Slumdog Millionaire: Exploring Narrative Techniques in Film Ms. Gonzalez Film Studies October 11, 2012

Film Summary

A Mumbai teen who grew up in the slums, becomes a contestant on the Indian version of "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?" He is arrested under suspicion of cheating, and while being interrogated, events from his life history are shown which explain why he knows the answers. (imdb.com) See trailer: 6Q 6Q

Non-linear Narrative Structure Slumdog Millinaire uses several flashback sequences to explain how Jamal ended up in the gameshow “Who wants to be a Millinaire?” and he, a kid from the slums, knows all the answers. The sjuzhet of the film moves from Jamal as an adult to his childhood memories. Each memory is connected to his experience and knowledge that allows him to answer the questions in the game show. The movie also flash forwards to show the confessional scenes of Jamal being interrogated.

Anatomy of a scene Watch the following scene: In this flashback scene, we see Jamal’s mother killed during an attack against the Muslims. Because Jamal and his family are Muslims, they are not familiar with the Hindu gods, and thus leads us to question how Jamal is going to answer the game show question in present time: What does the god Rama hold in his hand? The answer to the question is reveal in this flashback scene. Jamal sees the blue child, dressed as Rama, and thereby is able to recall what the Hindi god holds.

Effectiveness of flashbacks Character development : Jamal develops from the young, obedient little brother to the independent, determined brother. Allows the audience to understand how Jamal’s entire life has provided him with answers, and more importantly, the answers to the game show. The flashbacks also show how Jamal’s love for Latika dvevlops from childhood to adulthood. It demonstrates how much he loves her, and to what lengths he will go to be with her.

Bibliography Youtube.com Imdb.com Narratology link: rratology/terms/narrativetermsmainframe.ht ml rratology/terms/narrativetermsmainframe.ht ml icleId= icleId=