Over the past few years, the Academy Awards has paid particular attention to the international community. From award categories such as Best Foreign Language Film to British director nominations, Oscar winners and their country of origin play an essential role in the awards ceremony. One particularly special film this year that has aroused interest in prominent film circles worldwide is the unexpected Slumdog Millionaire. What is it about this independent film that has made such an impact on the international community?
Slumdog, a film directed by Britain’s Danny Boyle and centered in the Indian city of Mumbai, single-handedly captures the spirit of multiculturalism. The film itself is created from the minds of several different traditions. Danny Boyle, famous for films such as Trainspotting and 28 Days Later, is frequently recognized in his home country of Britain. The fact that Boyle chose to direct a film about the struggles of a subculture of a foreign country demonstrates his own appreciation of other cultures. In an interview with Cinematical, Boyle talked about his experience in India and how it changed his own perceptions of himself. “All the world is all the world at the same time. It's all inclusive -- the rich, the poor -- they're all living on top of one another. Most of our cities are growing, and we're going to have to learn to do that as well -- to share and somehow find harmony all living together. And they have that, really. You have to admire that. They may not have some of the infrastructure that we do, but they don't need it in order to get along,” he says.The Indian culture that Boyle came to know and appreciate is reflected throughout the film. Slumdog Millionaire tells the story of Jamal Malik, a young man who spent his youth in the slums of India struggling to make an honest living while at the same time being pulled down into the underground struggle of survival. A twist of forbidden romance is tied into this story as he meets Latika who also strives for survival in the crime-ridden slums. Their tale captures the essence of an Indian subculture that is not often reflected in local film, let alone in the international film industry. While some prominent critics declare the film to feed off of “poverty porn” that is designed to arouse its audience than to enlighten them about the plight of its main characters, others appreciate a film that shows more than dancers in elaborate costumes dancing and singing through tales of epic romance.
The India that is portrayed in the film is not that of a completely traditional culture, however; it is clear that Slumdog Millionaire is a film created in the 2000s. The plot of the film itself is based on Jamal’s participation in the Indian version of America’s hit show “Who Wants to be a Millionaire” – a definite sign that Western media has reached its Eastern counterparts and spread into their cultures. The nature of this TV show also has particular significance: it offers a chance for anyone, regardless of their background, to win instant fame and fortune. This dream is one that Western cultures, Americans in particular, have come to cherish, and one that is reflected in other aspects of American life including the lottery, the stock market, and the constant string of infomercials offering immediate debt solutions. While the character of Jamal in Slumdog Millionaire is not one that simply scrounges off the wealth of others, his involvement in “Who Wants to be a Millionaire” after years of struggling for any opportunity to get out of the slums is the story of the underdog that has also permeated Western cultures. Jamal represents the typically idolized Western character that goes from rags to riches by relying on the strength of his moral center – while at the same time prevailing in a seemingly impossible love battle. Slumdog’s audience-pleasing plot is one that demonstrates the influence of the West on Eastern culture.
The success of the film itself demonstrates Eastern culture’s effect on the international film industry. Slumdog Millionaire has already won 60 awards through various institutions in America and abroad. Some of these achievements include Screen Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture, the British Independe
nt Film Award for Best British Independent Film, and BAFTA Film Awards for Best Film, Best Cinematography, and Best Director, among many others. Slumdog has achieved acknowledgment in prominent filmmaker circles worldwide through international film festivals and global audiences. People from many different cultures have come to appreciate it. Critics from different backgrounds and with distinct styles and tastes have all come to realize the brilliance of this film – an achievement for a British filmmaker and an Indian cultural tale.Some argue that the film’s recognition at the Academy Awards this Sunday is the most significant of Slumdog’s achievements. In one of the most prestigious and widely recognized film awards ceremonies in the world, an international independent film has attained 10 impressive nominations with a significant possibility of winning the most coveted award of Best Motion Picture of the Year. With awards yet to be won, Slumdog Millionaire has displayed a level of prominence that is significant to American culture and film industry itself. Such a film, an underdog itself, transcends cultural boundaries and brings British filmmaking to American audiences and places Indian society at the forefront of American popular culture. In essence, the reality of Slumdog Millionaire’s story mirrors its own plot: the unlikely hero, originating from humble beginnings, rises from the depths to conquer the limits of cultural understanding to bring hope and a greater sense of unity to the global community.
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ReplyDelete>>>Slumdog’s audience-pleasing plot is one that demonstrates the influence of the West on Eastern culture.
I dont quite agree with your demonstration of above argument. Slumdog's such plot has been successful for Oscars. But as such in India that kind of portrayal of heros, is normal thing. Bollywood(Indian movies) movies mostly serve the same kind of (rather more exaggerated) fantasy in its movies. audience-pleasing plots and feel-good plots are success in India for a long time(by long time I mean since the movies have been made in India).
In fact recently the outlook of cinema has started changing in India. In this respect, choice of Indian audience is shifting against what you have proposed as western hero-portrayal.