Slumdog
Millionaire
Directed by Danny Boyle
Learning Outcomes
By the time you have completed this unit, you
should be able to
 analyse film image and sequences in detail;
 understand the way film language creates
setting and character, and manipulates our
responses;
 describe how verbal and visual features are
combined for different purposes;
 respond to and interpret meaning, ideas and
effects;
 write about aspects of the text.




How did the film make you feel?
Did it make you think?
Were your opinions or attitudes changed by it?
Which characters did you empathise with? dislike? feel sorry
for?



The film's narrative moves seamlessly back and forwards
between present and past. How does the film ensure that
the viewer is not confused by these shifts in time?
Having three actors play each of the three main characters
at different ages can pose problems. How does the film try to
ensure that the viewer accepts the different actors as the
same character?
The motivation driving Jamal from the time he returns to
Mumbai is finding Latika. How much time have they spent
together before this? Before their eventual reunion, how
many times does he actually see her?

Complete the plot worksheet.
Approaching Genre
'Genre' is a word – borrowed from French – which means a grouping of
similar works. All movies in a particular genre will include certain
basic ingredients, the way a chocolate cake or a casserole does.
epic
history
horror
love story
mockumentary
musical
road movie
romantic comedy
science fiction
social drama
sports
superhero
black comedy
buddy movie
comedy
coming of age
crime
detective
disaster
documentary
drama
dysfunctional family
action
Adventure
1. Working on your own, in pairs or in groups, decide which genres this
films best fits.
2. For each genre, identify the features of the film that make you decide
it fits there.
Narrative structure means the organisation of the plot, including the
order in which events are related.
1. Is there one plot or more than one?
The most common ways in which stories are told are in chronological
order, i.e. the order in which the events happen; using flashbacks,
i.e. earlier events are included later in the story with a frame of later
time, and the whole story a flashback (book-ending) with flash
forwards, in which future events are included earlier than they
actually happen.
1. Which of these descriptions best fits the structure of this film?
Explain in detail.
Narrative structure does not mean just the order in which the story is
told; the term refers to the whole structural framework that underlies
the order and manner in which a story is presented.
Director Danny Boyle has called the film 'a tale of two chairs'.
1.
Explain in detail how the 'two chairs' are used to anchor the
storyline, and how the TV quiz show provides a framework for
the narrative.
2.
Show how each success in the quiz show is balanced by a
great loss in Jamal's real life.
An important aspect of storytelling is point of view: who tells the story, or
from whose perspective the events are shown.
1.
From whose point of view is the story told in this film? Quote
specific examples.
Time is always an important consideration in a screenplay; a feature film
may cover days, weeks, even years of real time, so ways of showing
time passing are needed.
1. How much time is covered in this film? Can you work out a timeline?
Some of the ways the passing of time may be indicated include:
 fades or dissolves
 changing light
 showing a clock or a calendar
 references in dialogue
 dates or times on screen
 seasonal differences – winter to summer
 cuts to the same scene at a clearly later time, e.g. from full plates to
empty, or the same people with different clothes or in different
places.
 a montage of brief symbolic or typical images.
2. What techniques are used in this film to show time passing?
Most commercial films – “classic Hollywood” type - are similar in structure
to a three-act play:
The first act introduces the main characters and situation, and includes a
scene that sets up a complication around which the plot will revolve the catalyst or inciting incident, that disrupts the equilibrium of the
original situation.
The second act develops this complication.
The third act brings the situation to a climax and resolution.
i.e. – get the hero up a tree, throw things at him, and then get him down
from the tree.
Each act is structured to end on a moment of heightened tension or
interest – a ‘plot point' that will change the direction of the story.
1.
Does this film follow this pattern? Can you identify three acts? The
plot points that end acts 1 and 2?
There will often be a central incident (coming about half way through the
film), a mid-point scene, which packs a dramatic punch and kicks the
action to a higher level.
1.
Can you identify the mid-point scene? How does it affect subsequent
action?
Act One – set up
Act Two - confrontation
Inciting incident
Plot point
Act Three resolution
Midpoint
Climax
Plot point
Although it might not seem to at first glance, the film follows the
traditional 3-act structure. The scenes in the present and the
flashbacks fit together neatly within the framework.
1. Act 1 ends with the escape from Maman and the separation
from Latika; the rest of the film is Jamal's quest to find her
again. At the police station, the Inspector is beginning to
believe Jamal; in the studio he has won 250,000 rupees.
2. Act 2 ends with the fourth loss of Latika [58]: "We're done",
says the Inspector; Jamal says Latika has disappeared; he is
in despair, not knowing what will happen to him. Hollywood
screenwriting wisdom says that Act 2 should end with the
protagonist at his lowest ebb, which is what Jamal is here.
Act 3 begins with "You're back on the show."
3.
Act 3 is pretty much all in the present, with much crosscutting between the three main characters.
Record the following questions in your book. For each of the
following camera shots, answer the questions.
1.
Identify the camera shot or angle.
2.
Evaluate why this shot was chosen. What do you think it’s
purpose is?
3.
Explain what we learn about the character from this shot?
4.
Explain how the lighting is effective in this shot.
1
3
2
4
5
7
6
8
Who is the protagonist in this film? And who is the antagonist?
Explain why you believe this.
Narratives often involve a series of problems to be met and solved,
or obstacles to be overcome.
1.
List the main obstacles and/or problems faced by the
protagonist in the story. How does he overcome them?
2.
For each of the main characters, create a timeline of their
'journey'.
1.
As is usual in such a picaresque story, there is not much room for a
great deal of character development. Characters are generally
created in a few broad brushstrokes.
Picaresque: a genre depicting in realistic, often humorous detail the
adventures of a roguish hero of low social degree living by his or
her wits in a corrupt society.
For each of the main characters,
1. make a list of adjectives or phrases to describe them.
2. quote specific incidents that illustrate each.
3. explain what techniques are used to emphasise each
character's qualities.
Although they are brothers, Jamal and Salim are opposites in
almost every way.
1.
Identify and describe 3 differences.
2.
Record details of qualities and incidents that illustrate their
differences.
How is character
represented through film
techniques?
Jamal: chapters 3, 17, 27

