Better
understanding
Giving you the nitty
gritty of all the
main movie aspects
of Slumdog
Millionaire.
IT IS
WRITTEN
Where does
your
destiny
lie?
TIPS:
Using stills from the
movie, we will go in
depth with all the
camera and editing
techniques used in
this blockbuster
film.
Main stories:
Here to give you the
low-down on all your
favourite Slumdog
Millionaire
characters, such as
Jamal, Salim, Latika,
and more!
Jamal Malik: When
somebody asks me a
question, I tell them the
answer.
Contents:
 Character Bios: P3-9
 Film Themes: P10-15
 Film and Editing techniques: P16-27
Slumdog Millionaire Movie Review
By Nickiel Govender
Accused of cheating and desperate to prove his innocence, an eighteenyear-old orphan from the slums of Mumbai reflects back on his
intriguing life while competing to win 20 million rupees on India's Who
Wants to Be a Millionaire in Danny Boyle's inspirational drama.
Jamal Malik (Dev Patel) may not have a penny to his name, but that
could all change in a matter of hours. He's one question away from
taking the top prize on India's most popular television game show, but
as with everything else in Jamal's life, it isn't going to be easy. Arrested
by police under suspicion of cheating, Jamal is interrogated by the
authorities. The police simply can't believe that a common "slumdog"
could possibly possess the knowledge to get this far in the game, and in
order to convince them of how he gained such knowledge, Jamal begins
reflecting back on his childhood.
As young boys, Jamal and his older brother, Salim, lived in squalor,
and lost their mother in a mob attack on Muslims. Subsequently forced
to rely on their own wits to survive, the desperate siblings fell back on
petty crime, eventually befriending adorable yet feisty young Latika as
they sought out food and shelter on the unforgiving streets of Mumbai.
Though life on the streets was never easy, Jamal's experiences
ultimately instilled in him the knowledge he needed to answer the
tough questions posed to him on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.
And though Jamal makes a convincing case for himself, one question
still remains: why would a young man with no apparent desire for
wealth or fame is so determined to win big on a national game show? Of
course, it won't be long until everyone finds out the answer to this
burning question, because as Jamal sits down to find out whether he
will be rich beyond his wildest dreams, 60 million viewers remain
transfixed to their televisions eager to see if he'll correctly answer the
final question.
Character bios
Jamal
By Nickiel Govender
Jamal Malik, such an honest and sincere young man don’t you think. Ask him a
question and he will only tell you what he knows, nothing more. But Jamal’s vast
knowledge didn’t come from working at a phone company, oh no, he had to go
through hardship, and great triumphs, with even greater losses to know the things
he does. After all laywers and doctors didn’t know all the answers, so why did
he?
Jamal grew up in the slums of Mumbai, with his older brother Salim. They had
a very close relationship, and only had each other to rely on when their mother was
murdered. Jamal is more compassionate and
caring compared to Salim’s rough nature.
Jamal has an aspect in his personality that you
can’t quite put your finger on. It’s a subtle hint of
sarcasm in his voice, when he is telling you an
answer, which makes you, want to believe nothing
else but him. Maybe it is because he is so
honest, and only tells you what he knows. Or
maybe we feel that it is essential to believe him
Jamal and Salim as boys running through
the slums
after all he has been through. Maybe it really was written?.
Jamal’s undying love for Latika is probably one of the most sincere things you
will ever see. Right from the start where Jamal gave her a place to stay out of the
rain, we could see that this was the start of something special. Jamal showed
perseverance and commitment to find her every time that he lost her, until they could
finally be together. He entered the show, not for the money, but for Latika to notice
him.
Jamal Malik is a character who was always destined for greatness, fuelled by
honesty, love, integrity and his compassionate nature. His relationship with his
brother was always strong, even if it seemed broken at times. His love for Latika
will always be an important part in his life. Jamal Malik has proven why he is
the man with all the answers.
Jamal when he had won "who wants to be a
millionaire"
Latika is a shy girl but
later she develops the
character of a warmhearted and caring
individual. Although
Latika has no presence of
her own , her character
seemed to come from her
interaction with Salim
and Jamal, she’s either a
princess or victim.
Interview with Latika:
Q: How did you feel that day when Salim let go of
your hand?
A: When he let go, I thought of running. But I knew
I wouldn’t make it, I knew I didn’t have anything
or anyone there for me and thought to myself It
doesn’t matter.. just stop.
