Name of Film: Slumdog Millionaire
Film Analysis:
The film I chose to do my analysis over is Slumdog Millionaire. This film uses different forms of techniques to get an emotional effect on the audience. It uses various stylistic and narrative techniques to create suspense in the film that keeps viewers watching. All of this in the film results in a giving an emotional response especially at the end when Jamal wins the game show and finally gets the love of his life that he has been fighting for his entire life. This effects the audience in feeling emotionally happy for Jamal in his triumph. The film Slumdog Millionaire gives good effects throughout the film.
An example would be that the film creates suspense as Jamal narrates the story of his life through many flashbacks throughout the movie. As the film progresses in the present Jamal explains certain aspects of his life of what he’s experienced to explain to his interrogators why he knew the answers in the game show. His flashbacks normally consist of the film transitioning to a scene back in Jamal’s youth. Majority of these scenes however bring out a bleak, nervous, or depressing feeling. This is so because not only is Jamal’s life is already depressing but the way it’s told as well. For example in one of the scenes in Jamal’s youth he, Salim, and Latika are taken in by a gangster named Maman who apparently has taken in many street kids . Suspense is brought up when in one scene one of the children is singing to Maman and to much of his pleasure he thinks the child has a good voice. In return Maman burns the child’s eyes blinding him, and Jamal witnesses this. This scene has an emotional effect because it has so much build up. All other sound is mainly drowned out in this scene and you can mainly hear the child’s singing. The setting is at night but the lighting is also very dark leaving a gloomy mood. The camera mainly focuses on close-ups on Maman and a glimpse of the child especially when the child is being blinded. With all the different techniques in account for this scene effects the audience in several emotional aspects such as: shock, depression, tension, and anger. The effect of this creates suspense in this scene and in the film. Another example of how suspense was instigated would be in another flash back scene. In a scene Jamal is reunited with his brother at a skyscraper under construction under grim circumstances. In a furious outrage Jamal charges Salim pushing and knocking both of them off the skyscraper causing both of them to fall to their death. However this scene is then showed to be what Jamal is thinking of at this time in his head. The use of subjective film technique and camera motion adds a bit of tension to the audience because they actually believe that the two characters falling to their death is actually happening when really it is not. Like my last example this scene also has the effect of creating a suspenseful element in the scene and in the film toward the viewers. It leaves a bit of a emotional sense of surprise because the audience would not be expected Jamal to murder his brother. This scene also leaves an emotional sense of relief when the audience finds that the scene they just saw did not actually happen. A final example of the effect of suspense would be in one of the present time scenes in the film. In the film Jamal is stuck on a question at the game show and decides to use his phone-a-friend option for help. Jamal decides to call his brother because that is the only number he knows. However what Jamal doesn’t know is that Latika actually has Salim’s phone but has left it in a car because she is watching the game show on a television nearby. As Jamal is waiting for someone to answer the phone Latika is running to the vehicle. The game show host is growing impatient and is about to urge Jamal to hang up, although to Jamal’s fortune Latika answers the phone at the last second. This scene i believe is one of the most suspenseful and emotional moments in the film. The scene transitions back and forth between Jamal at the game show to Latika running towards the car to the phone. The sequence the scene transitions from Jamal at the game show and all you can hear the phone’s beeping as it’s waiting for someone to answer the phone and the beeping sound is heard over everything. While the scene transitions to Latika running and all that can be heard is Salim’s ringtone. The scene constantly transitions back and forth with these sounds being heard until Latika finally reaches and answers the phone. This scene uses real good use of Mise-en-scene in its cinematography. It also uses good use of sound which also helps the emotional effect that this scene is trying to portray. This scene leaves an audience with so much tension, fear, excitement, and relief. This scene leave a great effect on an audience and achieves what it’s trying to do creating an element of suspense. The scene leads the audience through so much tension leaving some to possibly say: “Go go you need to hurry up before he hangs up!” This feeling of tension lasts until Latika finally reaches the phone and then a feeling of relief is left throughout the audience.
Another example of effects used throughout the film would its effect of achieving happiness. An example of this would be when Jamal and Latika see each other at a railway station near the end of the film and are reunited and can finally be together. Scenes like this have been used in many films but it was used in this one rather well. For after everything that has happened throughout the film and how Jamal has been fighting and doing everything he possibly can to be with Latika is the story and plot’s cause of the film. The effect of the story and plot of this is Jamal and Latika being reunited at the end. This is a good use of the plot reaching a point that it just hits the audience achieving an element of pleasing satisfaction and happiness.
Therefore I conclude that the film Slumdog Millionaire uses various stylistic and narrative techniques to create suspense in the film that keeps viewers watching. All of this in the film results in a giving an emotional response. The effects that are trying to be accomplished throughout this film are well achieved and impacting in this movie.
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