Character (adjectives) Film technique
Significance or purpose
How is
character
represented
through film
techniques?
Salim: chapters

Character (adjectives) Film technique
Significance or purpose
How is character
represented
through film
techniques?
Latika: chapters

Character (adjectives) Film technique
Significance or purpose
Produce an essay plan for the following
question:

Analyse how TWO or THREE production
techniques helped develop your opinion of
a main character / individual.
Most of the film – apart from the above – was filmed on
location in India, in and around Mumbai, and at Agra.
As is not surprising in a picaresque film like this, there are
many different and often contrasted settings.
1. How many different settings can you identify?
2. Select the three you consider the most important and
note as many specific details as you can.
3. Why is the Hotel Tulip Star location unusual in this film?
4. Setting is as much about society as about geography.
How are the various social groups signified?
5. Cite examples where the gap between rich and poor is
made clear.
6. How important to the film is the setting in India?
Look at the setting photos and discuss.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
What is significant about the Indian poet Surdas?
What do the three lions on the national emblem of India
stand for?
What can you find out about Amitabh Bachchan?
What can you find out about the Juhu slum?
What can you find out about the Taj Mahal, one of the most
beautiful buildings in the world?
Whose face is on the 1000 rupee note? Why is he famous?
Whose face is on the American $100 bill? Why is he famous?
When did Jack Hobbs play cricket? How many first class
centuries did he score
Aramis is the third musketeer. Who were d'Artagnan,
Cardinal Richelieu, Planchet?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
In groups, read through your notes then discuss the following
questions:
Identify an important message in the film.
Identify and describe 3 examples of the theme being shown
n the film. Think about the characters which show this
theme.
Explain it’s relevance to today’s world.
Describe the director’s intention in relation to this message.
Identify and describe the social issues that are represented
in the film.
Evaluate the message and explain what lessons we can
learn about human behaviour.
Choose one theme and complete the following chart:
Theme Characters and how linked
example significance
1.
2.
3.
Theme
Film technique
1.
2.
3.
example
significance
Write an essay plan for one of the following:

Identify what you consider to be the director’s
main purpose AND analyse, in depth, one or two
main visual / oral techniques used to achieve this
purpose.

