I am assuming that the reader has seen the movie already.
The "climactic" moment of "Slumdog Millionaire" cuts back and forth between Jamal awaiting the answer to the final question and Salim sitting in a tub full of money, preparing to kill the head gangster guy.
The first time I saw the movie, I was distressed by this scene. It culminates with a montage of images: Jamal winning the money, fellow 'slumdogs' pouring into the streets in celebration, and Salim shooting the gangster just before being shot himself. I didn't like how Jamal's problems needed to be solved with violence (by Salim) when the film had supported gentleness up to that point.
By my fourth viewing, I saw the film in a different light. I realized that, even though Jamal winning the money was the most celebrated moment, it was not his victory. Jamal had already received what mattered: Latika's safety. The fortune didn't really matter. Everyone celebrated the fortune, except Jamal himself. This celebration was juxtaposed with the image of Salim killing and being killed in a tub of money. The montage seemed to suggest the naivete of those celebrating. Money does not bring happiness. Jamal always knew that, but Salim realized it too late. As a result, Salim met his fate in a pool of its source: money and greed. The shooting scene was not a moment of triumph, but one of tragedy. The struggle for human connection through love begot the true victory of the film: Jamal and Latika reuniting.
1 comment:
I only watched the movie once, so maybe my analysis might not be as accurate as yours but I remember thinking at the end of the movie that the fates of the two boys had already determined at the begining of the movie. With the autograph scene. That one scene showed that from the very begining the two boys had very different character and were going to take different paths in life.
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