Slumdog+Millionaire

Slumdog Millionaire is about a poor boy called Jaamal who had never received proper education winning in quiz show. Through some cinematography and editing, the movie conveys its several themes and establishes tones. .......... It implies an idea that one’s life does not betray him. The reason Jaamal can know the answers of questions in quiz show is turned out to be his own experiences during his lifetime. His turbulent life seems to be parallel with a lot of running scenes throughout the movie. For example, in the beginning of the movie, Jaamal and his brother are chased by the police. Through utilization of continuity editing, children’s long and fast chasing scenes are well portrayed. Various use of camera height at worm’s eye view and bird’s eye view in between the continuity editing develops the running scenes further, building more tension. In addition, in the middle of the movie, train in which Jaamal and his brother ride, running along the river and running though mountains is taken in wide shot. It seems like to be taken to show Jaamal’s long life that is not actually that long, but could be felt long to him as it has been very tumultuous. These and cinematography help allude to Jaamal’s life that has gone through all sorts of hardships, thus giving him various experiences and keys to questions of the quiz show. .......... The movie also includes a motif of fate. If Jaamal did not lose his mother from religious conflict and leave the place, he would live totally different life and would not be able to get all the answers in the quiz show correct because all the questions in the quiz show exactly match Jaamal’s experiences. Through discontinuity editing, whenever questions are given to him, the quiz show scene goes over to his flashbacks describing each experience that becomes clue to each question. In addition, different fates of Jaamal and his brother are shown through juxtaposition. When Jaamal is given the last question before winning the quiz show, he uses ‘call a friend’ chance and calls his brother. During the calling, through discontinuity editing, the movie juxtaposes Jaamal winning the quiz show and his brother Sand Lim being shot in the bathroom to show two different fates of Jaamal and his brother. .......... Another motif of the movie, prejudice upon unprivileged people, is portrayed through use of canted shot. When the police suspects Jaamal for cheating in the quiz show, Jaamal and the police are taken at Dutch angle in the medium shot. Television poor people turn on to watch Jaamal’s quiz show is also canted. It seems like to be taken so to reveal people’s doubt on unprivileged and uneducated Jaamal and possibility that he wins the quiz show. .......... In addition, in the movie, soft light that diffused from the sunset is often used for lighting. This effectively enhances characterization of India’s endemic atmosphere where the movie takes place the whole time. Much fill light is used to fill in shadows, and this helps portraying main characters’ both external and internal conflicts and building intense and depressing moods.

=**Re-do**=

Slumdog Millionaire is a story of an Indian boy called Jaamal. Although Jaamal has never received any proper education, he wins in a famous Indian quiz show. A motif of power of fate and a theme that if one overcomes overwhelming obstacles in life with fortitude, he will be rewarded for his efforts and persistence someday, are well portrayed throughout the film. Lighting, cinematography and editing enhance the conveyance of the theme and establishment of gloomy moods of the film.

In the film, most of the scenes are taken at dark night or taken at places where sunlight cannot fully penetrate. These scenes are dimly lit whenever Jaamal is forcibly involved in all the dangerous situations threatening his life. This lighting builds tension and emphasizes Jaamal's unfortunate and turbulent life that has undergone all sorts of hardships and that has been "dark" as the lighting. Another noticeable lighting technique in the film is utilization of light from the sunset. Besides the darkly lit scenes, some scenes are taken outside under the murky glow of the setting sun. This shadowy yellow lighting represents Jaamal's hopeless and futureless state that he no longer dreams of bright future and and struggles to achieve something after losing mother and his soulmate, Ratika. At the end of the film, back lighting is used to make a silhouette of Jaamal's brother and to create unholy images of him. Unlike Jaamal who has sought fairness and showed honest attitude in his life, Jaamal's brother, who has been obsessed only with money and success and done any conspiracy for his selfish desires, faces miserable end in the bath tube. This lighting technique helps develop the theme that only one's honest attitude towards his life lets him change his originally unfortunate life.

The cinematography also contributes to the development and communication of the theme of the film. In the beginning of the film, establishing shots of the slum are taken at bird's eye view. Through this cinematography, the film demonstrates the extreme poverty Gambol was born with and makes his later success more valuable. In addition, all the scenes when Jaamal is given questions in the quiz show and recalls his memories are taken in medium shots. In the medium shots, Jaamal's firm belief in value of his life and confident and content attitudes towards his efforts and struggles he has made in his life are well portrayed. Besides, a lot of scenes are taken at dutch angles and have slanted background. The slanted scenes are when people in the slum and Ratika watch Jaamal answering to questions in the quiz show. It reflects how they all feel empathy for Jaamal, worries if he gets wrong and shares hope that they can change their poor lives when they persistently struggle like Jaamal.

The editing techniques are also very effective in transmitting the theme of the film. There are a lot of running scenes in the beginning of the film, which seem to have parallel with Jaamal's turbulent life. Jaamal and his brother are often chased by the authority, mean police or the gang. The continuity editing is effectively used to portray Jaamal and his brother's unstable childhood when they always had to run fast to escape from the long chase with the enemy, and highlights the reward Jaamal finally achieves after long time of hardships. The use of the discontinuity editing also effectively deals with the motif of the film. Whenever questions are given to Jaamal, through the discontinuity editing, the quiz show scene goes over to his flashbacks describing each experience that becomes clue to each question. This discontinuity editing technique underscores close relationship between the questions and Jaamal's experiences, and enhances the motif, power of fate. In addition, different fates of Jaamal and his brother are shown through juxtaposition. When Jaamal is given the last question before winning the quiz show, he uses ‘call a friend’ chance and calls his brother. During the calling, through discontinuity editing, the movie juxtaposes Jaamal winning the quiz show and his brother Sand Lim being shot in the bathroom to show two different fates of Jaamal and his brother.