Q: your story is now known internationally, why did
you come out with it?
A: Knowing what life is really like in the slums I
feel that especially young girls going through what
I went through will never give up and always have
faith in themselves and always believe that they
can make a better life for themselves.
Q: How did you react when Salim gave you the keys
to his car?
A: I knew it was my chance to escape and I was
very grateful but I knew Salim would be
killed, I just couldn’t say no it was so
sudden and just needed to escape.
Jamal and Latika today
making a difference
Im still very grateful till today for what he
has done for me. Jamal and I still wish we
could of done something to save him.
Salim Malik:
By Saman Akhtar
What was your first impression of Salim?
The first time I met Salim I was drenched in rain water. He was reluctant to let me
into the shelter and made me feel unwelcome and much like an outsider. I did not
like it.
How was it growing up with Salim?
It was a rollercoaster; always up and down. From scratching around in the
streets, we were taken to an orphanage. Salim was the “dog” there; he was the
one doing all the dirty work for Maman. He became malicious, cruel and used
blackmail. He was not merciful! Although Salim had bad qualities, he ensured
that Jamal wouldn’t be blinded. He planned for us to escape by train. But just as I
thought I was going to be free, Salim “let” me slip away from his fingers.
So was that Salim’s worse moment?
No, but that was his ultimate betrayal to me. I was mad at Salim for leaving me
with Maman. But after bad, comes good. Salim and Jamal rescued me from
Maman. Salim was angry and frustrated at Maman because he realised how he
had been treated by him. Salim put a gun to his head when he refused to let me
go free. Those were the rare acts of kindness that Salim expressed.
Do you think the death of his mother caused him to turn out the way that he did?
Yes. After her death, Salim took on the role as the protector of the pack. There
was so much negativity around that it made him bitter and mean. He became
more violent than protective. He was like a ticking bomb waiting to explode. And
when he did explode, nothing could stop him from getting what he wanted, not
even Jamal. Salim had the upper hand when he realised that he could force us to
do whatever he wanted. He wanted me to sleep with him to prove his manhood.
Jamal, being protective over me, wouldn’t let this happen. Salim threatened to
shoot Jamal. And as usual, Salim got what he wanted.
So is it fair for me to say that Salim was destined for failure?
Yes. What goes around comes around. He was too deep into the dark life of the
Mumbai Underworld. His only escape from this doomed and troubled life was to
lay down his life for us. I look at it as his redemption.
Did you ever imagine that that would be the last time you saw Salim, when he let
you go?
Sadly yes. I knew that scum Javed would not spare Salim. No matter what Salim
did to us, this was his way of showing us that he loved us both. But the little girl in
me always wished that we would reunite and live happily ever after. Us Three
Musketeers: Orthos, Porthos and Aramis…
Prem Kumar
By Dean Yeld
Prem kumar had to give R1 000 000 to a worthy recipient Mr. Jamal Malik as
he had answered all the questions right to ‘Who Wants to be a Millionaire’. Mr.
Prem kumar was the only slumdog to have won all the money on the game show
and had been the host of the show for a while. There was definitely some tension
between him and Jamal . Prem was very shocked to have seen that Jamal could
answer the questions and at one point he thought Jamal would not be able to
answer the question and Prem told Jamal to take the money and run ,but to all
of our surprise Jamal got the answer correct.
The tension between Jamal and Prem is ongoing throughout the film. Prem goes
out to stop Jamal from winning the show “who wants to be a millionaire”. He
doesn’t want Jamal to steal his light away. Prem was the only slumdog in history
to win ‘who wants to be a millionaire’ , and wants to hold the title, this is why he
tries so hard to stop Jamal from getting any chances to win. This is where the
conflict starts.
Prem thought that Jamal was cheating because as a slumdog without any
education he won’t have a chance to win all the money but if he did then he
must of cheated. So he takes Jamal to be interrogated by the police to get a
confession from Jamal proving he was cheating.
The Police Inspector
By Nolan Hermann
Good day, and welcome to this week’s show of Mumbai Mumble. On our show today
we have the famous police inspector who interrogated world renowned Jamal Malik,
winner of a recent round of Who Wants to be a Millionaire India. He was suspected of
cheating to gain all the answers to the questions in the show, but later relieved of all
charges, thanks to our guest who has come in today.
N: So, to start off with, we don’t really know your name. Would you mind sharing it with
us?
I: Sorry, I’d like to keep that strictly confidential, so you can just call me Inspector.
