In-depth Analysis of Themes, Symbols in Slumdog Millionaire

This essay provides an analysis of Danny Boyle's Oscar-winning film 'Slumdog Millionaire,' based on Vikas Swarup's novel 'Q & A.' It explores the film's engaging story set in the slums of India, highlighting themes such as love, society, class, fate, and freewill. The analysis discusses the film's use of symbols, including the recurring image of bright yellow representing Latika and the importance of money as a central plot device. The essay also draws parallels between the characters and 'The Three Musketeers,' emphasizing the camaraderie between Jamal, Salim, and Latika. Overall, the essay argues that 'Slumdog Millionaire' is a masterpiece that effectively combines elements of action, drama, love, and mystery to captivate its audience.

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The object is chosen in this essay is the Oscar winning film of Danny Boyle ‘Slumdog
Millionaire’. This particular movie is based on the novel ‘Q & A’ of the Indian author Vikas
Swarup. This movie particularly interests the audience due to its highly engaging story which
is set in the slum background of India. This movie has captured the incidents of riots between
Hindus and Muslims in India and related these crimes with underworld even where the most
important image remains money. ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ catered various genres like action,
drama, love and mystery which has put elements of interest for each of its audients. This
movie has numerous symbols, tropes, themes and images which is intricately weaved with
great care.
The entire film has one set as the title suggests a reality show, ‘Who wants to be a
millionaire’ where the uneducated Muslim boy Jamal goes to play and answers different
questions correctly from the lessons that his life has taught him. This story has different
layers of thoughts which refer to the famous novel of Alexander Dumas ‘The Three
Musketeers’ from the very beginning (Boyle et al. 2009). Here three musketeers are Jamal,
his brother Salim and Latika and this allusions to The Three Musketeers shows the
camaraderie shared between them just like Athos, Porthos and Aramis of Dumas' tale.
The beginning of Slumdog Millionaire contains of series of imageries which was
flashing briefly before fading into shadows is of money and a pair of hands is tossing around
thousands of 1,000-rupee notes into a bathtub. Money plays important role in this movie as it
directly binds the story's central plot device that is the game show. The bright yellow color is
a recurring image from Jamal’s perspective as it relates to Latika whom he loves from his
childhood. This color from the Indian context is the color of turmeric which can eb associated
with holiness, beauty and healing process (Tzanelli 2015). To Jamal, Latika in spite of being
a prostitute is pure and holy. She is the healer of Jamal’s aching heart and she is the most
beautiful lady to him.

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In this aspect the theme of love in this movie can be related. The love between these
two is the only light contrasting all the themes of darkness like violence, riot and
hopelessness. Moreover, Slumdog Millionaire is the story of familial love as much as this is
focused on the romantic love (Sauer 2016). The fraternal bond which Jamal and Salim shares
as siblings is equally important to this narrative as Jamal’s bonding with Latika.
The theme of society and class is important because it is one of the motivational
aspect that the movie has catered to show the unequal situation of the world’s second largest
country. The gameshow here is a bridge which connects status and monetary success for
which Salim loses a life of a gangster (Roy 2016). The theme of fate and freewill contrast
each other and regular the lives of these three musketeers hence overall this movie is a
masterpiece to win heart of audience.

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References:
Boyle, D., Beaufoy, S., Swarup, V. and Rahman, A.R., 2009. Slumdog millionaire. Pathé
distribution [éd.].
Roy, S., 2016. Slumdog Millionaire: Capitalism, a Love Story. The Journal of Popular
Culture, 49(1), pp.155-173.
Sauer, A.P., 2016. What is Slumdog Millionaire? An Analysis of Imperialism In The
Film (Doctoral dissertation).
Tzanelli, R., 2015. Mobility, Modernity and the Slum: The Real and Virtual Journeys
of'Slumdog Millionaire'. Routledge.