Slumdog Millionaire

Slumdog Millionaire is a newly released British film about Jamal Mailik, young man from the slums of India, who goes from rags to riches by winning India's version of the game show, "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" Throughout the gameshow, the movie flashes back to Jamal's childhood in the slums, where his previous experiences provide him with the answers to the questions on the show.

The movie is said to realistically portray the life of India's poor. Scenes of miles of tin roofs, busy marketplaces, children playing in garbage, Islam-Hindu conflicts, polluted rivers and poor diets give the viewer an accurate picture of everyday life for many Indians. Some of the poorest and most oppressed members of India's population are the dalits, or untouchables. The lowest caste in the caste system, most untouchables live life begging and doing anything they can to earn their next meal. Slumdog Millionaire paints the story of a boy who overcomes the hand he has been dealt in life and emerges a millionaire, though Jamal is portrayed as coming from a Muslim family and therefore would not be considered a part of the Hindu-based caste system.

Slumdog Millionaire provides a glimpse of the developing world, where the gap between the rich and the poor is immense, and countless hopes for a better life are never realized. It accurately portrays how life in India is influenced by traditional Indian culture and globalization. The fim also serves to raise awareness of how much of the developing world population lives, and presents a hopeful ending to a sad story.

-Daniel Uden 3-24-2009