N: Ok, Inspector, so what were your first thoughts when you were approached for the
case?
I: Well, I thought it was just the usual slumdog coming in on accounts of theft, but I
never realised that he was thought to be cheating on the show.
N: And when you first saw him?
I: I was quite shocked, he didn’t seem the type to lie and cheat, but looks can be
deceiving, so I continued the interrogation nonetheless.
N: What made you realise he was innocent?
I: He was cooperative into telling me how he knew all the answers, his voice never
broke, and he showed no signs of lying that usually appear, but what really convinced
me were his stories to his answers. He told me his brother killed a man with a revolver,
and he acted as a tour guide to the Taj Mahal to get money.
N: Have you ever thought he was just a good liar?
I: I have to, it’s my job, but I will always believe he was telling the truth.
Movie themes
Fate or Coincidence?
By Nickiel Govender
How do you find a lost love? A) Money. B) Luck. C)
Brainpower. Or D) It is written. Struggling with the
answer? Fine let’s take 50/50 and use up one of your
life lines. It could either be B) Luck, or D) It is
written. Before you make your final choice lets
think about this for a moment.
Let’s go all the way back to where this
all started, the slums of Mumbai. Jamal
and his older brother Salim had lost
their mother and are left with only each
other to rely on. Later when they have
to seek refuge from the rain, Jamal
notices Latika has no place to sleep, and let’s her into the shelter, and
into their lives. Coincidence? We’ll have to wait and see. Now when Jamal
and Salim escape Maman, and leave Latika behind, Jamal is furious, and
never forgets about her. So he goes back to Mumbai after all those
years, just to find her when she is a teen, and out of all the thousands in
Mumbai he manages to get her back. Maybe it’s fate that they should be
together.
But Jamal loses Latika again, this time his trust
was betrayed by his brother. He found her and
told her that he will wait for her by the station
until she arrived. But when she finally came, she was kidnapped again so
Jamal loses her once more.
Jamal always told Latika that it was their destiny to be together. So he
enters “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” as he knows that she will be
watching. After all he had been through, he has a vast knowledge and
manages to answer all the questions honestly, and by fate perhaps, all the
questions were things that he had encountered in his life.
The final question referred to “The Three Musketeers” which was the
nickname given to Jamal and his brother. But it is the one thing Jamal
doesn’t know, yet it is something so close to him. So he picks up the
phone and calls Salim, but Latika picks up. So Jamal wins in more ways
than one.
D) It is written, you say? Is this your final answer? Maybe it is written
after all, and Jamal and Latika were destined for each other, and maybe
it was fate that let Jamal win.
Innocence lost
By Uriska Harripersadh
Salim Malik is a ruthless and hard character with brutal survival instincts. After the
violent death of his mother he finds the need to grow up quickly, he rises up as a
predominant to his younger brother, Jamal Malik. Salim leads and navigates he and
his brother, Jamal, through the rough streets of the Juhu slum during their childhood
days. The brothers steal, beg and fight their way through life fending for themselves,
Headstrong and fixed “never give up” mindset and attitude is something to
compliment, but the choices he makes throughout life are less than honorable.
The younger brother of the pair, Jamal, is one who is characterized as a forgiving and
compassionate individual. Even though he’s been through the toughest times and
hellish conditions, his zest for life remains unaffected. It is almost as if Jamal does not
let go of his childlike innocence and strong belief that everything in life is good.
After the anti-muslim violence that occurs in their slum, he is the one who provides
shelter for Latika. He takes the young girl under his wing, as time went on he feels a
sense of protectiveness and affection towards her.
His older brother Salim, however lost his innocence during his childhood years when
Jamal, Salim and Latika are running from the evil child-trafficker, Maman, Salim is
the one who lets go of Latika’s hand. If only he had cared enough to hold onto her. He
would of saved Latika rom a life of prostitution and Jamal from a world of heartache.
Salim becomes callous in order to survive and becomes very money driven. Salim
involves himself with one of the most powerful Indian gangsters during his teenage
years he starts doing illegal activities such as drinking, theft, murder and even the
raping of his younger brother, Jamals childhood sweetheart Latika, during his adult
life he is wealthy yet unhappy.
In the end, he redeems himself by letting Latika escapes from the gangster he works
for, giving her the keys to his car, which gave her a way out to reunite with Jamal.
However Salim still felt remorse and constructs a plan to end his life. He knows his
boss would kill him for letting Latika go, Salim fills a bathtub with money and with
loaded guns waiting for him, As they enter the room a round of gunshots were fired.