Analyse how at least TWO of the following were
used to present a main theme: Colour Lighting
Music Special effects Sound effects Camera
work costume
A motif is an image, a word or phrase that is repeated several
times in a film. Motifs are often used to keep the film
unified, to link one scene with another. Another way that
film-makers will create unity is by repeating or echoing
the same camera angles and shots (visual) and
sometimes the same ideas or words and phrases (verbal).
1. Can you identify any motifs in this film? any visual or
verbal links?
2. Complete the following chart:
Motif & where it appears
Significance
Character associated
the emblematic shot of Latika at the railway station: [6, 53, 54] +
linked with yellow: [6, 20, 60]
2. money, bank notes: [1, 2, 12, 24, 31, 33, 36, 40, 52, 56, 63, 64]
3. "destiny": [45, 56, 64]; "It is written" [1, 56, 64]
4. Jamal being hit: [3, 10, 13, 34, 37, 45]
5. hands and feet: Salim lets go Latika's hand [28]; Arvind's begging
hand [40]; Latika's painted hands [45]; Jamal's, Latika's hands in the
kitchen [52]; the inspector's feet, Jamal's feet [7]; + [20, 32, 41]
6. mobile phones: [5, 49, 60 onwards]
7. mirrors and reflections
8. echoes of scenes: Latika is left by the train and bundled away by
Maman [28]; she is abducted at the train station by Salim and others
[54]; Jamal is arrested [57]; Salim's hand with the keys [60] echoes
Arvind's begging hand [40]
9. steam and similar effects – associated with Latika: [28, 32, 35, 40, 41]
10. cages: [51, 52, 54, 57]
11. the musketeers
12. trains – frequently; climaxes in the dance in the TV station.
1.
Complete the following chart:
Character
Costume What does it tell us about the character?
Jamal
Salim
Latika
Mamman
Kumar
Diegetic Music
 When the source of sound, including music,
is located in the world of the film and can
therefore be heard by the characters, it is
known as diegetic sound. On the other
hand, when only the audience can hear the
sound it is nondiegetic sound.
 The audience doesn’t have to see the
source of music for it to be diegetic; we just
have to understand that the characters can
hear it as well.
 Narration (voiceover) by a character from
the film can also be diegetic. Even though
no other character can hear the narrative
voice, the fact that it belongs to a character
makes it diegetic.
Describe the diegetic sound in chapter 9:
Include
 - a description of what is happening,
 - an explanation of why the sound is significant e.g. does the
sound represent a certain character? Why? Does the sound
represent a theme? Why? What does the sound tell us about
the character or theme?
 Identify the characters involved.
The most common non-diegetic sound is a film’s soundtrack.
For example, in a horror film the characters do not hear the
creepy music that sets the mood to the film. Also the music
played during the film’s opening and closing credits would
not usually be heard by the characters.
 Non musical sounds can also be non-diegetic.
Task 2
1. Watch chapter 6 and list as many diegetic and nondiegetic
sounds as you can.
2. For each one, explain what you think its purpose is in the
film.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Identify the purpose of the
music in the film. Chapter
24 & 28
Explain how it helped you
to understand a character
better.
Describe how the music
helped to represent one of
the themes in the film.
Analyse how the music
contrasted or
complimented the setting.
Identify how camera shots
or movements helped to
support the music.

Analyse how particular techniques are used to encourage the viewer to
form a positive or negative view of a character in a visual text you have
studied.

Analyse how visual techniques and sound or verbal techniques are
combined to manipulate viewer response in a visual text you have studied.

Analyse how mood or atmosphere in a setting is created for a particular
purpose in a visual text you have studied.

Analyse how time is manipulated for a particular purpose in a visual text
you have studied.

Analyse how visual techniques are used to develop deeper ideas in a
visual text you have studied.