The movie “Slumdog Millionaire” tells the story of a poor boy from the slums 18-year old Jamal Malik. The movie shows Jamal about to win 20 million Rupees in an Indian show called “Who wants to be a Millionaire?” (Boyle, 2008). The police suspect Jamal of cheating and arrest him during a break. They doubt that a poor, uneducated boy from the slums could know a lot. Jamal tells the police about his tough life in the slums, with his older brother Salim and a girl he loved called Latika (Boyle, 2008). The police learn that Jamal had a hard life that taught him the answers to the hard questions asked in the show. Jamal passes through difficulty but manages to get the last question right. He is reunited with Latika, but gangsters kill Salim.
The movie title “Slumdog Millionaire” refers to the poor, slum boy, Jamal who later became a millionaire. People who live in slums are very poor. It is hard or almost impossible to find a millionaire from the slums. The title and the contrasts in it symbolize that everything is possible in life. Jamal dives into a pit latrine to see a visiting movie star (Boyle, 2008). This shows his determination to know more about western culture, new things, and good life. Jamal’s determination is also shown when he manages to obtain an autograph of Amitabh Bachnan, a Bollywood star (Boyle, 2008). At that time, Jamal was only aged five years. He was also determined to get Latika back and persuaded his brother that they return to Mumbai to find Latika.
Ethical decision-making is not possible when one makes decisions based on survival. “Seemingly “bad” choices do not make a person bad if they were meant to ensure survival. Salim and Jamal had been living a tough and dangerous life of pick pocketing and doing small jobs. Salim decided to join bad company because he was fighting for his survival.
The film shows that the media is globalizing or unifying culture. People in different parts of the world can enjoy one culture through the media. The show “who wants to be a millionaire” is shown in the US and other Western countries. Its adaption in Indian culture is a sign of progress. This is so because Indians welcome a show from another religion and culture. They also love it, and it becomes very popular there. When people welcome things from other cultures, it shows that the society is being united which is good for future generations. The film shows that money influences cultures. People are willing to accept new cultural aspects such as fashion, food, TV programs, and artworks as long as they promise to help them make money.
Kumar, the host of the show “Who Wants To Be a Millionaire?” tells Jamal how he came from poverty. He then gives Jamal a wrong answer. This shows that Kumar was jealous of Jamal, winning the 20 million Rupees. He never believed that a poor boy from the slums could win genuinely. Jamal got the question right, but Kumar accuses Jamal of cheating and hands him to the police.
In the final scene, Salim filled the bathtub with money. He does this to assure himself that he had overcome poverty. It was painful to grow up as a slum boy. Salim wanted to assure himself that even if he died, he had achieved his goal of dying as a rich person.
Works Cited
Slumdog millionaire. Dir. Danny Boyle. Perf. Dev Patel, Freida Pinto. 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, 2009. HD-DVD.