Perhaps the money filling the tub symbolizes the fact that Salim was indeed money
driven. After all, it was the death of him…
Sacrifice in Mumbai
By Saman Akhtar
Mumbai is a vibrant, dynamic city filled with hope, love and sacrifice. A sacrifice is
born through many factors: guilt, love, hope, regrets, desperation… In this film,
sacrifice is a continuous and constant aspect of the film.
At an early age, Jamal’s dignity was sacrificed when Salim maliciously locked the
door to the toilet pit. That did not deter Jamal from jumping into the waste pit to get
an autograph from his ultimate hero.
In the early stages of the film, where the Hindus attacked the Muslims, Jamal’s
mother laid down her life in order for her boys to escape and survive.
The brothers’ innocence and childhood was sacrificed due to the death of their
mother. With no one around to support them, the boys had to learn to fend for
themselves and along the way they picked up bad habits, such as stealing and
begging.
Salim sacrificed his chance of being seen as a man and a boss by Maman, to save
his brother from being blinded and abused by the gangsters.
A sacrifice of love is when Latika willingly allowed herself to be raped by Salim
because Salim threatened to murder Jamal
When Latika ran away from Javed, she risked her life just to see and let Jamal know
that she still loves and cares about him. She sacrificed everything she had just for
Jamal.
The ultimate sacrifice in the film was during the final scenes, when Salim decided to
let Latika go to Jamal, her true love. Salim knew that Javed would come after and
murder him but he knew that in sacrificing his life, he would repay the debts he owed
to Jamal and Latika. This was a way for him to redeem himself for all his past sins.
Sacrifice reveals a person’s character, exposing their strengths and weaknesses;
and how much they are willing to sacrifice in order to get what they want.
‘for love or money’
By Dean Yeld
There are many examples of this quote in the film.
When Jamal got the autograph from the famous Indian his
brother Salim betrayed Jamal by taking the signed picture and
selling it, showing that money was more important and that he
didn’t mind if he hurt his brother.
The part where Latika was at the train station looking up at
Jamal and when Salim came after Latika as he was getting paid
to capture her shows us again that money was more important
than making his brother happy and shows that Salim only thinks
about himself.
Near the end of the film Jamal gets Latika back and Salim lays all
the money in the bath tub and the man comes into the bathroom
seeing Salim in the bath. Salim shoots him so that he won’t go
after Latika and Jamal . Salim ends up dying so this is showing
that Salim opened his eyes and saw how much pain he had caused
his brother and he payed his brother back by giving Jamal the
love of his life back.
A Tale of Two Brothers
By Nolan Hermann
Quite early on in the film, we learn that Jamal and Salim have a very
love hate relationship between them, showing great teamwork when
they had to outrun the officers who were chasing them through the
slums, and great distrust, when Salim sold Jamal’s signed photograph
of an actor.
Later, after their mother has been killed, Salim takes up the role of
the caretaker, making sure Jamal stays safe. They help each other
escape from Mamon and his henchmen, and work together to survive
on the train. They even orchestrate a pretty well planned theft of car
parts.
Though later on, we see the hard side in Salim, when he murders
Mamon and abandons Jamal for all those years. Jamal starts feeling
resentment towards his brother, and for the first time they meet after
their separation, Jamal feels like taking him off a huge building, but
only ends up giving him a fist to the jaw. Salim eventually redeems
himself by releasing Latika and sacrificing himself for Jamal.
Editing and film
techniques
Extreme Long Shot/ Establishing Shot
The camera is placed the furthest distance from the subject. In this
type of shot the setting (background) is emphasized while only certain
details are revealed about the subject.
In this shot we can see minimal details on Jamal and Salim. We can see
the Taj Mahal in the background, and the brothers in the foreground.
It is a establishing shot because the emphasis is on the Taj Mahal and
how they are moving forward from that.
Point of View Shot
These types of shots are taken from the perspective of a certain
character in the film. In a specific scene the director might want to
give you the perspective of being in the action, so he will opt to use a
point of view shot.
This is a shot of Latika from Jamal’s perspective at the train station.
It gives as the effect that we can see and feel everything Jamal is
seeing and feeling. It puts the viewer in the action.
Low Angle
These shots are taken from a low perspective upwards. The intention
of this is to make the character appear more powerful and important.
It is used to emphasize the superiority of someone or something.
