Reply to this post to write your thoughts on Slumdog Millionaire (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, and how that representation compares to that of "Salaam Bombay"
--how the film draws you into the lives of its characters, and how it compares/contrasts with "Salaam Bombay" in that regard
--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 "Salaam Bombay"
--your thoughts on how the ending of the film (and the film as a whole) is and/or isn't like a typical Hollywood film.
I have seen this movie before but watching a second time I have caught some stuff that I missed the first time. One scene that so far that we have seen that really stood out to me was when the kids have a tent set up in the junkyard and they are sleeping there for the night. It stands out to me because junkyards like smell so bad and are so gross I know that I would not be able to sleep in a place like that. This movie seems to portray what real slums are like very accurately and its a great wake up call to just how good we have it.
ReplyDeleteThese types of movies are very hard hitting to me. I can't even begin to think about living in the "slums." I can't believe that so many people in India have to live there. I can't understand how someone could live that way. But I'm sure that can't understand how we live the way we do in rich America. So far I do like this movie, I think it represents the slums very well, more so compared to "Salaam Bombay." Slum dog Millionaire seems to follow the characters story line alot more so then the characters in the other movie. In the movie Salaam Bombay, it seemed like the movie was more focused on certain aspects like the druggie lifestyle and prostitution in that area. So far in this movie, slum dog millionaire it seems to be all well rounded about many other problems and issues that go on there, not just prostitution and drugs. Salaam Bombay did draw you into the life of the characters but not as well as slum dog millionaire. Salaam Bombay also only touches on part of the main characters life. In slum dog millionaire its practically his whole life growing up to how old he is now. Overall I like this movie better, and it makes me think about how I always complain about having it bad over here, when there are little children living in the slums India, with terrible living conditions and they aren't even complaining about it. It makes me feel like a idiot!
ReplyDeleteSlumdog Millionaire does a good job of portraying the relationships the 3 main characters share, at first with salim, jamal's older brother. When they were kids, they used to be like brothers, sleeping with their hands grasped, doing everything together, and doing brother adventures. But their relationship tears apart as they grow older, and the slums take salim over a little bit. There is a scene where you hint that Salim is still the same old brother when he gives the keys to Latika and he lets her go out of the grasp of a crime lord. Overall I love this money to death because its so real, and the characters are easy to get into and relate. The Direction and camera Cinematography are top notch, almost every scene is tense, and gets more intense. They used good music too I thought. Modernized Indian music that Americans all think is the same, Its not and I like the way they did that. The whole movie is just very good. Very Very Good
ReplyDeleteIt was my second time watching this movie in this class. When I first saw it, I couldn't catch the story very well. It took me about 20 minutes to notice that the movie goes back and forth when I first saw it. Since it is my second watching it, I knew what was going to happen and I kind of figured why these characters acted like that.
ReplyDeleteIt was very sad to see this movie because the fact that some people still struggles with their lives bothered me a lot. I felt bad for Indian kids who don't have any parents and home to live in and so on. I am also glad that a lot of people say this movie is great. I hope more and more people watch this movie so they find that they are living in a great country and be thankful for it.
i thought that this film did a really good job at showing real character developement. it doesnt just show a clip of the main characters childhood it shows their entire life basically. The acting was very good and i think that the depiction of the slum was very well done. i especially thought that the scene right before the boys mother dies was a subtle hint at their life, they were playing in the water that everyone was washing clothes in. It had to be some pretty dirty water because there was trash and stuff in it but it seemed normal for the kids to just play in it. i thought that was interesting
ReplyDeletei just read the first review by Alice Miles. And i am shocked... It says "As the film revels in the violence, degradation, and horror, it invites you, the westerner, to enjoy it, too." I am shocked. I wont deny that the film has horror and violence, etc. But I think that it wants to point out the problems with those things--- the last thing it wants is for you to enjoy them. the film makers may want you to "enjoy"/appreciate/like the film ---especially the love story and Jamal's success ---but i definitally dont think that they wanted you to enjoy the death of his mother or the blinding of his friend, etc.
ReplyDeleteI like this movie because it is such a different plot line. Everyone loves a good "rags to riches" story and this is a marvelous example of one. However, it is very different to Salaam Bombay. Unlike Salaam Bombay, this one has a happy ending. But both are good for being similar and very different. I like Salaam Bombay for the realistic ending, but Slumdog for the happy ending. The suspense in this movie still gets me after seeing it multiple times. I still stay on the edge of my seat at the part where he is using his last lifeline, yet she always makes it just in time.
