producers have chosen to end the film/tell this story?)
It's not a very long scene but a very heartfelt one. The part where all the kids get 20 rupees for the kitchen work and waiter work at a food party, the little girl of the group gives her money to Krishna because he just lost his savings to a drug addict, who his now dead because he over-dosed. Manju has just worked very hard for her money, and she gives her money to her friend krishna, because she feels for him and wants to him to get out of the lives they live. Such a simple scene but a great powerful meaning behind it.
ReplyDeleteIt seems to me that the this movie portrays my thoughts of how slums are in reality. This movie, Salaam Bombay is a very realistic and heart wrenching movie because of the real life situations that are faced in the movie, some of these poor children are facing no homes, have to live on their own, forced prostitution (for girls) and just the dirty look of the little town. Also I want to add how badly the economy is. I think the producers did a a fabulous job of getting the point across of how the bad conditions there can affect people. Once scene that I thought was meaningful was the one when Krishna gave the girl who was forced into prostitution a little baby chick. I thought it was cute but yeah it portrays how bad the situation was for her. But it made her day! So far I think the movie is well made and it has a good point to it. I can't wait to see the rest of the movie!
ReplyDeleteI like the ending of this film a lot because it isn't a happy one. It would have been to easy for people to watch a movie that ended all nice, but instead the director decided to show how it actually would happen. Also, it would get a lot more of peoples attention and sympathy because they would feel bad for the character, which could translate into feeling bad for all the people in the slums. I also like watching films that have an unhappy ending or maybe no ending at all because it makes you think about what would actually happen.
ReplyDeleteI think that if this film was done by hollywood, it would have ended extremely differently. Hollywood makes movies off the idea tht happy endings sell, so Krishna probably would have escaped with sweet sixteen and gone back to his village and his mother would have forgiven him for burning the motorcycle and all would be happy. There might be a meal scene, showing how they would accept sweet sixteen into their family. as one of their own. Instead, we see Krishna all alone and aware of his hopelessness. He tries to go back to his childhood with his childhood toy, but he cannot. The saddest part is that he is yet a child, but deprived of his childhood. It was taken from him. I think this director would like us to go away aware of the children of Bombay's hopelessness rather than have a happy ending.
ReplyDeleteAfter watching this film I thought it was a good movie. However I did not like the ending. It seemed, to me, that the ending was just the movie stopping in the middle of the story. It wasn't a fulfilling ending because it really didn't give us much to take out of it. The only thing that I took out of the ending was that the pain and struggles in the slum just keep going and going.
ReplyDeleteAnother thing about this film was what it really showed us. It showed me what the slums are like or could be like. How bad they truly are. I like that it took us in depth into the slums and showed us how people there live and survive. Overall though this was a good movie, I just wish there was more emotion to go with it.
The ending of the film was a shock to me b/c it was definately not your typical hollywood "feel good" ending. It leaves a weird feeling lingering in the air and makes the audience wonder what is going to happen to Krishna. The ending of the movie really surprised me and I actually kind of liked it. The reason that i like it is because throughout the whole movie i thought everything would turn out great for Krishna. I was assuming that he would eventually end up getting enough money and then return home. Also I kept on thinking that he would take sweet sixteen home with him and that it would be your typical hollywood ending and everyone would be happy. This is why i think the ending is unique and clever b/c it is not how hollywood would have ended the movie at all.
ReplyDeleteI thought that the ending was very strange. Especially the new Chillum. I guess if the name represents the occupation, like Chaipau, that would make sence. Or else i was wondering if there was more meaning, is the playwrite/director religious? might they be Hindu? Is it going to far to suggest a reincarnation/etc? I was also dissapointed how the story ended Manju's Mom's story--one minute she was in a busy street, the next we never saw here again. with 16 and Baba we at least had closure- we saw a death of or will to stay, with Manju we saw that she was at the "school" and with possible adoption, and Chaipau we saw in the city, still not returning home, and almost "starting over". But Manju's Mom just fell of the face of the earth, what were her intentions? to ever return to 109? probably not, especially b/c of Baba's death, but still, then what? was she really "chewed up" by bombay?
ReplyDeleteThe ending was interesting because it was interesting to see the contrast between it and Slumdog Millionaire. Slumdog was such a happy ending, it was a love story, which i do love happy ending and it did portray the slums really well. I loved the movie. As much as i didn't like the ending to Salaam Bombay...because I like happy endings, it portrayed a truth. Although many people of greatness do come from a rough, poor child hood, there are still many people in the slums who don't have happy endings, children who are never able to get out of the vicious cycle of prostitution, or drugs selling.
ReplyDeletei thought the end of this movie was very powerful and somewhat disturbing. krishna cried at the end for a few seconds in one scene and then stopped almost as soon as he started to and had a genuine look of helplessness and loss in his eyes. it was powerful when he pulled out his little top and tried to play with it but it seemed like he couldnt enjoy it. this kid worked really hard for virtually no money because he had a cause, and every time he would get close he seemed to lose it all. good movie
ReplyDeleteSalaam Bombay isn't only a powerful message about injustice but also a stunning piece of art. The fact that it wasn't a documentary made the message especially powerful because with documentaries we can often get lost in statistics and the issue feels unreal. Salaam Bombay puts us directly into the shoes of a kid from the slums and after we feel his pain and frustration, expands to show the true severity of the situation.
ReplyDeleteKrishna was unusual as a main character because we rarely saw him express emotion. Films often try to make the main character seem as human as possible but the deliberate choice of the director to make Krishna stoic added a lot to the story line. It made him and therefore the situation feel more desperate and like he would do whatever it took just to get by.
The colorful depiction of the slums was also an interesting choice. Obviously the film portrayed how bleak and seemingly hopeless it was but the use of color made it a pleasure to watch.
A potent piece of film making.