This is used to make Jamal more relaxed and in control of the
situation.
Tilting
This is a filming technique where the camera is moved up and down
vertically from a fixed position. This emphasizes the speed or size of
an object. This may create a feeling of tension or imbalance for the
viewer.
Close Up Shot
It is used to show emotion and to focus on the expressions of the character. It
is effective in showing his emotion through his facial expression. It is seen
through the look on his face that Jamal is distraught. You can see he is
sweating and his eyes are red and watering indicating that he has been kept
in poor conditions and has been tortured. With his frowning eyebrows, you
can see the concerned and anxious look on Jamal’s face as he is trying to
understand what is happening.
High Angle Shot
It is used to show the entire city below and to show us what Jamal is looking
at. It is affective because it makes you realise how vast and big the city is and
how much the city has developed and changed since Salim and Jamal were
children, emphasizing the growth, development and modernity of Mumbai.
Cutaway Shot
This is when a continuously filmed action is interrupted by inserting a view of
something else. This interruption is usually quick. This shot is a flashback and
repetition of Jamal’s favourite memory of Latika. She is seen in all her beauty,
radiance and you are left in awe of her. It is not a busy background with only
the passing train, making her the focal point. In this shot, she is smiling and
her hair is blowing, which is cliché for a romantic moment in a film. Putting the
shot into context, this is when she decided to risk everything just to see Jamal
explaining why it is his favourite memory of her. Whenever Jamal is going
through a difficult time this picture flashes through his head which calms him
down.
Dolly or Tracking
This technique is used to create a sense of audience involvement in the film.
It makes the audience feel like they are running in her shoes or trying to keep
up with her. This makes them a part of the story. Her fast pace and energy
adds to the suspense and put the viewers on the edge of their seats to see if
she is able to reach the phone in time.
Long Shot:
This long shot is taken at the end of the movie after the
dance scene. Jamal and Latika finally reunite and celebrate
with song and dance.
This picture shows their happiness and joy of being
together again, after years of heartache they find each
other and are happy.
Cut:
In this particular scene of the movie, Jamal is in the toilet talking to his
brother Salim which is rushing him to make it fast because of the customer
waiting outside. This is an example of a ‘cut’ which is visual transition
created in editing in which one shot is instantaneously replaced on screen
by another. In this case this scene is replaced with the helicopter Amithab
Bachan is in.
Fade:
This scene is an example of a visual transition between
shots or scenes that appears on screen as a brief interval
with no picture. The editor fades one shot to black and
then fades in the next. Often used to indicate a change in
time and place. This scene fades into Jamal during his
childhood years explaining how he knows the answer to the
question.
Zoom:
This is an example of zoom It involves changing the focal
length of the lens to make the subject appear closer or
further away in the frame. They zoomed into Latika’s face to
show us the scar she got from the train station.
Bird’s Eye View:
Danny Boyle gave us a clear bird’s eye view in the beginning
of the film, taking us over Jamal as he is tortured and
interrogated. This is usually used to give us an overview
(unintentional pun) of the scene’s setting and to give us a
feeling of domination and power of the subject in the scene,
in this case, Jamal.
Dissolve:
A dissolve in filmmaking is a gradual transition from one
scene to the next without the abrupt cut, but rather an
overlapping of the two scenes
Montage:
A montage is a rapid display of images, and depending on the
speed of the transition of the images, it can give us a sense
of a fast or slow paced scene.
Panning:
In film, panning refers to the slight rotation of the camera to
the sides as it stays in a fixed position. It is generally used
to give us a large view of the setting, and to give us a sense
that the setting is rather big.
Medium shot:
This still is from the scene where Jamal has to go to
desperate measures to get a signature from one of the super
stars. His brother locked him in the long-drop pit and so he had
to jump in the peanut butter (poo) to get to see the super star.
This shot focuses on Jamal and makes him the more dominant
part to the still. His facial expression shows the excited he
had as he got the signature.
Wide shot:
This is the scene where the kids got taken in and they had to
start finding ways to get money as they had started working
for the bad man.
This is a wide shot so it focuses on the two brothers and
Latika but also concentrates on the settings or the
background to give us information as well.
Extreme Close-up:
This shot is where Jamal had left Latika when him and his
brother went to Mumbai. He had not seen Latika for a long
time and came back to look for her. This is where he sees her
dancing .
This shot shows how focused her his on her but he is also very
shocked to have found her and happy that she was still alive.