ReplyDeleteThis is my favorite for this year so far. I have seen this movie a number of times now and each time I have noticed something new. I feel that this movie really shows the pain and struggles of the slums, at least from what I know about the slums. It shows it with all the stories of Jamals life and all that he goes through. One part where is shows the pain of the slums is when Jamal and Salims mom get attacked and killed, which makes them homeless and orphans. They had to go on leaving their life all alone. I thought this video did a really good job of portraying the deepness of the slums. One last thing I liked about the video was that it stayed true to the culture of India and the slums. It didn't stay and make everything Western, but it stayed true to its own.
ReplyDeleteThis is one of my favorite movies ever! I think that there is so much that is shown in the film that is good for people to see. After watching this movie for the second time I have realized so much more material that I missed the first time. The techniques of filming were more noticeable the second time and I thought that the editing was amazing. It was very impressive the way that they used the montages throughout the whole film. A specific part that I really thought was cool was the rewinding scene at the train station near the end of the film. Reverse editing must be hard and they made it look so smooth and well done.
ReplyDeleteSalaam Bombay was another great film about the slums. I thought that it was a movie that was created less for the entertainment part but more for the educational meaning. There was a lot of "real" material in this movie that made me realize how bad the slums actually are and how many people are affected by them. There are so many people that have absolutely nothing and it was shocking to see what that does to them. I thought that the filming was great and it was amazing how the producers found kids from the slums to do their acting. There were only a few professional actors. That is cool to see how they can use those kids to show how they actually live and I'm sure that it meant a lot to the kids to be in this film and get the message across that they need help.
I actually enjoyed Slumdog Millionare less than Salaam Bombay. Obviously the premise and story line were highly improbable but the director wasn't trying to hide that at all thats not my issue. I was just more drawn into Salaam Bombay aesthetically than I was Slumdog. Both are incredible films with an even more incredible message. The scene that struck me the hardest was when the camera zooms straight up, showing how vast and terrible the slums actually are.
ReplyDeleteSlumdog Millionaire walked a tight line. Drawing us into the personal storyline, while still expressing concern about the overall picture.
Slumdog Millionaire was not at all what I was expecting it to be. At first I thought it would just be a depressing documentary with a plot. But I was pleasantly surprised to find that it had an amazing and hope filled plot. The love story it was based on gave it a much more human feel rather than just objectifying them as poor "slumdogs". Salaam Bombay on the other hand is not as hopeful it is just dull and depressing. I know that is probably the reality but you can get that point across without depressing the audience. So all in all I much prefer Slumdog Millionaire to Salaam Bombay.
ReplyDeleteI loved Slumdog Millionaire, it was my second time seeing it and i really enjoyed seeing it again after watching Salaam Bombay. I thought they were both incredible films and both films that everyone should see. In the first review though i did find the question of what do the people in India think of this when they see this movie. I never really thought of that before but I think it is a good point. I'm curious to know how other would respond to this film. If they would appreciate it on a much deeper level then we could ever understand... or if they would find it offensive in some way.
ReplyDeleteThis is the second time that I have seen slumdog millionaire and it confirmed to me that it is one of if not the best movie that i have ever seen. From start to finish their is so much action and is a 2hour thriller. Salaam Bambay was a great movie but i have to say that slumdog is a little bit better. The story of the 2 boys is amazing and the cinematography was incredible. All of the shots of Latika at the railroad station are amazing. My personal favorite shot was of Latika when she looks up at Jamal and the look of shock on her face said everything. one thing i must say i had a little bit of a problem with in the movie was how they represented jamal's brother. They tried to justify in a sense all of the wrong that he did throughout the whole movie at the end. Although he did do himself a little justice by letting latika and jamal be together i still think he overall was a bad guy.
ReplyDeleteI liked salaam bombay better because Its seem more to the truth. The little kid in salaam bombay can not get out of the slums. At the end he sits down and cries. that is a true ending. I like slum dog because the storyline was amazing. The whole Movie is how he knew all these answers. He had gone through all these things and in the end the help him win who want to a millionar
ReplyDeleteOne scene that stood out to me in this movie was when Jamal was banging on the door so Salem would let him back into the room and then Salem comes out with his gun and points it at him and tells him to leave. The camera shot leading up to the door opening caught my attention because it was spinning and zooming in at the same time and gave the whole scene a great effect that something bad was about to happen.
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