‘Slumdog Millionaire’, directed by Danny Boyle, is the uplifting story of a young street boy who exceeds expectations and wins big on the TV game show ‘Who Wants To Be A Millionaire. ’ Two key themes that the film highlights are Money and Justice, an example of these themes being used is that Mumbai is portrayed as a place of terrifying poverty and unforgettable brutality where both money and justice are a thing of scarcity, Justice in particular is seen as favouring the rich while Money is used as a dividing line between the rich and the poor.
Slumdog Millionaire’ presents money as something of high value and a symbol of wealth in comparison to the high level of surrounding poverty; this is clearly seen early in the film when gangster boss Javed is being driven through the slums, his rich facade contrasting with the surrounding poverty. The film commonly suggests that money corrupts; this can be seen in many instances such as when Jamal and his brother Salim begin scamming people into tours of the Taj Mahal or how Javed expresses his wealth through a richly decorated house.
Matthew 6:24 explains that you either serve God or are a slave to money, this Christian perspective from the gospel ties in with the theme that money corrupts and emphases the fact that Jamal, Salim and Javed where all at a time slaves to money. A key message brought in towards the end of the film is that Money is less important than love, we see this when Salim sets Latika free and sacrifices himself for the preservation of others, it can also be seen when Jamal speaks to Latika over the phone and realising that she is safe no longer cares about the million dollar question at hand.
The story line of ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ is centred on the theme of Justice; the Christian view of justice is the ‘Justice of God’ meaning the prevalence of sin. Justice in the film is seen from a variety of perspectives including that of sinful nature, for example, the film glorifies the cheating, lying and stealing that Jamal and Salim undertake to survive. The overall theme evealed towards the end of the film is that in the end justice prevails, this is seen when the bad guy (Javed) dies and Jamal and Latika are finally free to be together (and win 25 million rupees). Psalm 106:3 basically says that blessed are those that do what is right, this Christian perspective supports the films outcome as Salim’s role as a morally decent person is truly blessed with love and wealth in the end.
After watching the film and analysing its key points and themes it is clear that ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ is both uplifting and inspiring, it does however explore the harshness and cruelty of reality in the slums of Mumbai, these negative aspects somewhat dominate the film and for this reason I am led to believe that the film lacks hope, the film presents a succession of depressing obstacles that Salim must face, only ending on a positive note.
From the Christian gospel: Luke 6:20-21 explains that those that suffer in the present need not fret as they will be joyous in eternity, this statement in my personal opinion summarises the film from a Christian perspective and provides a clear indication that (even if it wasn’t on purpose) themes from the Christian gospel are present throughout the film.
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