Wednesday, May 5, 2010

How was it that a feel good movie such as “Slumdog Millionaire” obtains a staggering 10 nominations for academy awards and walks away with eight of them? Although the film does have some great cinematography, music composition, and a unique storyline, it is through the concepts that it adopts from western influences that the film is able to achieve world wide recognition and acceptance. The negative construction of poverty stricken India coupled with having western ideologies interwoven in the storyline help make “Slumdog Millionaire” a good example of why globalization is a driving factor that is destroying the image of a comforting, united world.

Some of the key factors that I will be discussing in this paper are how the television show "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire" is a driving force that is constructed in the story and show how it influences the movie with western ideologies. India as a nation is portrayed in a negative way, images of the slums, conflict between religious groups, child labor exploitation, and sex trafficking are just a few examples. But through a popular show such as "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire" the audience expects for the underdog in the movie to pull through all the conflict he has experienced and end on a happy note. This is the problem the movie creates because once the story ends, what of the poverty and children being abused in India, what is to become of them? Globalization certainly will not help them, then who will?

5 comments:

  1. Hey- so this is a little- well I will ask you about it, "a good example of why globalization is a driving factor that is destroying the image of a comforting, united world." I can't tell from this statement if you think that a united world is comforting- and if globalization is the opposite- or a way to unite in an unhealthy way.

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  2. Jesus....good start. I agree with Amanda, I also didn't see which way you went. I'm sure as you develop and finalize it will be more clear. Good start though!

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  3. Once you figure out for yourself whether the idea of this "united world" is good or not, I think you will have an excellent final paper. Revolve your theme around that answer, and things will be great. You got this!

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  4. I really like your questions. They are very important. I have seen the movie twice and both times I felt guilty for enjoying it knowing that these people are living that way and the government is doing nothing about it. They are building up their country for the people who are already not in a slum but they are just displaced. In the movie the slum became this developed high rise part of town. But where did the people go? I think you can really develop this point.

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  5. It certainly is a good point, how the movie gives the notion that, though a TV game show, a person can escape poverty. However, it doesn’t emphasize that not everyone gets that opportunity. For the most part, people leave the theater having feelings of hope for a brighter future in India, forgetting that there are still millions of people that are living in the slums, having to fight for survival. You make good point. The thesis is headed in a good way. Maybe rearrange and not make so factual of statements in the intro.

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