Great film: Slumdog Millionaire

Finally got to watch the film, Slumdog Millionaire. I have to say that it is one of the greatest films I have seen in such a looooonnnng time.



The form and content of the film was harmonious and enriching. I appreciated the way the storyline was conveyed in the film---interweaving from past to present to understand the main character's life. I appreciated the way the beginning scenes were intricately cut in such a way that we were able to get a feel of the main character's community and way of living. One could definitely see and begin to understand the political, economical, and cultural struggles the people of India face. As I watched the film, I rewinded back to the time when I was in the Philippines back in 2005. Life in India is like life in the Philippines: from the young kids hustling and playing in streets barefoot...rummaging through the "smokey mountains," to the brutal sharp contrast of the "developed" and "affluent" cities... Even the culture---"pop" culture of spin-offs from American TV shows, "Who wants to be a millionaire" was an integral part of people's lives.

I think the film did a good job in portraying the different sectors of society in India (socially, culturally, politically, economically, and religiously).

It was a bit romantic and poetic, but not the sick-type of romantic. It was pretty deep. I must admit, I liked the scene where the characters, Jamal and Latika were in the kitchen and she asked him, "What will we live off of?" and his reply, "Love."
ha. That's deep......Now, at first, if you haven't seen the film, you may think that's cheesy. But if you take that scene into context and understand that these two grew up on hustling/poverty/nothing...that line was deep.

Something else I kept thinking about as I was watching the story unfold:
TRUE KNOWLEDGE COMES FROM EXPERIENCES. Sometimes the "uneducated" is the most educated amongst us all.

The film was all kinds of ironic...

1. The main character, who did not receive a formal education his entire life becomes a millionaire.

2. He becomes a millionaire strictly based upon his experiences---which, has become his alternative education.

3. He becomes a millionaire based upon the American TV show, "Who wants to be a millionaire." America, a capitalist nation based on corporate greed and entertainment and the belief that in order to become "rich and wealthy" is to be "educated."

Anyway, thank goodness for a good film.