Spoiler alert, so beware.
Taking a break from my usual political commentary, I felt compelled to convey the story of three musketeers from the slums of Mumbai, India. I saw Slumdog Millionaire last night at the theater and was blown away by the story Danny Boyle delivered on screen. The cinematic marvels of this film tell the story of a family torn apart by religious conflict in a region where Muslims attacked non-Muslims.
Left to fend for themselves, two brothers only in their infancy travel the country on top of trains, sneak food from wealthy buffets, and pose as tour guides to earn money. We follow the brothers and their third leg, Latika, who completes the trio of musketeers, through their infancy to adulthood, where money, power, and jealousy divide the three.
Jamal Malik, the younger of the two brothers, is a Mumbai teen and a contestant on the Indian version of “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?” when he is suspected of cheating and subsequently arrested. In the events that unfold, we learn of Jamal’s life in the slums and its relevance to the answers he provides on the game show.
But Jamal was never concerned with money, and only tried to get on the show to find his long lost love, Latika, the third musketeer. A parallel love plot to find Latika, who has been lost to the services of a cartel-like leader, finds Jamal on this game show – a modest and powerful performance.
Watching this film, I was taken away by the purity of emotions and the struggle that these three musketeers endured to survive, escape, and live through the slums to reach riches. And after winning Rs 20,000,000 (rupees), Jamal is only concerned with finding his childhood love. Hearing her voice over the game show’s lifeline renewed his spirits, learning of her safety. The bittersweet story is captivated by the two joining hands at the train spot Jamal proclaimed to be at every day at 5pm. The power of love and the power of struggle came together in a kiss of passion. Kissing the scar left behind by a knife cut from her “lords,” Jamal acknowledges the past and embraces the future. He determined his life journey was to find the woman of his heart, and he did just that.
The story of Slumdog Millionaire is one of vivid and powerful emotions. At times you want to laugh, at times you want to cry. And at times you want to leave. But the story leads itself to a resilient round of applause and joy mixed with tears. This is not your typical love story or chick-flick. This is a mainstream movie with an independent feel – a film that tells a riveting story and one that has the power to change your life.
I hope this has not come off as a movie review. My intentions are to simply convey the power and importance of the film, Slumdog Millionaire. I left the theater empowered by the message of this movie. The underlying motives of Jamal Malik to find and save Latika led him through a life of poverty, of interrogation, and of personal loss. In an age defined by political turmoil, religious hostility, and self-greed motivated by money, Jamal’s devotion is truly unique, and this film delivers his story on the big screen with a perfect narrative arc. From beginning to end, this movie is beyond amazing, it is undeniably gripping.
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