Write Your Destiny to See Slumdog Millionaire
By: Scarlett Hester

“NAME,” resonates through a dim room clouded with cigarette smoke. A close up shot shows a young, blank faced Indian man, Jamal Malik, as he gets slapped only to be asked “NAME” again. The smoke continues swirl along with his confused expression.

Slumdog Millionaire, directed by Danny Boyle, is a powerful story of love, money, and destiny. Based upon the book Q & A: A Novel by Vikas Swarup, Slumdog tells the story of Jamal Malik (Dev Patel), an 18-year-old boy who ends up on India’s version of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.” By some stroke of luck, Jamal seems to know all of the answers, and is on the fast track to success and a million dollars.

The game show host, Prem (Anil Kapoor), grows suspicious of Jamal and has him taken into police custody to be questioned. However it soon becomes evident that Jamal knows the answers from his own unfortunate life experiences, and not from cheating. The police questioning Jamal begin to wonder how a boy from the slums could advance so far in the show. After being shocked with electricity to the point of unconsciousness, Jamal tells the police, “The answers…I knew the answers.”

The flawless cuts between scenes take viewers on a journey through time and through Jamal’s life. Those who are ignorant to India and the extreme forms of poverty that are experienced in the country are exposed through young Jamal (Ayush Mahesh Khedekar) and his brother Salim (Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail). The two are first shown playing barefoot and in tattered and dirty clothes.

As they begin to run from the police for trespassing the cameras sweep over the slum of Bombay to reveal the trash filled and fly infested neighborhood. However despite the tragic living conditions, the spirits of the two boys can’t be brought down. They laugh and mock the policeman chasing them. Their jovial spirits are reflected in the background music, full of upbeat drumbeats.

If there is any downfall to the movie, it could be that the subtitles that were given were difficult to read at times. The light color of the background combined with small text makes the viewer struggle to read what is being said. At points it is also difficult to understand what is being said when English is being spoken, due to the actors’ thick accents.

As the movie progresses the audience gets to see more and more of what Jamal’s (Dev Patel) life was like and how he never gave up on finding his true love, Latika (Freida Pinto). It’s touching to see the connection between the two, even as children. Often referred to as the “third musketeer,” Latika comes in and out of Salim (Madur Mittal) and Jamal’s lives, however when she’s gone, she’s certainly not forgotten.

It’s easy to see why Slumdog Millionaire won 8 Oscar awards. The camera work is beautiful and edgy and constantly keeps the viewer on their toes. Shots from all angles give the viewer the feeling as if they are in the scene. The intercut between the past and present ties the dialogue and plot together in a way that conveys the story in a unique and interesting way.

Accompanying the cinematography is an epic soundtrack that seems to capture the emotions being displayed across the screen in a melodic and harmonious way. The upbeat pound of the drums and the slow, depressed sound of the string bass bring a whole new element and movie going experience to the table.

Slumdog Millionaire is definitely a movie worth investing your time in. It’s a lesson in love as well as a lesson in culture. Just like Jamal’s story, it is written for you to see this movie.