SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

My view of Slumdog Millionaire is that it shows the two sides India which it has. Danny Boyle shows the less developed areas and the treatment people from the slums get, which is usually covered up by the Indian Government. It shows the true reality of how the poorer half live . However it also shows how Mumbai is becoming developed and how India’s commercially becoming more known.

He also shows how an ordinary teenager from the slums can be smarter then a doctor or a lawyer, which challenge the stereotype of the working class being stupid. Further more the fact it’s an Indian working class teenager, challenges the stereotype of ‘The Other’. However some parts conform to the stereotype, as there is a scene where a mob comes into a village and kills every one, showing them to be barbaric. Also the question of how can a British film maker go to India and show an accurate representation of the slums, is it really possible, are the representations really accurate? I think the movie shows the harsh reality of what India’s rural areas are like, which is ignored by the government.

Spavak, who is a post colonist theorist, suggests movies like Slumdog Millionaire, which is made by a British Director, promoting India, are trying to get rid of ‘white guilt’. Some aspects of the film does conform to the oriental stereotype, for example Jamal is uneducated but wise, as his life experiences able him to answer the question which wins him 20 million rupees.